Vehicle wraps

[artofacks1]

What material are you printing on with your edge for vehicle wraps? I got a request to wrap a back truck door and I am 1000% scared but the gentlemen knows I never done it and is ok to pay me for my design, print time and materials. The installation we agreed I will do it for free as its a learning tool and he is ok with it. Normally I would stay away but it's really cool he will allow me to learn. My plan is to print and practice on my van two to three times before I attempt to install his.


Anyhow what material to print with edge, do I laminate or just uv print on it?

 

[Billct2]

The Edge is not the machine for this. It can be done, with a lot of seams of course, but it just doesn't make sense when you can get the right print wholesale

 

[artofacks1]

The Edge is not the machine for this. It can be done, with a lot of seams of course, but it just doesn't make sense when you can get the right print wholesale

Really? I seen a lot of stuff printed with the edge for Windows on cars and stuff I seen on 220. Are they old jobs people posted?

What wholesale site do you recommend?

Just seems odd to me, that I would pay someone to print something for me that I can print in house. From what I read there is a tile system in omega that other people use to do this and the installation is easier with smaller pieces.

I'm all ears though and here to learn. Please elaborate and if in the long run I have to get another machine to compliment my Edge fx. Well that's what I will have to do.

 

[J Hill Designs]

The Edge is not the machine for this. It can be done, with a lot of seams of course, but it just doesn't make sense when you can get the right print wholesale

+1(,000,000)


edit:check out signs2trade and/or signs365

 

[artofacks1]

Sounds like I should sell all my machines and get my 30k plus investment or as much of it as I can and just wholesale everything.

 

[InventiveGraphics]

We are on the same boat!

I am in the same situation. I get my prints printed by a sign company. Sunrisesigns.com. They do shipping too. Great people. I always request 3M material IJ180 vinyl and 3M laminate. The print quality out of their HP is amazing. Just make sure you setup your files to 52" wide... As long as you need them. 72 or 100 dpi, .tiff.

Here is my list of goodies that I look at everyday:

HP Latex 360-64" $19,150
Graphtec-FC8600-130 (54″) $6,995
SEAL Gfp 563TH MaxPro Top Heat Laminator-$7,035
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
$33,810

 

[Billct2]

I have an Edge and wouldn't part with it and will replace it with another when I need to. It is a workhorse for what it does well.
But wraps isn't one of those things. When I first got it 20 years ago(?) I actually did some jobs that approached being a wrap on some buses and trailers,
but it just doesn't make sense to use the Edge for that now.
I just noticed this line:

I seen a lot of stuff printed with the edge for Windows on cars and stuff I seen on 220.

Those don't sound like wraps, wraps are covering a whole vehicle.

 

[artofacks1]

Well you are right, so is the back of a pick up truck that needs a print considered a wrap or just a large decal? Admittedly so I'm a rookie only in the biz for 9 months and all I have done is helmet decals, magnets and a couple phone and macbook pro skins. Mostly helmet decals .. Facebook.com/sportslivedecals oh and some Window decals to...

 

[jfiscus]

Wraps are graphics that are using advanced "comply" materials that confirm to the curvature of the object. A tailgate wrap is a wrap as it wraps the entire tailgate.
Large print/cut graphics on a tailgate are not wraps.
Attached is a (bad) photo of a tailgate wrap.

 

[Billct2]

You could wrap a tailgate with edge prints as long as the customer doesn't mine the seams.

 

[jfiscus]

You could wrap a tailgate with edge prints as long as the customer doesn't mine the seams.

yes, it is possible - they did them here for years with our edge before they bought the solvent printers. I would recommend using 3m 180c (fellers sells 15" punched) if you go this route, however I would also recommend subbing this job out.

 

[artofacks1]

No, sounds like you should do some research and come to the realization that you can't do everything with your Edge.

My point was that if I can farm out my large prints, I can farm out everything. Why own equipment at all if I can lower my overhead by not owning the machines.

By the way, I did do research and there are shops that did wraps with their edge prints. They used tiling to do so but wanted to ask here on the forum to see what is recommended.

Thanks for your help.

 

[artofacks1]

yes, it is possible - they did them here for years with our edge before they bought the solvent printers. I would recommend using 3m 180c (fellers sells 15" punched) if you go this route, however I would also recommend subbing this job out.

Thank you, makes sense... The rule of thumb will be anything bigger than my print footprint of 11.8" I will sub out. I found a clever way to make his tailgate look sharp with out a full wrap. Using his base color of silver. I made a design that I can pull off with cut graphics instead of a full wrap.

11.5" x 11.5" logo , company name from left to right and its 8.5" tall , with his contact info below it using a bold stripe and his info in white. I also printed a crane that sits on the right a bit smaller than the logo so it doesn't compete with it.

Would you still recommend I print that using 3m 180c or will the 220 I have in stock work well for this?

Should I laminate the print and hit it with the finishing guard abrasive guard foil?

 

[Pat Whatley]

220 will be fine for that and would be fine if you were wrapping the whole tailgate.

 

[HulkSmash]

Don't do wraps with your edge. It will look as amateur as it gets. Seams everywhere.

Get it done right from a wholesale company. There are a ton in the list on this site.

You CAN do it, but it won't be right, and it won't represent what type of company you are.

Shame on people telling him to use the edge...


good luck.

 

[Marlene]

there is noting wrong with your Edge as long as you use it for what it was intended for. have you seen a wrap? they look great when done right and look like they have been painted on instead of vinyl. with the Edge, there will be a ton of seams wch never look great.

 

[AF]

How do you laminate or otherwise protect Edge printed wraps?

 

[jfiscus]

with laminate and a laminator of course.

 

[Desert_Signs]

My point was that if I can farm out my large prints, I can farm out everything. Why own equipment at all if I can lower my overhead by not owning the machines.

By the way, I did do research and there are shops that did wraps with their edge prints. They used tiling to do so but wanted to ask here on the forum to see what is recommended.

Thanks for your help.

When I started I farmed out a lot of stuff. It's more expensive, but my customers received higher quality products. I still sub out stuff. It's smart. I don't need a flatbed right now, because I wouldn't run it enough to justify the investment. That doesn't mean owning a flatbed is bad, or I wouldn't make more money if I owned it. Sub stuff out and make enough money to buy the equipment. If you're not subbing out much stuff that you can't do in house, owning the machine wouldn't be a smart choice..

 

[Bly]

I think you should.

Post pics.