Helios Design owner Caroline Carter, right, and her employee Lauren Jasino line-up a vinyl decal they created and are applying to a customers vehicle Friday, May 3, 2013, at their Peger Road business.

At its core, a custom printed vinyl wrap is a large-format, adhesive-backed film that is printed with any image, graphic, or design you can imagine. These wraps are applied directly to the ...

To start, you would need about a 25 foot roll of 60 inch wide vinyl wrap for the average vehicle (via Jerry). You may want to buy at least five to ten feet extra just in case you make mistakes.

Personal full-vehicle wraps cost between $3,000 and $4,000 and require two to five days to complete. Partial wraps, such as a custom graphic on a hood or side panel, typically cost less than $1,000.