The short answer
Flat and short-term: monomeric. Fleets, box trucks and mild curves for years: polymeric. Deep recesses and compound curves: cast — or ask the desk whether a flexible polymeric will hold.
9600 polymeric
1.52 m × 18 m132 SKUs — fleets and box trucks
7900 cutting vinyl
80 µm1.35 m × 50 m, 110 colours
XTREME print
1.27 mprint film + overlaminate system
How the film is made decides how it behaves
All three are PVC. The difference is how the sheet is formed — and that difference follows the film onto every curve for the rest of its life.
Calendered
A hot PVC compound is squeezed between heated rollers into a sheet, then cooled. The sheet keeps a memory of that stretch: pulled over a curve it wants to go back, which shows up as shrink at the edges and lift on recesses over time. Typical thickness 70–100 µm.
Monomeric vs polymeric — both calendered
The plasticiser, the additive that keeps PVC flexible, is the split. Monomeric plasticisers are small molecules that migrate out over time, so the film stiffens and shrinks sooner; economical and fine for flat, short-to-mid-term work. Polymeric plasticisers are larger molecules that stay in the film: more stable, less shrink, longer outdoor life and enough conformability for mild curves.
Cast
Liquid PVC is poured onto a casting sheet and dried into a film with no stretch memory. It sits flat on compound curves and rivets, is usually thinner (around 50–60 µm) and costs more. It is the film for deep recesses and full colour-change on complex body panels.
Side by side
| Monomeric calendered | Polymeric calendered | Cast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it is made | Rolled sheet, small-molecule plasticiser | Rolled sheet, high-molecular plasticiser | Poured liquid, no stretch memory |
| Typical thickness | 70–100 µm | 70–100 µm (9600 families 130–210 µm published) | about 50–60 µm |
| On a curve | Flat panels, simple bends | Mild curves, fleets, box trucks | Compound curves, recesses, rivets |
| Shrink over time | Most | Little | Least |
| Outdoor life | Shortest | Longer | Longest |
| Cost per roll | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| Typical job | Short-term promo, flat signs, labels | Fleet graphics, box trucks, colour-change on mild panels | Full wraps on complex bodies |
Where the MAXDECAL series sit
- 9600Polymeric
9600 Evolution Wrap Film
Flexible polymeric calendered, 132 SKUs, 1.52 m × 18 m. Multi-year outdoor rating published on the product. Our answer for fleets and box trucks.
Series page - 7600 PlusPolymeric
Special-effect wrap
Polymeric with colourshift, matt chrome, candy and pearl finishes. 1.52 m × 18 m, 50 SKUs.
Series page - APMMono / poly by SKU
Automotive Printing Media
Calendered print media where each SKU states its class — APV80 is a polymeric white for vehicle graphics; the Multipurpose label films are monomeric.
Series page - XTREMEPrint system
Race-proven print system
Printable vinyl plus clear overlaminates on 1.27 m. Outdoor rating published on every SKU — see the product.
Series page - 7900Cutting vinyl
Colour cutting vinyl
80 µm colour vinyl on 1.35 m × 50 m, 110 SKUs with gloss / matt twins. Outdoor rating published on the product.
Series page - PPFTPU
Paint Protection Film
Not PVC at all — TPU with a self-healing top layer, 170–220 µm. A different material for a different job.
Series page
Six questions that place the job
01What is the surface?
Flat, simple curve, compound curve, rivets. This alone rules out most films.
02How long must it stay on?
Weeks, a season, years. Match to the published rating, not the brochure headline.
03Vertical or horizontal?
Roofs and bonnets take sun and water; horizontal ratings are shorter for every film.
04Cut or print?
Cut colour uses the film’s own colour; print needs a printable face plus an overlaminate to protect the ink.
05Will it come off later?
Removable adhesives and polymeric films leave the surface cleaner. Plan the removal when you choose the film.
06What does the job pay?
Cast on a short-term promo is money wasted; monomeric on a five-year fleet is a callback. Match cost to life.
Two myths worth dropping
“Calendered means cheap”
It means rolled. A polymeric calendered film like 9600 wraps fleets and box trucks with a published multi-year rating. What matters is the plasticiser and the rating, not the word.
“Thicker is better”
Thicker is stiffer. On a curve a thinner, conformable film beats a thick, rigid one. Pick thickness for the job: thick for wear and print stability on flat panels, thin for conformability.