Cast vs calendered vinyl for vehicle wraps

Cast vinyl vs calendered vinyl is the first decision behind any printed graphic, because the way a film is made decides where it can go. Both are PVC films with an adhesive on the back. They are manufactured in different ways, and that difference shows up on curves, rivets and corrugations. This guide explains the two processes, what each film is good at, and which of the films we print fall into each group.

How cast vinyl is made

Cast film starts as a liquid. Film makers Arlon and Mactac both describe the process in similar terms: PVC resin, plasticizer and colorant are mixed with solvent into a liquid, which is spread onto a casting sheet and then dried and cured in ovens. The film forms on the sheet without being stretched or squeezed into shape.

Two things follow from that. Cast film is thin. Arlon puts typical cast film at about 2 mils. And because nothing pulled the film into shape during manufacturing, it has no built-in stress. Arlon describes cast film as highly stable and flexible, and as a film that can be stretched and tucked into deep channels without shrinking back.

How calendered vinyl is made

Calendered film starts as a melt instead of a liquid. The ingredients are heated and then rolled through a series of heated rollers, called calenders, that press the material into a sheet and set its width, thickness and surface finish.

The process uses no solvent and no casting sheet, which is why calendered film costs less to make. The trade-off is in how the film behaves. Arlon describes calendered film as having mechanical memory: it was physically elongated during production and wants to hold that tension. It is less conformable than cast and is best on surfaces that do not need extreme stretching.

What the difference means on a job

For vehicle wraps the practical point is this: a film that wants to return to its original shape tends to pull back from recesses and edges on a curved body. That is why full vehicle wraps are printed on cast film, and why calendered film is kept for flat sides, walls and other surfaces that do not ask the film to stretch.

Which of our films are cast

We only state a film type here where the manufacturer publishes it.

• 3M IJ180Cv3: cast. 3M lists it as a 2 mil cast vinyl film for vehicle wraps and fleet graphics, including corrugations and rivets. See printed 3M IJ180Cv3.
• 3M 8518 gloss overlaminate: cast. 3M's product bulletin lists it as 2 mil cast vinyl.
• Avery Dennison MPI 1105 Easy Apply RS: cast. Avery's data sheet lists a 2.0 mil high gloss cast film designed for fleet marking and vehicle wraps. See printed Avery MPI 1105.
• Avery DOL 1360, 1370 and 1380 overlaminates: cast. Avery lists them as 1.3 mil cast films in gloss, luster and matte.
• Avery Dennison MPI 2610 wall film: calendered. Avery describes it as a 6.0 mil calendered vinyl designed for wall graphic applications, with flat application surfaces. See wall wrap on MPI 2610.

The pattern matches the theory. The two wrap films and their laminates are cast, because they go over curves, rivets and corrugations. The wall film is calendered, because a wall is flat. Avery cites opacity and ease of application as benefits of the thicker film.

Why the laminate matters too

A printed wrap is two films: the print film and the overlaminate on top of it. Film makers match the two. 3M lists 8518 among the recommended graphic protection for IJ180Cv3, and Avery lists its DOL 1300-series cast overlaminates for vehicle and fleet graphics. We pair cast with cast: IJ180Cv3 with 8518, and MPI 1105 with DOL 1360, 1370 or 1380. Both combinations are $5.27 per sq ft, printed, laminated, trimmed and paneled.

How to choose

• Full or partial vehicle wrap: cast film. Choose between the two wrap films with our 3M IJ180Cv3 vs Avery MPI 1105 comparison.
• Logos, lettering and spot graphics on a vehicle: the same cast films, ordered as contour-cut graphics.
• Interior walls and murals: calendered wall film.

If a spec sheet or a customer names a film, order that film. If not, pick by surface: curves and channels need cast, and flat surfaces do not. Current rates for every film are on the pricing page.