Wrapping over a contour and having your images look straight? How do I do this?

[TheSnowman]

I finished up a partial wrap this morning, and once I got back from it and looked at it, it appeared as though the text was dropping to the left.

To get a straight line, I tied a string between the wipers on the back then measured down to the "FLOWERS". It's all straight there as far as measuring, but my eyeball just isn't agreeing. How do you fix this? I assume it's something I needed to do in the design stage.

I want to make it right, but I know if I make another rectangle piece, it's just going to follow the contour of that door again, and look exactly the same.

I've had this before on mini van doors on the back of the van. You cut it straight, but it's smiling at you when you install it on the curved surface.

This one curved out, and side to side, so that wasn't in my favor either.

Anyone got a tip you can tell me how to correct this?

 

[BrianKE]

One issue you are going to have to decide on is which 'line' is more important, the line made by the string you placed between both wipers or the line of the contour on the back door just below the phone number. These do not appear to be parallel so the phone block will always be off from one of these lines. I run into this typically when doing door panels where the bottom of the window is not parallel to the bumper or the ridge in the door. I typically go with which ever line is closer to the graphic as that is the one that the viewer will see.

In you specific case I would recommend moving the phone up closer to the window and when you go to apply, start by adhering the phone number area first, making sure it is parallel to the line between the wipers.

If it is bulge in the door panel that is causing the phone number to distort, one way I have resolved this as follows: (this was with cut vinyl applied to a boat's bow with a serious curve but should work for a print)

1. Cut a 1" strip of vinyl as long as the graphic to be applied (the phone number area)
2. Adhere the center of the vinyl and then lay down the remaining vinyl on both sides, letting the vinyl 'curve' naturally (don't try to make it straight to some line)
3. Pull a string tight from the bottom corner on each end of the vinyl and measure that distance (laser level works well also).
4. At the center of the vinyl strip, measure the distance from the bottom of the vinyl strip to the string.
5. You now have the arc width (W) (step 3) and the arc height (H) (step 4) and using these you can find the radius of the arc using r = (H/2) + (W^2/8H).
You can also go here for an interactive window to do the calculations: http://www.mathopenref.com/arcradius.html
6. You can use this radius to distort the image but in the opposite direction of the curve created by the 1" strip. So if the strip createds a smiley face, you would distort the print to make a frowny face and vice versa.

Now when you apply the print the curved area will appear straight over the bulge.

 

[Big Rice Field]

Use mensuration to figure the curves....

I rely on shop mathematics when dealing with curves. See attachment. Hope this helps.

Matthew B. Ota
matthewbkota AT gmailcom