Picking out opportunities in personalisation

Rob Fletcher looks at the opportunities in Personalisation and explores some of the ways printing companies can capitalise on rising demand for this type of work.

Minuteman Press Bath, one of the local UK branches of the Minuteman Press franchise network, recently completed a rather unusual project by wrapping a car for existing customer Bath Painters & Decorators.

While the job itself was a standard car wrap for a local business looking to promote itself and its services to customers in the historic city of Bath and the surrounding areas, it was the car itself that caught the attention of the team at the World Wrap Masters.

The car to be wrapped, a Citroen Ami, is extremely uncommon, with only six of these currently out on the roads in the UK. The shape of the compact car was unfamiliar to the team at Minuteman Press Bath and as such required close attention to ensure the wrap was applied properly and the graphics looked the part.


Caption: There are only six Citroen Ami cars in the UK

Minuteman Press Bath had previously wrapped a Ford Ranger and Ford Transit van for the decorating company, but the nature of the latest request meant it was much more than a standard vehicle wrapping job.

“The vehicle was quite compact, and the body is made of textured plastic, so it is a bit unusual to work with,” said Minuteman Press Bath operations manager Kieran Blacknall. “We discussed these challenges with the team at Drytac and settled on Polar Cast with the matching Cast Gloss laminate film.”

Polar Cast Air GSL is a white gloss printable cast PVC film that can be used for full vehicle wraps, such as this project, as well as flat sides of buses or taxis and long-term indoor and outdoor graphics. The film has a low initial tack and a micro groove air release system that Drytac says allows for hassle-free application and easy correction of mistakes – something that was particularly useful in this unusual project.

Minuteman Press Bath printed the colourful graphics for the wrap on its HP Latex 700W and the applied the film direct to the car, achieving an all-over effect and ensuring Bath Painters & Decorators captures the full attention of passers-by when the car is out and about.

“The client was very happy with the results and has already had lots of interest in the vehicle; you really can’t miss it,” Blacknall at Minuteman Press Bath said. “We’re always really impressed with the quality and performance of Drytac products, and we like the fact they are manufactured in the UK.”

Caption: There are only six Citroen Ami cars in the UK

The unusual shape of this car and the trickiness of applying a film to the bodywork can serve as a reminder to wrappers around the world of the importance of training and to never stop learning new skills.

By constantly trying out your wrapping skills on new vehicles and surfaces, as well as testing out the latest materials and technologies from suppliers, this will help you stay one step ahead of the competition and allow you to take on work that may previously not have been on your radar.

Discover the Personalisation Experience taking place alongside FESPA Global Print Expo 2023 and European Sign Expo 2023 from 23rd May – 26th May 2023 at Messe Munich. The Personalisation Experience will bring together 3,500 stakeholders from retailers, brands, agencies to printers and fulfilment houses, connecting them with software providers and OEMs to explore the potential of personalisation in sportswear, packaging, product, loyalty and custom interiors. For more information please visit: https://www.personalisationexperience.com/