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Trailer Wrap Qs setup-install

SIGNTIME

New Member
I have a trailer wrap coming up 20' enclosed landscaping trailer I have a few Qs on.

How do you set up for printing? in the past I have always done the tiling in photoshop with the marquee tool and the rulers, but the design is a vector and im thinking maybe i should just do it in .ai with clipping masks or just do it tenth scale and blow it up in versaworks and tile there aswell.

next is wether or not you use transfer tape for trailer wraps... our first wrap we installed was for a bud light trailer in which the graphic were ordered by the company and we just installed and it was masked and ever since we have masked when doing trailers.

alignment has given us some trouble in the past with overlapping we will spend 5-10 getting the panel lined up just right to the panel before it but about half way down (sometimes) we are off as much as 1/4" and cant figure out what is happening is it caused be stretch or a difference in the channel left over the row of rivets? could it have something to do with the mask?

Setup? Mask? Alignment?
 

ProColorGraphics

New Member
Depending what version of Illy you are using, you can just create overlapping artboards. I Have done that before and it worked great for me.
 

SIGNTIME

New Member
well im printing now letting vw tile tomorrow i will lam them and i think i will be going without tape but i would still like to know what the preffered method is when wrapping trailers with rivets and maybe some advice as to keeping my overlaps true
 

HulkSmash

New Member
Design to size, or smaller then blow up in rip. Let your rip do the tiling.
As for wrapping it. The only reason they masked the trailer in the past is because it wasn't laminated with a film, but with liquid lam. It's so thin that way, and a pain to install without masking.

If you're using the right vinyl with lam, do no mask.. it will make it a bear to install, and won't sit well on rivets.

For installing, just line up the panel, tape the 2 corners about 7-8" from the top. Apply, then pull the backing paper off and pull down and install. I'd do all the rivets last. Lining up on a box truck is really easy, don't over complicate it.
 

divers2deep

New Member
I always let versaworks handle the operlap, much simpler and no issues so far.

:goodpost:

Just did this worked great with versaworks!

Also, I had the exact same issue with the stretch.... what type of material are you using ?

Issue with mine was Oracal MPI 1005 RS, we have found a lot less stretch using 3m 180c.
 

HulkSmash

New Member
:goodpost:

Just did this worked great with versaworks!

Also, I had the exact same issue with the stretch.... what type of material are you using ?

Issue with mine was Oracal MPI 1005 RS, we have found a lot less stretch using 3m 180c.

I think you mean avery. And if you're getting stretch, it's because you're doing it outside, or doing it wrong indoors.
 

SIGNTIME

New Member
Yea its printing right now I scaled and tiled with vw im using 3751ra and 290g ... color the method you described is how i have been doing it idk where i am going wrong maybe the way im squeegeeing it i go from middle out slightly lifting over the rivet row for the tent ... i use either an oshee or a geek wrap squeegee
 

HulkSmash

New Member
The only reason it will stretch excessively like that is if you're lack of experience which would cause you to re-positioning a lot, and then heating to get the stress out...
 

SIGNTIME

New Member
hmmm idk guess ill just have to see what happens but now that im thinking about it we have done a couple in the customers whearhouse one in a trailer wash bay and a few in our neighbors big bay none of which had a/c but temps were about 65 -80 but i was masking those idk this one will fit in our shop maybe it is something to do with having it masked
 
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