Striking and creative vehicle wraps

Carrying on the theme of innovation from this year’s WrapFest, Rob Fletcher celebrates some of the most eye-catching and impressive jobs from the vehicle wrapping market.

This month marked the second edition of WrapFest, with hundreds of visitors descending on the home of British motorsport – Silverstone – to learn more about the latest developments in what is already a hugely creative sector, as well gain insight into techniques from some of the leading minds in wrapping.

As those who attended will attest, innovation has never been higher in the market. Whether this is in terms of how specialists are applying wraps, the different effects they use, or the type of vehicles they are wrapping. There is seemingly no end to the possibilities of vehicle wrapping.

With this in mind, this month we pick out a selection of jobs that have caught the attention of the industry in recent times and pay tribute to the talented wrappers, as well as both the technology and materials they use to create these applications and drive growth in this market.

Setting sail for the Caribbean

In the UK, Nettl Signs took on the challenge of not only wrapping a rowing boat with a new design but also coming up with a wrap that would stand up against constant exposure to the elements and rough seas during an extreme endurance challenge.

This December, Team Seasoar will join other entrants from around the world in the World’s Toughest Row, which sees competitors row over 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from San Sebastian de la Gomera in the Canary Islands to English Harbour in Antigua & Barbuda in the Caribbean.

Competing teams gather support from sponsors in the weeks and months leading up to the race, with the logos and branding of these supporters added to their boats. Team Seasoar approached Nettl Signs to produce the sponsor-themed wrap for its boat ahead of setting sail on 12 December.

CAPTION: Nettl Signs wrapped a 9m-long boat for its 3,000-mile-plus journey across the Atlantic Ocean

Using its HP Latex 800W, Nettl Signs designed, printed and installed the graphics, consisting of two 9m-long side strips – stretching the entire length of the boat – as well as front and back panels, and cabin graphics. All graphics were printed on Drytac’s Polar Premium Air, a self-adhesive polymeric vinyl, and overlayed with Weathershield Gloss, a polymeric PVC overlaminating film.

“Combined with HP Latex inks, it was a great match for a high quality, fine detail wrap,” said Ben Gregory, owner, CEO and managing director of Nettl Signs. “Installation was also simple given the excellent properties of the vinyl, while HP Latex inks helped by allowing heating and stretching of the vinyl without degradation of the printed image or colours thinning.

“The customer had high expectations as businesses had paid thousands in sponsorships for logos and names on the hull. They were blown away by the quality of print and the speed in which we were able to complete the work ready for a televised PR launch party.”

Galloping ahead with horsepower

Now for something completely different. Vehicle branding and customisation specialist The Vinyl Guys combined Roland DG printing technology with Drytac materials to transform a horsebox and give the vehicle a new lease on life.

Vehicle branding and customisation specialist The Vinyl Guys also worked with Drytac Polar Premium Air to complete an innovative project, cleverly transforming the look of a horsebox and giving the vehicle a new lease on life.

The company was approached by a customer seeking support in wrapping a horsebox that was not in the best condition. While other print companies said an all-over wrap was not possible because of the condition, The Vinyl Guys came up with an innovative solution.

“I went to look at the horsebox in question; the paint wasn’t the greatest and the finish to the edges of the panels and windows was not suitable for the wrap finish that we would normally deliver with wrapped and tucked corners,” said Alex Liggett, owner of The Vinyl Guys.

The solution was to print the base colour of the graphics, close to the paint colour of the van, on separate panels. These were applied to the van a few millimetres away from the edges of the vehicle, as these areas were not suitable for wrapping due to silicone sealants, minor damage, and partially poor paintwork.

CAPTION: The Vinyl Guys completely transformed the look of a horsebox using Roland DG and Drytac technology

The Vinyl Guys used its Roland VG2-640 eco-solvent printer/cutter to print all graphics in-house onto Drytac Polar Premium Air, which was combined with Weathershield Matte polymeric PVC overlaminating film for protection against the elements. These materials meant the company could achieve an all-over wrap effect without further damaging the surface of the vehicle.

“The customer was initially amazed at the fact we would take the project on,” Liggett said. “When it came to the final product, she was even more amazed. We were delighted that we could produce the piece for her.”

Superior sustainability

Businesses seeking growth in all areas need to be aware of current trends. One factor that has been proving hugely important in recent years is sustainability. This can often be tricky in areas such as wrapping, which, in years gone by, have relied on materials and technologies that can cause havoc with sustainability strategies.

However, as OPG Ltd., a national fleet vehicle graphics specialist, explained, there are now more options than ever available to those wrapping businesses seeking more planet friendly solutions.

OPG has been serving the market for more than 30 years, working with leading brands such as Sainsbury’s, NatWest, FedEx, Boots and McDonald’s, with much of this work focusing on being as sustainable as possible. This has led OPG to work with HP Latex printers, all of which run water-based inks and have less impact in the planet.

One example of this is a recent project with a leading UK supermarket chain. Here, OPG used its HP Latex printers to create 30,000m of vehicle graphics on recyclable materials. After the graphics have reached their end of life, they will be removed and recycled.

“It is a front door to back door recycling process,” said Tristan Harrold, technical and operations director at OPG. “We recycled all the manufacturing and application waste, and plan to recycle the end-of-life waste. We wanted to do it all ourselves to show customers what we can offer in addition to our print side.

“Any job we take on is printed on a material that can be recycled. Around 90% of what we do can be recovered and recycled.”

The companies and applications showcased here should offer some food for thought to those wrappers seeking growth and new opportunities in the wider market. Consider exploring options outside of your usual remit and perhaps evolving your production set-up, and this could set you on an exciting path to new revenue.

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Discover the next World Wrap Masters competition here. The World Wrap Masters series is the only global series of wrapping competitions that connects and celebrates the best wrap installers in the world, with competitions occurring in every major continent and the winners of regional and national events qualifying and competing at the World Wrap Masters Final for the title of the global World Wrap Master.