Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am Restoration

A local American car enthusiast contacted us recently about his restoration project of a classic Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am 6.6 litre.

With this beast being from the early 1970's, the distinctive graphics kits are no longer available and had to be re-created from scratch. We and the client did spot some cheap-looking kits on the internet, but none seemed to be of sufficient quality or fit-for-purpose.

Prior to the car's re-spray at a local bodyshop, we photographed, colour-tested and measured all the existing graphics and decals.

Then onto the artwork, as our skilled illustrators painstakingly redrew every element of the original graphics.

The self-adhesive vinyl material selected was our high quality cast film. The graphics were printed at high resolution, laminated with a matching cast clear film, then contour cut on our wide-format plotter.

The resprayed vehicle arrived at the studio and once undercover it was thoroughly degreased and cleaned.

The vinyl graphics were expertly applied over the course of the day - to complete the restoration of this classic vehicle.

Blackpool Signs & Graphics Ltd. are experts in vehicle graphics. Check out our gallery of work here...

Guide to Buying Printed Banners

Whether you need small one-off printed banners or multiple large banners for a big campaign or promotion, these guidelines will help you to make the right purchase.

Choosing Your Banner Material

PVC Banners – These are the most common types of banners. Typically the material will have a weight of 400gsm and above and be washable, tear-resistant and weatherproof – suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications. PVC banners will be hemmed for strength and either eyeletted or looped (pocketed) to aid installation.
Heavy Duty PVC Banners – These are typically over 700gsm in weight. This material can often be printed on both sides and is particularly useful for lamppost banners and cafe banners, or where rough conditions are expected.
Backlit PVC Banner – Used in lightbox installations, commonly known as ‘Flexface Signs’. You will see these used extensively on retail parks. Backlit PVC is semi-opaque and allows the lights behind to illuminate the graphics on the banner. Printing on this material is usually denser to prevent the colours from bleaching or looking washed out when lit.
Mesh PVC Banners – Mesh banner is a perforated material which allows wind to pass through. Mesh is typically used for banners over 10 square metres in size, or for any banner where wind-loading may be an issue. Huge banners around scaffolding on buildings are always made from mesh.
Mesh banners are strengthened at the edges using a seatbelt-type material and can be eyeletted or looped as required.
Fabric Banners – Most often used indoors, polyester-canvas materials have the advantage of being more eco-friendly and softer to the touch. Fabrics have to be stitched rather than welded or glued.

Banner Sizes

Banners can be produced at any size to suit. The biggest banner in one piece is 5 metres x 50 metres. Bigger banners are made up of sections which can be welded together in our finishing room ready for dispatch, or supplied in up to 5 metre wide drops for you to connect together on site using ties, double-sided tape or industrial velcro.

Banner Printing

Most PVC banners are now digitally printed using eco-solvent or UV inks. Older printing machines have a low print resolution of 360dpi or less and do not print areas of solid colour very well. Modern machines, such as those at Blackpool Signs & Graphics, print at up to 1440dpi and offer ultra-sharp text, consistent solids and photographic quality images.
Fabrics are best printed using dye-sublimation techniques, again at up to 1440dpi resolution. This process on the right materials produces very vibrant and rich colours.

Banner Finishing

A high quality of finish is vital to the longevity of your banners. Cheaper banners available online are generally not hemmed, they are flat cut to size and then cheaply grommeted or eyeletted with flimsy components. These can be fine for indoor or very short-term outdoor use, but do not expect them to stand up to rough handling or the standard British weather.

Banner Artwork

At Blackpool Signs & Graphics we provide a high quality graphic design service for banners, although you can of course provide your own to our specifications.
If you would like us to produce your artwork we need a brief from you, along with any logos or images you require on your banner, from there we will provide a quotation – typically from just £20.00 plus VAT.

Banner Pricing

If you are able to supply your own print-ready artwork, individual PVC banners are available from Blackpool Signs & Graphics from £16.50 per square metre (plus VAT), including printing at high resolution on quality PVC banner material and fully hemmed and finished.
Heavy Duty, Backlit and Fabric banners are a little more, but still the most competitively priced in the area.

No. 1 For No. 2's !! Full Van Wrap for a Drainage Expert

Local business owner Steve Hastings came to us with a challenge - "Here's my new van - make it the best looking Drain Services van in the industry."

That's exactly the sort of challenge we like.

Steve's Van before the transformation

After measuring and photographing Steve's VW Transporter, our expert in-house graphic designer John Leatherbarrow got to work on his new Mac to come up with something to suit.

No. 1 For No. 2's - The Design

Steve already had a catchy strapline for the business - "No. 1 For No. 2's" -, this was going to be used as a feature on the design. With over 15 years professional experience in stunning vehicle graphic design, John was sure to come up with something spectacular. He didn't disappoint.

Steve Hastings Drain Services Van Wrap Design

Printing The Wrap

The material we print on for full vehicle wraps is a specialist premium vehicle wrap film. Very flexible, it can be almost moulded around complex shapes, crevices and corners whilst retaining performance specifications. There are cheaper films on the market but in our experience they do not offer the same combination of print quality, ease-of-fitting and most importantly, performance on the vehicle.

Once printed using UV stable inks, the wrap is left to 'cure' for 48 hours. Again, this is a crucial stage. Skipping this step can lead to reduced vinyl performance and even de-lamination weeks or months later.

We then laminate the printed vinyl with a matching high performance clear vinyl. This offers scratch and scuff resistance as well as additional anti-fade UV protection.

Vehicle Preparation

Prior to a full wrap installation, vehicle preparation is absolutely key. We have noticed that this is something often rushed by other sign companies - resulting in a poorly fitted job.

Prior to a full clean, all external trim has to be removed. Door handles, number plates, light fittings, door trims etc. all are removed. Only by doing this can the vinyl wrap material be correctly positioned and guaranteed to stay in place. Not removing all trims leaves exposed edges on the fitted wrap which in time may lift and look untidy.

Some vehicle trims can be quite difficult to remove and require special tools. Fortunately, we can always call upon the expertise of a neighbouring car body specialist on the odd occasion we come up against anything particularly tricky.

A thorough cleaning and degreasing is the next vital step. Vehicle polishes and cleaners may make you car or van shine, but they are none too friendly towards the proper adhesion of vinyl graphics. All exposed surfaces are thoroughly treated, especially the insides of doors where the vinyl will be wrapped around.

Wrap Installation

Armed with squeegees, hot-air guns, elbow grease and years of experience, our fitters generally pause for a cuppa, perform another visual check of the vehicle and then begin their craft.

Local wrap jobs are performed inside our workshop as a dust-free, temperature-controlled environment is crucial. A touch thermometer is used to check the temperature of the vehicle bodywork before application - if this is within a certain range, we are good to go. On extreme days, fans or heaters are used to adjust it.

Finishing Touches

After a thorough inspection of the installed wrap, the vehicle's trims are replaced back to how they were.

The Client

Steve was extremely happy with the finished job. Heads are turning everywhere he drives.

He has since booked the vehicle back in to have the roof done!

Hindley's Chop House - The Creation of a Man Cave

Local man Mark Hindley finally received the green light from his long-suffering partner to create the ultimate man-cave at home.

It was to include - of course - a bar, plus comfortable seating, big-screen TV

He came to Blackpool Signs & Graphics Ltd. MD John Leatherbarrow for inspiration.

The project was to include bar decals, window graphics, a floor graphic and custom wallpaper - all to be designed and produced in-house.

John first hand-drew a caricature line-drawing of Mark, which was then scanned into Photoshop and professionally coloured - this was to be the centre-piece of the 'Hindley's Chop House' logo.

Then the logo was designed...

Window graphics were designed and installed on the double glass doors leading into the new Man Cave. Glass-etch frost vinyl material was used along with an inlaid full colour printed vinyl graphic of the 'Hindley's Chop House' Logo.

Table-top graphics were produced using full colour printed vinyl wrap - laminated for ultimate protection, and easy to wipe clean from any beer spills.

The floor graphic was to be another vital centrepiece. This was printed on a special high-tack vinyl and laminated with an anti-slip tough laminate. Finally the graphic was contour cut and carefull applied to the Man Cave flooring.

Finally, custom wallpaper was designed to be installed onto the feature wall in the Man Cave. Printed onto digital wallpaper and pasted on - just like any high quality wall-covering. A special laminate protects the print and enables it to be wiped clean.

The finished project has made Mark Hindley the talk of the town and the envy of all his friends.

At the 'opening ceremony' Mark stated:

"We all knew that John Leatherbarrow was a 'creative' having seen examples of his work over the years - but this project is simply mind-blowing. Not only the creative design, but the graphics production and installation have been simply perfection. I couldn't be happier. John and his team are welcome here anytime for a beer!"

Blackpool Signs & Graphics Ltd.

Unit 5 Brookside Centre

Red Marsh Industrial Estate

Thornton-Cleveleys

Lancashire FY5 4HD

Tel: 01253 851 106

Email: sales@blackpoolsignsandgraphics.co.uk

www.blackpoolsignsandgraphics.co.uk

Gorilla Print Has Launched!!

Due to demand from customers, we have recently launched a brand new service - Gorilla Print - to provide a full range of business printing services.

Gorilla Print offers printing services such as Business Cards, Flyers, Folders, Leaflets and Brochures.

These services really complement our signage, vehicle graphics and exhibition display sectors and help to make us a one-stop-shop for businesses.

Every month, we are donating a percentage of profit from Gorilla Print to deserving Gorilla Conservation and Protection projects.

Creating a Show-Stopping Van Graphic

We attracted a beautiful new client recently in TattLight, a locally based company who specialise in seriously artistic illuminated vintage works of art.

MD John was so blown away by this concept that before the end of the first meeting with the client, he had ordered a stunning illuminated anchor as a centrepiece for his 'mood-wall' at home!!

The Brief:

The challenge was to create and install graphics on the company van which matched the business philosophy and brand.

Stage 1: Design

TattLight's van was a 2008 VW Crafter long-wheel-base. Following a recent photo and video shoot the client had some superb imagery for us to work with - so we got to work on coming up with a design.



The client loved the design, so the process began of producing the high-resolution vinyl-wrap graphics.

Stage 2: Artwork Pre-Press

Final measurement of the vehicle, test prints and final adjustment of the graphic files.

Stage 3: Graphics Production

High quality printing at 1440dpi on premium cast wrap vinyl, left to 'outgas' for 48 hours, then laminated with matching premium clear cast for UV, scratch and chemical protection.

Stage 4: Vehicle Cleaning

Deep clean of all vehicle bodywork using jetwash and Traffic Film Remover - to remove all dirt, grime, wax, oils, silicone and general age-related build-up.

Treatment and cleaning of all exposed surfaces with methylated spirits, including wheel arches, door rims, gaps, fuel cap - in fact anywhere that the wrap will need to adhere to.

Final deep clean using isopropanol alcohol of all surfaces.

Being 6 years old, preparation of the van took some time - but everything had to be perfect prior to the application of the wrap and separate vinyl cut graphics.

Stage 5: De-trimming

Removal of relevant trims, badges and fittings.

Stage 6: Tea Break

Kettle on, brews prepared to exacting standards, feet up for 5 minutes.

Stage 7: Graphics Installation

This is where the hard work begins. Application of vinyl graphics and wrap system section by section, using heat guns, squeegees, elbow grease and years of experience.

Stage 8: Trim Re-fitting

Re-fitting of all vehicle trim and parts

Blackpool Signs & Graphics Ltd.

Unit 5 Brookside Centre

Red Marsh Industrial Estate

Thornton Cleveleys

Lancashire FY5 4HD

Tel: 01253 851 106

www.blackpoolsignsandgraphics.co.uk

Merry Christmas. Our 2014 at Blackpool Signs & Graphics

2014 AT BLACKPOOL SIGNS AND GRAPHICS
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL THE TEAM

Phew!!  Its been a very busy year overall.  As we rush around trying to finish off all the jobs before we start our Christmas and the New Year break, we will take a look back at what made our 2014 that little bit extra special.
We have once again seen an increase in turnover from the previous year. As our client base has grown so has the level of our repeat business and referral work. Whilst we know how hard we work to produce outstanding signage, it is always brilliant when our clients reward this by referring us to their friends and business contacts.

WORK

UK Sign Solutions:
At the beginning of the year we launched our new sister company UK Sign Solutions Ltd. Based on Back Burton Road South Shore, UK Sign solutions produce livery and wrap graphics for large commercial vehicles including double decker buses, coaches and large promotional vehicles.
Some of the clients we have worked for are
• 20th Century Fox
• Manchester Evening News
• NHS
• AQA
• University of the West of Scotland
• Rock FM
• Robinson Coaches
• YuGiHo Branding
• Celotex
• Guide Dogs for the blind
• Atlantic Travel
•East Yorkshire Council……………
The list goes on and on.
UK Sign Solutions has been going from strength to strength over the year and have a full diary of work well into February next year.  We will be working on lots of exciting new projects in 2015 and are looking forward to be working with a new list of clients.




Blackpool Signs & Graphics:
It has been a very busy year indeed for Blackpool Signs.  Sign writing vehicles is a core part of our business.  We tried working out how many vehicles we have produced this year…….It’s definitely in the 100s as we produce graphics for large fleets. From Motorbikes to Double-Decker Buses we have printed and fitted thousands and thousands of square metres of vinyl this year.
One related product that has seen a huge increase during 2014 is 'Window Tinting'. Our expert fitter Craig has been in charge of this and has installed specialist films to many private cars, fleet vans, hotels, restaurants, retail shopfronts and homes.
We have also been busy working in all different parts of the country as we are now a preferred fitter and installer of a large signage company based in the South East.
We always push the boundaries when it comes to the quality and service of our work.    We have a lot of exciting times ahead kicking off in the new year.  We are confident that 2015 we will be even better and we look forward to working on some more exciting projects . 

STAFF HIGHLIGHTS
On a personal note It’s been all go for the Blackpool Signs and Graphics team.  Here’s a few stories from this year.

• Paul’s car gets hit by some falling guttering, just after getting back after christmas in 2013

• In February the lads brought their camp beds in.  We were working late into the night for 3 weeks doing 18 hour days getting the Read & Errington Fleet completed whilst still producing our day to day work throughout the normal working day.

• Paul’s car goes into paint shop to be repaired

• Craig moved into his new house and is now the village Squire, donning his feathered hat every time he leaves the house

• Having a works night out in Manchester,  Craig gets rejected from every drinking establishment after 3 pints (We are never going to let him forget this one) haha

• Craig forgets to send a job out by courier and has to drive all the way to Essex to deliver (en-route to Manchester Via Leicester to do 2 other jobs)  All done in one 20 hour day!

• Paul walks into a door

• In the Summer we welcomed a new part-time member-of-staff - Casper the office 'guard-dog'.

• The team spend 2 weeks wrapping the Royal zoological Society of Scotland bus internally and externally

• Paul’s yellow carded! He Breaks an opponents leg at football

• Paul’s car has an argument with one of Stuarts double decker buses

• Paul’s car goes into paint shop to be repaired after bus incident (The sequel)

• Chris makes us all some personalised mugs with his new ‘Mug Maker’.  Chris then proceeds to make the team his first brew!

• The team get a free brand new coffee machine, courtesy of the Notebooms and Louise’s negotiating skills
• John forgets the milk for the 60th time this year (Making it a world record) So we’re back on the powered.

• Paul’s car goes into paint shop for a third time because of a bad repair due to the bus incident

• The early hours of December 15th saw the birth of our fitter Paul's first child. By the 18th he was surprisingly happy to be temporarily tempted back to work, helping out for a couple of hours on an install!! We're hoping that his new responsibilities (or his wife) will not keep him away from the famous Staff Day Out in Manchester on Saturday 20th though.

• Stuart forgets to ask John to attend his own Christmas party.  John rings Stuart.
John- “How was the party”
Stuart -“you missed a great night you should have come”
John- “I didn’t know anything about it”
Stuart- “Aww I thought I told you, anyway you missed a great night”…………………….

As you can tell it’s been a funny old year and we’ve had some right giggles, laughing till our bellies hurt.  I’ve always said that a happy workplace is a productive workplace and at the same time we’ve produced some brilliant work.



THANK YOU
So as we shut for our last day of 2014 Craig is nursing a hangover, Paul’s getting no sleep on Paternity leave, John’s writing this post, Chris is working his magic, Stuart’s forgetting to tell John about something and Casper looks like he might need the toilet.  As this is our last day and 2014 draws to a close we would just like to take this time to thank all of our customers old and new for your continued support.  We look forward to working with you all again in 2015.
Have a wonderful Christmas & New Year.
Be good, be merry, stay safe & have a fantastic time

Thanks again
John

Good Design Sells. The do's and don'ts of design

Going back to 1996 when I was studying graphic design at college we were taught key principles which we applied to every design.   I still use these principles on a daily basis which help me create high impact and effective logos and brands which we apply to vans, signs, banners and pretty much anything that we produce for our customers.

A good logo design will never fail to get you noticed.  Not only does the logo have to be well designed but the rest of the artwork needs to be well laid out.  Time and time again I see sign companies (the ones who have little or no design background) make terrible mistakes when creating artworks and producing badly laid out graphics which produce little or no impact. 

Top this off with a poor fitting service and bad manufacturing decisions and you have a finished product which is going to harm your credibility  - not promote it like it should.  I have even had some of my own designs ripped off by local companies undercutting our prices, and every time the design has been ruined because the key elements have been watered down or destroyed in the copying process. 

The moral of the story is, ‘You get what you pay for’ so bear in mind that its always worth the extra money to get your design right first time.  Every artwork that we produce gets my seal of approval. Each design we produce is created by our imagination, creativity, & attention to detail, which has been developed through years of college tuition and hands on experience in the industry.  Myself and colleague Craig have a combined experience of over 36 years, so its safe to say we know how to design, produce and install your graphics and signs. 

As well as a design background, over the years I have developed my own marketing strategy.  I always put myself in the customers' shoes when designing their artwork.  I calculate what will work best for them and get their company noticed.  In this article I explain the various elements which make up a good design.

At Blackpool Signs & Graphics we always give you the best value for money.  We will create the best looking design and graphics for your money.  Please have a look at our gallery which shows a vast amount of our design skills going back through the years.

So going back to the design…….
The four key principles of any design are:
Contrast, Repetition, Alignment & Proximity (CRAP for short)

CONTRAST
Contrast in simple terms means the ‘Difference’.  This could mean the difference between colours, text thickness, space.

In a design you need to use contrasting colours, making them stand out from each other.  Contrasting text, this means using different type i.e. sans serif or serif, bold and light versions of a type family.  Weak use of contrast can make a design look boring and make it difficult to read.  A good use of contrast will get your message across efficiently and effectively.

REPETITION
Put simply, repetition means re-using elements through your design and keeping it fluent throughout.  For contrast we use elements that are different - with repetition it's all about using subtle similarities throughout the design.  You need to carry repetition throughout a design for it to become as one.

ALIGNMENT
Alignment is where we align certain text and design elements so they run through and all look ‘together’.  Alignment is about creating unity throughout the design.  A good way to describe alignment would be to create an invisible grid with elements aligning along a horizontal and vertical axis.  Good alignment will give your design a clean and crisp look.

PROXIMITY
The use of proximity is imperative in producing a well organised, good looking layout.  We use space to move elements together or apart to achieve a clean , sharp look.  Proximity relates to producing elements of a design which are grouped together to create one object.

SUMMARY
Remember, Good design sells.  Design is not about being decorative and splashing information wherever.  A Design is about making communication easy, and as understandable as possible.  Always create a strong visual, don’t rely too much on text.  Don’t over clutter and create empty space.  We need empty space just as much as populated space.  Create high impact by using contrast effectively.  Use alignment to connect elements of the design.

Thanks for reading
John

Carbon fibre wrapping and vinyl types explained

Here we are going to talk about Carbon Wrapping and the different types of vinyls on the market including the different material makeup and manufacturing processes.

The possibilities with vinyl wrapping are endless.  There are 100's of different types of wrap films on the market, including 3D carbon fibre effect pictured above.  Here is a case study of the application and finished results of carbon fibre door mirror wraps, handle wraps and fuel filler cap wrap.    Wrapping can be done using a pre coloured vinyl, or a full colour wrap can also be produced using a full colour print process.  Full colour vehicle wraps are produced by starting with a standard white cast film. A design will be produced to a customers specification and then printed onto the vinyl using a high resolution solvent printer.  Once the wrap vinyl has been printed the vinyl is stood for up to 48 hours to let the solvent gasses evaporate, after which a matching clear uv-protecting over-laminate is installed over the finished printed vinyl.

In this case study we are using a high quality 'Cast' 3D effect carbon fibre vinyl. (We will explain the different vinyl types below).    The carbon vinyl looks really realistic and once installed is very effective and with a 3D texture really adds to the visual impact.  'Cast' is a term used for the highest quality vinyl films on the market.  'Cast' relates to the way the vinyl film is produced on the production line.  A 'Cast' film is a top of the range vinyl and is very time consuming and difficult to produce hence the cost for producing a 'Cast' film is sometimes more than 4 times the cost of a standard vinyl film.


Different vinyl types:

Calendared vinyls:

Calendared vinyl are produced by being 'extruded' and formed with heat and pressure through rollers. Calendared vinyls are less stable than cast films as these films have been formed and have a 'memory'.  This memory means that if you try and mould or heat/stretch into a recess, over a short period of time the vinyl will shrink and try and move back to its original shape.




Different calendared types:

Monomeric:  Monomeric film is an entry level vinyl.  This film uses plasticisers with short molecule size.  The shorter molecule chains make this vinyl less conformable (less Stretchy) and in time a monomeric can become brittle. Suitable for application to flat surfaces only.  This vinyl will not conform to curves.  Over time a monomeric will shrink slighly which can be seen when applied to a sign panel.  Over time a white line around the signage panel will be visible.

Monomeric adhesives: Generally on these low cost films the adhesive will be water based, a few and more expensive monomeric films will use a solvent adhesive.  A water based solvent can cause problems which trying to remove the vinyl once applied.  Over a period of months the water based glue breaks down and when you start to peel the vinyl from say a vehicle most of the glue will be left behind on the vehicle. This means a lot of elbow grease and chemicals will need to be used to break down the glue and remove it from the surface which can be difficult and time consuming.

Standard external life expectancy of a monomeric vinyl  is between 2-4 years.

Polymeric:  Featuring more high quality plasticisers and large molecule chains this vinyl, a polymeric, will tackle slight contours and curves so is slightly conformable to shapes.  A good polymeric film should have over 50% less shrinkage than a monomeric film.   If applied properly a good quality polymeric vinyl is more stable than a monomeric film and is less likely to pull back out of recesses over time.

Polymeric adhesives:  Polymeric adhesive is nearly all solvent based.  This means that the glue has a longer life expectancy and even if a polymeric has been applied to a vehicle for over 5 years, using a little heat the vinyl should remove leaving no glue or residue,

 Standard external life expectancy is between 5-8 years.


Cast vinyls for use on vehicle wraps:

Cast vinyls are mostly used for producing vehicle wraps or when a premium film is needed.
Cast or 'casting' refers to the manufacturing process.  Cast films are highly stable and conformable and can stretch upto 50% larger than the original size.  Cast films and generally softer and more malleable than a calendared vinyl and in most cases are upto 50% thinner than a calendared film.  A cast vinyl is generally more more shiny and glossy compared to its calendared underdogs.

The liquified plastic resin is sprayed onto a high quality silicon coated backing paper.  Rather than being pulled and stretched through rollers the cast is then left to settle on the paper and form naturally.  This is why when you hold a piece of cast vinyl up to a light there is a slight randomness to the texture and thickness which can be seem under close examination.   Due to the lack of mechanical or thermal force used to create a cast film means that the film has no memory.  This means that when pushing into a deep recess the vinyl should stay.  Once the vinyl is in the recess we then 'bake' or 'superheat' the vinyl setting the memory on the vehicle.

Adhesive:  Adhesives used are always solvent-based and of the highest quality.

Standard external life expectancy is normally 8-10+ years.

In this picture we are carefully trimming away the excess cast vinyl once we are happy with the application to the surface.

Installation of the carbon fibre cast is not recommended by a novice.  These vinyls are expensive costing upwards of £45 per square metre.  Installation by an experienced wrap technician is essential to make the finished job not just look good once applied, but that it stays looking good for years to come.   Most signage companies are used to installing standard type vinyl decals to vehicles.  Even though a wrap film is still vinyl, the installation is completely different.  Most novice signmakers make the mistake of over stretching the wrap vinyl.  Even though once installed the vinyl does stay in a recess over time - if stretched too much the vinyl will start to bubble of peel away from the vehicle.

'Superheating' or 'baking' is essential once the vinyl installed.  Here we are setting the memory of the film to stop the vinyl popping out of the recess

For more information on Vehicle Graphics and Vehicle Wrapping, give the experts a visit at:

www.blackpoolsignsandgraphics.co.uk

Call now, 01253 851 106

Full colour wrap for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland

We were recently commissioned to do a full colour exterior and interior wrap of a double decker bus for the Royal Zooloigcal Society of Scotland (RZSS for short) Phew! say that after a couple down the local!

We have wrapped various large vehicles over the years including double decker buses.  This one though was much more tricky as they required a large amount of the vinyl to be applied to the interior featuring a very impressive (if we do say so ourselves) waterfall staircase.

Stage 1.  Create scaled drawing of the exterior of the bus.  Normally a standard wrap on a normal vehicle ie a car or van is generally easy as we have access to 1000's of templates already on our system.  This one however was much more challenging.  We first had to take many measurements,  going so far as to take dimensions of window rubber thicknesses, grills, lights, etc etc.....  Then we had to put all this information into the computer and create a workable scaled technical drawing.
 

Stage 2.  If stage 1 wasn't hard enough we then had to create drawings of all the dash board, staircases, doors, ceilings.  Bearing in mind that these are all 3d objects which would have to all join together to make one seamless image.  From recollection the staircase was made up of over 40 sections including returns, ceilings and many parts that cannot be shown on the pictures due to the camera angle (See image below of finished staircase)

 

Stage 3.  We had to send all created templates over to the RZSS artwork derpartment for them to create the artworks to our precise specification.

Stage 4.  Once we had received all the artwork we then started cropping and tiling the graphics, breaking them up into sections or as we call tiles.  Sending each part to the printer all labelled up and print outs produced which enabled the installation team to work out what part goes where and in which position.

Stage 5.  Once all files were printed (which took almost 2 days of constant printing) it was time to laminate the graphics.  Lamination occurs approximately 48 hours after printing, leaving enough time for the solvent print gasses to settle and disperse.

Stage 6.  External Installation.  It took a team of  2 of our expert fitters 5 days to complete the external wrap.  Most wraps on buses are on for only a short time but as this was a promotional vehicle which would be used for years to come the finish had to be more precise which adds more time to the installation.

Stage 7.  Internal installation.  As the external installation, this was a slow process and took the 2 man team 5 days to install.  The internal graphics were much more tricky to fit and this reflects in the time taken.

Here are some facts and stats about the job:

Fact a: The complete job from start to finish took 215 man hours to produce. (Excluding Graphic design by a third party)

Fact b: Print time was 17 hours

Fact c: Square metre of vinyl = 231sq m

Fact d:  Length of vinyl 180m or 590feet  (to put into perspective, Blackpool Tower is 518feet)

Fact e: Material Weight including vinyl, laminate and ink = 180kg  (approx weight of a modern 1000cc sports bike)

Fact f:  Total ink usage 5.42 litres

Blackpool Signs and Graphics Ltd.

www.blackpoolsignsandgraphics.co.uk

Unit 5 Brookside Centre

Red Marsh Industrial Estate

Thornton Cleveleys

Lancashire FY5 4HD

Tel: 01253 851 106