Ask a wrap shop what slows a job down and you will usually hear two answers. Waiting on prints, and fixing panels that didn’t go down right the first time.
Jasmine Henricksen, owner of Rabbit Wrapz serving customers throughout Wisconsin, has cut down on both. She prints on an HP Latex 700 and installs General Formulations (GF) 830 AutoMark Vehicle Wrap Vinyl, finished with GF 831 AutoMark Clear Cast Laminate. We filmed her while she was doing an install on a vehicle wrap and asked why this setup works so well for her shop. The video is below, along with the Key take aways from our conversation.
A Wrap Shop That Has Tried a Lot of Options
Jasmine didn’t land on this setup by accident. She has run a number of different printers, wrapped with plenty of medias, and bought from more distributors than she can count. When she says something works, she is comparing it to everything else she has used.
You can see her work at rabbitwrapz.com, on Instagram at @rabbitwrapz, and on Facebook at Rabbit Wrapz.
Why She Chose General Formulations Vehicle Wrap Vinyl
When we asked what she likes about GF 830 wrap vinyl, she didn’t have to think about it.
“I just love GF. The material is so easy to work with. It prints really well. The colors are gorgeous. It’s really forgiving. It doesn’t overstretch. It’s a really good thickness. I never get glue lines with GF, which is amazing.”
Glue lines appear when the film is lifted and repositioned, causing the adhesive to leave a visible mark. On a finished wrap, that can mean pulling the panel and starting over.
GF is also easy to reposition, which is a big deal when you are working a panel by yourself.
“It’s not super sticky, so you don’t get stuck in a position you don’t want to be in. It’s really easy to pick it back up and move it where you want it to be.”
Saying that it conforms well into recesses and body lines too. The result is fewer surprises once the vehicle leaves the shop.
“With GF, I’ve never had to redo anything because of the vinyl. But I have had other materials, lifting edges, bubbling, stuff like that. It happens.”
She first got her hands on GF at a wrap industry event in 2019 and liked it right away. Her advice to someone who has never wrapped before is to grab a roll and practice. In her words, “If you don’t know what you’re doing, just play with it.”
Printing on HP Latex: Print, Laminate, Wrap
Most wrap shops run solvent or eco-solvent printers, and HP Latex doesn’t come up in wrap conversations as often as it should. Jasmine has been printing wraps on the HP Latex 700 and likes it more than anything else she has run.
It comes down to time. HP Latex 700 prints come off the printer dry, so you can laminate them immediately. There is no waiting on prints to outgas before they go through the laminator.
“Being able to print and just laminate and wrap right away is the best thing, especially when deadlines are tight or something needs to be reprinted last minute.”
“Sometimes when I hit print and 30 minutes later something’s done, I’m like, it’s already done. I can start wrapping, which is great because every customer is in a hurry, always.”
Fast Prints and Forgiving Vinyl Add Up
Put the two together and you get what Jasmine sees as her edge over other shops.
“Getting prints out super fast and the material just being easy to work with and laying down super fast, without having to redo things a million times and fix glue lines.”
Every redo costs film, laminate, and install time you can’t bill for. Eliminating those issues opens up the schedule and allows more vehicles to be completed each week.
Support From a Supplier Who Knows Her Shop
Equipment and media were only part of the story. Rabbit Wrapz spent as much time talking about service.
“Whenever I call, you guys answer the phone. Any question I have, someone is always available to answer. Even when Craig is helping someone else, he always gets back to me so fast.”
Craig is our service technician. A lot of his day goes to helping shops like Rabbit Wrapz keep printers running and jobs moving. When you have a customer waiting on a vehicle, a fast call back makes a difference.
She also likes that we are local and that we know who she is when she calls.
“You understand the local market, what’s needed. Big Systems knows what I do. You remember who I am when I call.”
“Compared to every other distributor that I’ve worked with, I was most impressed. And I worked with so many.”
Is This Setup a Fit for Your Shop
If you do full wraps, partial wraps, or fleet graphics and turnaround time is important to you, this combination is worth a look. It also makes sense for shops training newer installers, since GF gives them room to lift, adjust, and try again.
This setup tends to fit shops that:
- Produce full wraps, partial wraps, or fleet graphics and need a shorter turnaround from print to install.
- Also print signs, banners, wall graphics, and window graphics and want one printer that handles wraps and general graphics work.
- Are training newer installers and want a cast wrap vinyl that is easier to reposition.
- Want fewer reprints caused by lifting edges, bubbling, or glue lines.
And the HP Latex 700 doesn’t have to sit idle between wrap jobs. The same printer handles banners, signs, wall graphics, and window graphics, so it earns its keep on the rest of your work too.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to Jasmine, yes. She describes GF as forgiving and easy to reposition, so newer installers can lift and adjust the film without fighting it.
Rabbit Wrapz pairs GF 830 AutoMark High-Gloss White Cast Wrap Vinyl with GF 831 AutoMark High-Gloss Clear Cast Laminate, the matching laminate in the AutoMark line.
Glue lines are marks left in the adhesive when wrap film is lifted and repositioned. They can show on the finished wrap and often mean redoing the panel. Jasmine says she has never had glue lines with General Formulations vinyl.
Yes. HP Latex 700 prints come off the printer dry, so they can go straight to lamination with no outgassing wait. Rabbit Wrapz prints, laminates with GF 831, and installs the same day.
Talk With Us About Vehicle Wrap Vinyl and HP Latex
If you are adding wraps, looking at a new printer, or want to try GF vehicle wrap vinyl on your next job, give us a call. We can walk you through HP Latex printers, get you set up with GF 830 wrap vinyl and GF 831 laminate, and help you figure out what fits the work you do.
Thanks to Jasmine and Rabbit Wrapz for letting us into the shop and sharing how she works. Print brilliant.