Switching from diecut to printed wraps... Design help needed

[agfracing]

I will start by saying i searched and couldnt find anything of much help to me. Anyhow. Ive been doing diecut stickers with my cutter for several years. I am now just starting to switch over to designing vehicle wraps and printed vinyl designs. Im having trouble switching from one color over to printable designs. I was wondering if anyone else has had this issue.
Any help you can give me with designing would be awesome. Im lost.

Also. Just wondering where you get the images you use in your wraps. Do you do most everything from scratch or do you have good sources for vectorized images? Ive had good luck with finding whatever i need pre vectorized. Kust wondering if theres a site where i can just look through designs that are pre vectorized.

I read threw a ton of the pages on this section and didnt see anything.

Sorry if this has been asked. Please dont flame me ive been attempting to find info on here all day.

 

[signswi]

Go to design school.

 

[threeputt]

Most wrappers that I know make use of photography (when needed) available from sites like Istockphoto, Fotolia, etc. Both of whom I've purchased from in the last week or so.

Vector art is available from those same sites. There are members on this forum with vector collections.

Of course you can take your own photos, and you can create your own vector artwork. Lot more work, but it makes the job truly one of a kind.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

Go to design school.

+1

Wrap schools also help.

 

[HulkSmash]

I will start by saying i searched and couldnt find anything of much help to me. Anyhow. Ive been doing diecut stickers with my cutter for several years. I am now just starting to switch over to designing vehicle wraps and printed vinyl designs. Im having trouble switching from one color over to printable designs. I was wondering if anyone else has had this issue.
Any help you can give me with designing would be awesome. Im lost.

Also. Just wondering where you get the images you use in your wraps. Do you do most everything from scratch or do you have good sources for vectorized images? Ive had good luck with finding whatever i need pre vectorized. Kust wondering if theres a site where i can just look through designs that are pre vectorized.

I read threw a ton of the pages on this section and didnt see anything.

Sorry if this has been asked. Please dont flame me ive been attempting to find info on here all day.

There are several sites.
One great one for patterns, and seamless textures, and some cliparty files is freds site - http://www.allcompu.com/

Also for images, and vectors - istockphoto.com

For royalty free sxc.hu is a pretty nice stock image site.

Make sure you have all the right design software. It's easy to lose more customers with a crappy design.

good luck

 

[Bobby H]

There's a lot of "do's and don'ts" in creating a good vehicle wrap design. The "don'ts" are pretty important to know in order to avoid installation nightmares. This is one area where taking the "self taught" route is particularly stupid.

Taking at least a couple design seminars from guys like The Wrap Experts is vital. The cost of attending the seminars will pay for itself in terms of botched jobs that may have ultimately been prevented, as well as more profit from successful wrap jobs.

Wrap design seminars will often get into topics like best vinyls and laminates to use, color management along with proper vehicle surveys and design planning.

If you're going to be installing the graphics, again, you need to take some hands on courses. In fact, courses in vehicle wrap installation are even more important than the design aspect. The task of installing a wrap is nothing like applying some cut high performance vinyl. It is a very different animal.

 

[Fred Weiss]

There are several sites.
One great one for patterns, and seamless textures, and some cliparty files is freds site - http://www.allcompu.com/

Also for images, and vectors - istockphoto.com

For royalty free sxc.hu is a pretty nice stock image site.

Make sure you have all the right design software. It's easy to lose more customers with a crappy design.

good luck

Thanks for the mention Colorado. I'd like to add that we have a year-end sale going on right now for Signs 101 members. The savings is 65% off our regular prices!

 

[Rick]

There's a lot of "do's and don'ts" in creating a good vehicle wrap design. The "don'ts" are pretty important to know in order to avoid installation nightmares. This is one area where taking the "self taught" route is particularly ill-advised.

Taking at least a couple design seminars from guys like The Wrap Experts is vital. The cost of attending the seminars will pay for itself in terms of botched jobs that may have ultimately been prevented, as well as more profit from successful wrap jobs.

Wrap design seminars will often get into topics like best vinyls and laminates to use, color management along with proper vehicle surveys and design planning.

If you're going to be installing the graphics, again, you need to take some hands on courses. In fact, courses in vehicle wrap installation are even more important than the design aspect. The task of installing a wrap is nothing like applying some cut high performance vinyl. It is a very different animal.

The thing I notice when people make this jump is...
If you are a basic clip-art vinyl cutter, then most likely you will be a basic clip-art wrap designer.

Quite a few self taught vinyl cutters rarely max out the die cut potential or practice basic design principles and process.

Are you any good at design now?

Though digital print is a different media, design principles and process still apply, if you are not practicing the design process and apply some design principles, then you have an uphill battle learning it on your own. Some themed wraps take some research, slapping similar typeface, and art and arranging it is not design.

 

[SignManiac]

In order to become an up and coming rapper, you will need to learn the basics with regards to diamond plate, lightening bolts, and fractals. These design elements when combined with Old English, Brush Script and Papyrus will help make you stand out in a sea of colorful vehicle graphix. Be sure to look into the Aurora box set live in japan edition. It has all the colors.

I've been told that you need CS5 if you want to be a professional so keep that in mind when choosing designers software. Installs are important too. You will need to learn how to bend the prints without cracks or stretch marks. The learning curve is steep so be prepared and be patient. Pricing will be an issue too. Find template pricing to get off to a good start.

 

[signage]

In order to become an up and coming rapper, you will need to learn the basics with regards to diamond plate, lightening bolts, and fractals. These design elements when combined with Old English, Brush Script and Papyrus will help make you stand out in a sea of colorful vehicle graphix. Be sure to look into the Aurora box set live in japan edition. It has all the colors.

I've been told that you need CS5 if you want to be a professional so keep that in mind when choosing designers software. Installs are important too. You will need to learn how to bend the prints without cracks or stretch marks. The learning curve is steep so be prepared and be patient. Pricing will be an issue too. Find template pricing to get off to a good start.

I thought square foot pricing was the correct way

Now where do I find Template pricing, does that come with CS5

 

[Rick]

In order to become an up and coming rapper, you will need to learn the basics with regards to diamond plate, lightening bolts, and fractals. These design elements when combined with Old English, Brush Script and Papyrus will help make you stand out in a sea of colorful vehicle graphix. Be sure to look into the Aurora box set live in japan edition. It has all the colors.

I've been told that you need CS5 if you want to be a professional so keep that in mind when choosing designers software. Installs are important too. You will need to learn how to bend the prints without cracks or stretch marks. The learning curve is steep so be prepared and be patient. Pricing will be an issue too. Find template pricing to get off to a good start.

You forgot about a shiny, overly priced, solid aluminum machined Mac so you look good designing it.

 

[HulkSmash]

Once you "Learn" How to design - you then have to learn how to layout vehicles. It's not as easy as some may thing. You have to make sure you miss certain areas, like door handles, and large gaps.. trim, customer may want exposed.
See attached for a typical drawing on a proof to establish where to place things.

 

[agfracing]

Thanks for all the input so far. I am going to school for graphic arts starting in a month.After talking to my local print guy he said i should do everything in vector. But thinking, can i use a really high quality photograph?

Thanks again everyone.

 

[HulkSmash]

Thanks for all the input so far. I am going to school for graphic arts starting in a month.After talking to my local print guy he said i should do everything in vector. But thinking, can i use a really high quality photograph?

Thanks again everyone.

I use illustrator for all my wraps. But i use Photoshop to create certain effects that i cannot do in illustrator.. but i always end up importing into illustrator in the end.

 

[agfracing]

I use illustrator for almost everything. I was wondering if maybe it would be better to design in photoshop as there are more effects, but then it wouldnt really be vector. I guess i was just confused by what he said. Thanks for the fast reply again.

 

[MikeD]

You don't have to be a star designer like some people are in order to make a successful wrap. Some of that work has already been done and is available from places that will sell you a cd and correlating catalog for reference. Templates for different vehicle types are also available. Patterns, name-drops and fonts can all be purchased for a small fee.
A lot of printers are not actually Artiste's... they don't need to be. Your design school education however will definitely give you a good base to begin from. Getting that education will help you think through different design challenges when doing the custom parts as well as evaluating some of the canned designs that are available. Learning how to use your printer efficiently and learning how to use the myriad application techniques from an experienced installer will be invaluable as well. The technical stuff is the difficult part. Once you nail that, then you will have the time to get creative and set yourself apart with your own design style.
Good Luck!

 

[HulkSmash]

You don't have to be a star designer like some people are in order to make a successful wrap. Some of that work has already been done and is available from places that will sell you a cd and correlating catalog for reference. Templates for different vehicle types are also available. Patterns, name-drops and fonts can all be purchased for a small fee.
A lot of printers are not actually Artiste's... they don't need to be. Your design school education however will definitely give you a good base to begin from. Getting that education will help you think through different design challenges when doing the custom parts as well as evaluating some of the canned designs that are available. Learning how to use your printer efficiently and learning how to use the myriad application techniques from an experienced installer will be invaluable as well. The technical stuff is the difficult part. Once you nail that, then you will have the time to get creative and set yourself apart with your own design style.
Good Luck!

I'm not so sure i agree with this... Along with knowing how to design.. you need to understand basic principles. A lot of people are just really good with programs, and don't know how to actually design.. and they get by.. but nothing really stellar is designed out of a shop like this, and this could result in less return customers.

Some shops find a designer who can design wraps for a flat fee of about 2-300, and they just do the print and install. You might want to look into that before getting heavy into it yourself.

 

[SignManiac]

Great advice there Colorado...

 

[GoodPeopleFlags]

I've been in this biz, designing and laying vinyl, for 20+ years. Last year I started back to college to finish my graphic design degree. I have learned soooo much in the last 1.5 yrs! Stick with school and see where it takes you. In the meantime, you might want to consider outsourcing wrap designs until you're experienced enough to tackle it.

 

[SignManiac]

Bluefish what are you learning in school? I've thought of taking a class or two myself over the years. Wondering if I could benefit even after 36 years of making signs.