Vehicles + Vinyl

Vehicle Graphics Project of the Day: An Excursion With Altitude

Cat Graphics goes into the blue for the Air Montana National Guard

Published

15 years ago

May 19, 2009

Steve Aust Signs of the Times May 2009 Issue

The Montana Air National Guard wanted to convey the brave spirit of its force and recruit future pilots and mechanics with images of the blue beyond. So, it hired Cat Graphics Inc. (Great Falls, MT), a full-service shop that had fabricated Dibond-applied inkjet prints, neon signs and window graphics for the Guard, to craft the image. Designer Armando De Vila developed the concept with Adobe Photoshop before fine-tuning the graphics with Corel Corp. CorelDraw 10.

To prep the surface, installers Tony Trombetta and Mel Hurt gave the Ford Excursion a soft-bristle bath and blow dry before wiping it down with alcohol. Using the shop’s Roland DGA Corporation VersaCamm SP-540V printer/plotter, the shop produced the graphics with Oracal USA 3951RA with Rapid Air® air-egress film. Instead of using a film laminate, they sprayed the vehicle with an automotive clearcoat. Installation entailed nylon and felt squeegees, as well as a heat gun.

“Some of the complex curves were a little challenging and required some patience, but it went smoothly for the most part,” Hurt said.

They Own the Road

The Queen City's Green GraphicsSafety: Job OneLight Up My RideVery Serious Projects Dial It UpRacing StripesWrap it Like a RockstarSehr Gut GraphicsIt'z a WrapA Boatload of GraphicsWraps with StyleAshes to Ash-FreePeak ConditionEnjoy an Ice Cold Wrap

Related Topics:May 2009 Vehicles + Vinyl

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