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Design

Best Service Vehicle Graphics of 2012

These winning rides provide form and function.

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FIRST PLACE

Fabricator
Wicked Wraps
Lynwood, WA
(425) 238-6563
www.wickedwraps.net

Designer/Installer
Wade Becher

Client
BiteMe Cupcakes

Looking to capitalize on a growing trend, the customer brought an aging school-transport van to Wicked Wraps’ shop to be transformed into a mobile cupcake vendor. Becher photographed and measured the vehicle to prepare for a custom design template from The Bad Wrap. He also hired a window company to create a service window and fold-out counter for the point of sale.

“The customer wanted a wrap that was a combination of cute and edgy to grab attention,” Becher said. “Blending pink and black captures that combination pretty well. I took high-resolution photos of some of her cupcakes to incorporate them into the design.”

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Using the Bad Wrap template, he refined the design with Adobe Photoshop. Then, he created the wrap with Avery Graphics’ MPI 1005 Supercast EZ Apply RS 2.1-mil, air-release media, which Wicked Wraps printed with a Mutoh ValueJet 1304 eco-solvent-ink printer and Eco-Ultra inks. The shop decorated the windows with Avery’s Supercast 3528 calendered, 50%-perforated window film and 2.1-mil cast, window-vinyl overlaminate.

To preserve the plaid-pink logo, chocolate brown and coconut white, Becher coated the wrap with Avery’s DOL 1360-54 1.3-mil, cast, gloss overlaminate with a ProLam 1600ii 63-in. laminator. They completed the wrap with Geek Wraps squeegees and magnets, and a propane torch.

For continuity across the entire vehicle, he fabricated custom wheel covers with images of pink frosting (a cupcake’s best part, Becher said) from 3A Composites’ Dibond® aluminum-composite material, which was wrapped with the MPI 1005 material.

SECOND PLACE

Fabricator/Installer
Creative Color Inc.
Burnsville, MN
(952) 746-4164
www.creativecolorstudio.com

Designer
Brent Luther

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Client
Motley Crews Heavy Metal Grill

Who says 1980s big-hair metal is dead? The preponderance of aging rockers now appearing on reality-TV suggests a renaissance, but this food truck is a much more fitting tribute to their glory days (daze?). Luther designed the food truck’s wrap, which appears at various Minneapolis venues around lunchtime, with Adobe’s Creative Suite 5 (perhaps with inspiration from old cassettes and a VH1 Classic viewing binge); Luther proudly stated that the shop eschews stock photos and other, non-custom imagery. After having provided a thorough denatured-alcohol bath to clean the vehicle, the shop produced the 425-sq.-ft. wrap with 3M’s IJ180-10Cv3 air-release media, which it printed on the shop’s Mimaki JV-33 solvent-ink printer. Using 3M Gold nylon squeegees, Creative Color installed the wrap over 16 panels with a 1-in. overlap – six apiece on both sides, two on the front and two on the back. 3M’s 8518 gloss laminate will provide many encores for the truck.

They applied the wrap as two panels seamed over the roof with 3M Gold nylon squeegees, propane torches and X-Acto® removable-blade knives.

THIRD PLACE

Fabricator/Designer
Extreme Graphics
Tampa
(813) 855-4364
www.extremegraphics.net

Installer
Mike Postill

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Client
Lucillie Passione (Lucia’s Gelato)

The judges marveled how such engaging, complex graphics could be applied to a small trailer. Postill said Passione wanted her gelato truck to reflect the colors and ambience of Tuscany. Extreme Graphics developed the distressed-brick wall, creeping ivy and festive string lights, which practically beg for a scoop of spumoni while sitting on a piazza, with Photoshop. The shop produced the wrap on its Mimaki JV-3 solvent-ink printer with 3M’s IJ180-10C air-release media. The 8518 glossy topcoat will help preserve the vivid greens and reds.

The shop installed the wrap with The Wraptor, the company’s patent-pending, commercially available, wrap-installation equipment. According to Postill, the Wraptor helps maintain consistent vinyl tension and reduces installation time by incorporating a horizontal support stanchion that expands to 24 ft. wide and handles up to 100 sq. ft. of film at once, which enables completion with one installer.

HONORABLE MENTION

Fabricator
Gatorwraps.com
Ontario, CA
(909) 390-1020
www.gatorwraps.com
Designer
Jeremy Webb
Installers
Omar Paz
Armando Rodriguez
Client
Eat ‘Em Up Truck

HONORABLE MENTION

Fabricator/Installer
Creative Color Inc.
Designer
Brent Luther
Client
Imola Motorsports

 

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