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Chrome delete: turning the chrome on your car black

By Wrap Destination, Cruquius · 21 October 2026

What is a chrome delete?

Many cars have chrome or shiny aluminium trim. Around the windows, in the grille, on the bumpers and as lettering on the tailgate. With a chrome delete, film goes over it so the chrome disappears. That makes the car look cleaner and often more modern. The chrome itself stays underneath.

Want to see how your car looks without chrome? In the Wrap Preview you can remove the chrome with one click.

Why do people choose a chrome delete?

For years chrome was the sign of a high-spec version. Many newer cars now get black accents from the factory instead, often as part of a more expensive package. A chrome delete gives a car with chrome that look, without having to buy that package. Black window trims make the windows look bigger and the car look lower, especially with dark paint or combined with tinted windows. On top of that, chrome that has gone dull or stained disappears. You see that a lot on cars a few years old, where the chrome on the window trims has been affected by car washes and dirt. The film hides it, without you having to replace the parts.

Which parts can you black out?

• Window trims around the side windows, the most popular job.
• The surround or the slats of the grille.
• Trim strips on bumpers and doors.
• Roof rails.
• Mirror caps.
• Badges and lettering, which sometimes come off and are sometimes wrapped in film.

Exhaust trims get hot and are therefore no place for film.

Film, paint or replace?

For most cars film is the logical choice. It is affordable and you can go back to chrome when you sell the car or hand it back. That last point is useful with a lease car.

Can you do a chrome delete yourself?

You can. Online shops sell kits with a roll of black film a few centimetres wide for just over twenty euros. On straight sections that works with patience. Window trims do run through curves and corners, though, and the edges have to be tucked around the rubber. That is where it often goes wrong: the film shrinks back in the corners, edges come loose or there are small cuts in the rubber.

If you are unsure, start with one small piece. If it goes wrong, the film simply comes off again and you can still have it done.

Gloss, satin or matte black?

Gloss black looks most like the black parts manufacturers use themselves and suits most cars. Satin black is a little more understated. Matte black makes the strongest statement, but shows fingerprints and streaks sooner. Look at the rest of the car too: if the grille or mirrors already have black plastic, the same sheen matches best. More in matte, satin or gloss.

How does a chrome delete work?

1. The chrome parts are cleaned and degreased, including the edges along the rubber.
2. Where needed for a clean edge, parts come off, such as badges or loose trim strips.
3. The film goes over each part in one piece and is tucked in at the back or under the rubber.
4. In corners and curves the film is heated after application, so it does not shrink back.

How long it takes depends on the number of parts. If you combine it with other parts or with window tinting, we schedule it all in one go.

What does a chrome delete cost?

That depends on how many parts there are and how much has to be taken apart. Just the window trims is a manageable job. Window trims, grille, badges and bumper strips together is a lot more work. Send us your make, model and a photo of the parts you want in black, and you get a price for your car through the quote form.

How long does a chrome delete last?

With good cast film usually just as long as a wrap: five to seven years, sometimes less on horizontal parts. Window trims have a hard time from wiper blades and the rubber rubbing along them. Wash them by hand or in a brushless car wash. See caring for a wrapped car.

A chrome delete does not change the main colour of your car, so you do not need to report anything to the RDW (the Dutch vehicle authority) for it. With a full colour change you do: see car wraps and the RDW.