For any type of graphic display that represents Spanish or Mexican culture, the matador and his flowing, red muleta remain an iconic, almost mystical, figure (while on a trip to Spain during her college years, my aunt attended a bullfight, and so enchanted a matador that he sliced off one of the slain bull’s ears and laid it on the ring floor as a sign of his infatuation – suffice it to say, the gesture was unwelcome). Surely, the El Matador food-truck fare is far more palatable.
Palmer Signs (Roseville, CA) designer Tony Palmer and Justin “Juice” Lee developed a color palette and imagery that create a tantalizing visual flavor using CADlink’s SignLab® and Adobe Photoshop.
Owner Tony Palmer said, “The client wanted to blow up the standard taco-truck motif and launch into the Sacramento food-truck scene with something unique. The name helped us create a suitable theme.”
Palmer Signs printed the 525 sq. ft. of graphics, which were created in 20 panels, on a Mimaki JV-33 solvent-ink printer using 3M’s IJ180-10C Controltac with Comply media. 3M’s 8518 glossy overlaminate preserves the red and gold.
Palmer said, “We’ve produced graphics for five food trucks so far. I think it’s a growing market; people are willing to pay for great designs. I think creating graphics that flow across a wrapped vehicle’s surface is the biggest challenge; mastering installation comes from practice.”