having endured 50 days of rough seas and intense UV exposure, still looked great. The exposed ropes and plastics had faded in the sun, but the HP Latex graphics looked brand new!” As visitors to The Print Show this year will have heard from Hollis’ session on the Knowledge Zone, he has just one last task to go to complete the 721 Challenge - trekking to the North Pole. HP is set to provide decals for the specialist sledge that will accompany him on his solo ski. “I’m delighted that HP will provide the decals for my expedition sledge,” he says, adding: “The conditions in the Arctic will be the complete opposite to the Atlantic Ocean, with temperatures dropping below 30°C. Regardless, I have no doubt the HP Latex technology will stand up to the challenge.” Horsing Around As an example of something completely different, The Vinyl Guys used Drytac Polar Premium Air printable self-adhesive vinyl to transform a horsebox. Having been approached by a client over the project, the team at The Vinyl Guys was keen to take on what was a tricky job that had already been turned down by several other print businesses in the local area. “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,” explains Alex Liggett, owner of The Vinyl Guys. “The customer wanted to give the vehicle a new lease on life within a specific budget, so I explained the issues with the vehicle and how they related to the process of wrapping; trying to manage her expectations of what a wrap could do to her vehicle.” The team elected to print the base colour of the graphics, close to the actual paint colour of the van, on separate panels and applied these to the van a few millimetres away from the edges of the vehicle. These areas were not suitable for wrapping due to silicone sealants, minor damage, and partially poor paintwork. The Vinyl Guys then applied the Union Jack inspired design, using 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. “I knew that while Polar Premium Air wasn’t a high tack material, it was quite ‘grabby’ compared to some others, and would be a suitable material for the project,” Liggett explains, adding: “I carried out some patch testing on the worst of the areas of the van, did a visual proof of the customer’s design along with a small test print to colour match, and the customer was over the moon with the plan! “The customer was initially amazed at the fact we would take the project on. When it came to the final product, she was even more amazed. We were delighted that we could produce the piece for her.” Amphibious Talent On the subject of unusual vehicles, Scottish vinyl graphic design business Art & Sea has seen its clientele change dramatically over the years after switching its focus. The company began life in 2011 in a spare room at the house of owner Leonie Woolf, initially running as a marine specialised business producing graphics for boats and kayaks. Over the years, the company has evolved to become a more diversified 45 Issue 255 - October / November 2024 email: news@signlink.co.uk business, providing everything from vehicle graphics, wraps, and rally car livery to signage and shop front graphics – all from two dedicated office units. As part of this expansion, Art & Sea took printing in-house last year by investing in a Roland VG3-540 printer and recently built on this by taking on a new Mimaki CJV330-160 solvent printer/cutter from Soyang Hardware. “The 60% speed increase with matched quality to the VG3 was just what we needed,” Woolf explains, continuing: “At the same time, we were gaining a wider printing width with the 1,610mm. It seemed the perfect solution to our backlog while at the same time offering further benefits with a wider print such as vehicle wraps. “It’s been a game changer. It’s already saving us time and we’ve been super impressed with its speed and colour quality. It was definitely the right decision for us. “Given the additional speed, it will certainly increase our productivity, offering a quicker turnaround for our customers and allowing us to look at opportunities for new markets and take on additional staff.” While car, van, and even lorry wraps will continue to be the bread and butter of the vehicle graphics market, from some of those companies showcased here, it is clear there is demand for more varied projects, opening up even more routes to additional revenue for the many talented wrappers working in the industry. ▲ PressOn used HP Latex technology to print sponsor logos for Nick Hollis' boat, ‘Kraken’ ▼ The Vinyl Guys used Drytac films to complete its transformation of the horsebox VEHICLE WRAPPING Nick Hollis' challenge included 7 summits, 2 poles, and 1 ocean 721
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjM0NDIxOA==