bus wrap design

[Josh Kuper]

I'm looking for someone or a company who designs vehicle wraps. Anyone have a suggestion??

 

[BigNate]

depending on your state "wrapping" a school bus is illegal - at least according to our District's Transportation dept.... they have very specific Ed Code they must follow and some specify paint as the only option. (now if it is not going to be used as a school bus you likely have a lot more freedom.)

 

[rjssigns]

Got to Dreamstime and look up religious photos, backgrounds or artwork. Grab something that looks good, add some lettering and Robert is your fathers brother.

 

[Josh Kuper]

depending on your state "wrapping" a school bus is illegal - at least according to our District's Transportation dept.... they have very specific Ed Code they must follow and some specify paint as the only option. (now if it is not going to be used as a school bus you likely have a lot more freedom.)

 

[Boudica]

Got to Dreamstime and look up religious photos, backgrounds or artwork. Grab something that looks good, add some lettering and Robert is your fathers brother.

I'm getting that the OP doesn't know how to create a template and do the layout?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

draw a rectangle the size of the bus and put your design in it. Then scale the bus photo, drop it on top, drop the transparency and make sure it all kind of works.

 

[Bill Heishman]

I'm looking for someone or a company who designs vehicle wraps. Anyone have a suggestion??

I have made bus templates like this:

1. take good perpendicular photos of each side. Use a real camera with a real lens, not a cell phone unless it has a physical and not a digital zoom lens. The further you walk away and zoom in, the less "lens/parallax/bloom" errors will be in the photo.
2. Measure between two unmistakable features on each side, as far apart as you reasonable can, vertically and horizontally. Lens errors can make a difference between vertical and horizontal scales.
3. Using these measurements, scale your photo up in your native software until the image more or less matches your measurements. +/- .5" is usually close enough.

I like to draw around the image and create clipping mask to isolate the vehicle from the distracting background.

On a bus like that you will need to add a few "fudge" inches vertically due to the flutes/rub rails on the sides.

As stated before, draw boxes around the areas you want to wrap, main side, windows, etc. Allow a couple of inches of overlap between panels to allow for small installation errors

Try to meet the corners with something solid and generic because matching the panels on the corners can be very tough, even for seasoned installers.

If you hire someone to design for you, they will need you to complete steps 1-3 first...

There may be scaled templates out there, but to be honest. there are many school bus manufacturers and they will vary their body styles, frames and cabs pretty often.

Hope this helps,

Bill

 

[Justin Jansing]

I'm looking for someone or a company who designs vehicle wraps. Anyone have a suggestion??

you can email me , or visit my website IDWRAPIT.com and you can fill out my contact form at the bottom for a job quote.

 

[Boudica]

I have made bus templates like this:

1. take good perpendicular photos of each side. Use a real camera with a real lens, not a cell phone unless it has a physical and not a digital zoom lens. The further you walk away and zoom in, the less "lens/parallax/bloom" errors will be in the photo.
2. Measure between two unmistakable features on each side, as far apart as you reasonable can, vertically and horizontally. Lens errors can make a difference between vertical and horizontal scales.
3. Using these measurements, scale your photo up in your native software until the image more or less matches your measurements. +/- .5" is usually close enough.

I like to draw around the image and create clipping mask to isolate the vehicle from the distracting background.

On a bus like that you will need to add a few "fudge" inches vertically due to the flutes/rub rails on the sides.

As stated before, draw boxes around the areas you want to wrap, main side, windows, etc. Allow a couple of inches of overlap between panels to allow for small installation errors

Try to meet the corners with something solid and generic because matching the panels on the corners can be very tough, even for seasoned installers.

If you hire someone to design for you, they will need you to complete steps 1-3 first...

There may be scaled templates out there, but to be honest. there are many school bus manufacturers and they will vary their body styles, frames and cabs pretty often.

Hope this helps,

Bill

Actually, one of our fine s101 members has a thread offering up free templates he's needed to create. There might be that school bus, or something very similar that could be altered. He's got a lot of obscure trailers, buses, ambulance... I've found a few of them very useful.

jfiscus ... Have you done any school buses?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I have made bus templates like this:

1. take good perpendicular photos of each side. Use a real camera with a real lens, not a cell phone unless it has a physical and not a digital zoom lens. The further you walk away and zoom in, the less "lens/parallax/bloom" errors will be in the photo.
2. Measure between two unmistakable features on each side, as far apart as you reasonable can, vertically and horizontally. Lens errors can make a difference between vertical and horizontal scales.
3. Using these measurements, scale your photo up in your native software until the image more or less matches your measurements. +/- .5" is usually close enough.

I like to draw around the image and create clipping mask to isolate the vehicle from the distracting background.

On a bus like that you will need to add a few "fudge" inches vertically due to the flutes/rub rails on the sides.

As stated before, draw boxes around the areas you want to wrap, main side, windows, etc. Allow a couple of inches of overlap between panels to allow for small installation errors

Try to meet the corners with something solid and generic because matching the panels on the corners can be very tough, even for seasoned installers.

If you hire someone to design for you, they will need you to complete steps 1-3 first...

There may be scaled templates out there, but to be honest. there are many school bus manufacturers and they will vary their body styles, frames and cabs pretty often.

Hope this helps,

Bill

Why? It's still just a big rectangle.

 

[Boudica]

Why? It's still just a big rectangle.

Balony. I've done a few busses myself. From full wraps, to fairly simple lettering and some decals. Rub rails to deal with... It's in the detail man.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Balony. I've done a few busses myself. From full wraps, to fairly simple lettering and some decals. Rub rails to deal with... It's in the detail man.

The rubrails are still in the middle of the rectangle. Templates are dumb

 

[jfiscus]

Actually, one of our fine s101 members has a thread offering up free templates he's needed to create. There might be that school bus, or something very similar that could be altered. He's got a lot of obscure trailers, buses, ambulance... I've found a few of them very useful.

jfiscus ... Have you done any school buses?

Unfortunately, I do not have that bus' template here.

 

[rjssigns]

I'm getting that the OP doesn't know how to create a template and do the layout?

Ahhh, good point, but a slab sided vehicle is the perfect rig to start with. Can't overthink it, get your basic measurements and go to town. I did that for a class 8 truck where there was no existing template.

 

[myront]

I've tried working with a 3rd party to design vehicles wraps such as this. None have really worked out. I couldn't get the information that was needed to complete anything. I start with straight on photos and a few key measurements, scale in the design program then create clipping masks/powerclip frames and come up with a design. Email a png proof to the client, not the agency owning the bus, for any input/changes. Wouldn't here anything for weeks, email several other times, nothing! Only once was I paid for my time but even then I sent it back because we never really got anywhere. Another didn't like that I charged by the hour and not the job as a whole so that was a wash.

If and when you find someone you have to be proactive and provide any and all details needed in a timely manner. Any logos will need to be in vector format or else a fee to convert them. If I really thought I could do it from home as regular business I would. Doesn't seem to be a guaranteed income though. Also thought I could teach software too but couldn't tell if there would be a substantial amount of need for it. I have done a teaching little via zoom or similar online take control of your pc while on the phone kind of thing. That worked out pretty good but again just a one time deal.

 

[Bill Heishman]

You would have to be a much better salesman than I am to sell a 12,000 bus wrap with just a bunch of rectangles. Customers, especially school districts that I have dealt with for many years, want to be able to see what the finished product will look like. No offense, but for $12,000 or so, I can take the time to draw a template from a few photos, or at least scale a photo up and draw a few clipping masks in order to show off my design. It takes what, two hours if you are slow?

Sadly, sometimes with all the work you swing and miss. Been there, done that too. Thems the breaks...

 

[Notarealsignguy]

You would have to be a much better salesman than I am to sell a 12,000 bus wrap with just a bunch of rectangles. Customers, especially school districts that I have dealt with for many years, want to be able to see what the finished product will look like. No offense, but for $12,000 or so, I can take the time to draw a template from a few photos, or at least scale a photo up and draw a few clipping masks in order to show off my design. It takes what, two hours if you are slow?

Sadly, sometimes with all the work you swing and miss. Been there, done that too. Thems the breaks...

Nobody asked how to sell a bus wrap.

 

[Bill Heishman]

Nobody asked how to sell a bus wrap.

Now you know why I really don't care to help anyone here. Now I remember why I stopped posting here 15 years ago. If I wanted to argue with a perfect stranger I'd log on to FaceBook. No more help from me... Y'all got it all figured out

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Now you know why I really don't care to help anyone here. Now I remember why I stopped posting here 15 years ago. If I wanted to argue with a perfect stranger I'd log on to FaceBook. No more help from me... Y'all got it all figured out

You marginalized what I said and then get butthurt when I return the favor? Good luck selling your $12000 bus wraps.