Big Picture - May 2018 - 17

produce different results for our clients and are often categorized as separate disciplines by wrap professionals. And when
they are jointly produced together upon a customer's request,
I find the emergence of a hybrid-like unit that incorporates the
very fine characteristics and details of two worlds.
First and foremost, it's no secret that I'm a proud fleet
wrapper at Icon Image Graphics. It's where my story began.
An ending has yet to be written, but there have definitely been
invaluable lessons and experiences in between. This middle
section is the most compelling aspect of my story because it's
brimming with so many field and shop experiences that no one
in the wrap community nor a distinguished business guru could
ever teach or show me. It's also taught me three principles to
live by that I've applied to my professional life: adapt, reinvent,
and explore. They're the building blocks that have successfully
shaped my business model, including a strong foundation for
my company's fleet division.
BREAK IT DOWN

Vinyl graphics are a fundamental part of
our everyday lives; its ongoing saga will likely
feature more untold tales of how much
further we will take the discipline. And how
many of us will rewrite our own narratives
(and rules of the game) to tell a different
story with the next evolution of vinyl wraps
that will hit the marketplace?
OFFER BOTH
For the applied wrap practitioner, the purpose of our work has
become paramount and essential to niche fields by possibly
bringing some untapped opportunities to your shop. These
deals may appear small or insignificant at first, but they can
amount to bigger and recurring assignments in the near future.
Moreover, it affords you the chance to build new customer
relationships that may yield some ambitious installations to
diversify your portfolio. What strictly began as a journey into
fleet projects morphed into many notable experiences that were
similar in themes, techniques, guidelines, and areas, but still had
our personal imprint: custom, followed by retail, and then
architectural, and so forth. If one of our projects had been
catapulted to viral fame or went through several reincarnations
as a rebrand each time, it only validated what I had predicted: a
genre-blending practice between all types of wraps and its
application that have become increasingly normal to the scene.
This practice is further indication that these new and stunning
combinations, or hybrids, have contributed to a noticeable, if
not considerable amount of attention, innovation, and revenue
with our chameleon-like craft.
Vinyl graphics are a fundamental part of our everyday
lives; its ongoing saga will likely feature more untold tales of
how much further we will take the discipline. And how many
of us will rewrite our own narratives (and rules of the game) to
tell a different story with the next evolution of vinyl wraps that
will hit the marketplace? The industry has skyrocketed to
global consciousness as a preferred, if not cost-effective,
choice to get your message to the masses by its unparalleled
technology. Chances are, you've already spotted some of
those "signs" and have chosen a route - or perhaps a detour
- to a rewarding path, and in some cases, a sharp turn for the
better. I guess the universe was probably trying to show us
something after all. We just needed to pay more attention.

BIGPICTURE.NET

So what exactly are fleet or commercial wraps? They're
typically vinyl vehicle wraps that are extensions of retail
installations used to promote the brand name of a corporate
entity. Brands such as Nike, DirecTV, and Target have vehicles
in the form of pickups, sedans, vans, transits, trailers, and box
trucks, either owned or leased by a company, that are used for
delivering their goods or commuting to a client's location. In
hopes of scoring a marketing campaign that will click with the
public, brands are willing to spend their hard-earned dollars on
a short- or long-term conversion or program. The complexity
and strict deadlines of fleet graphics today have placed a huge
amount of pressure on my company in our neverending quest
to reduce operation costs, maintain a daily output of units, and
adapt quickly to potential problems that may arise. And I never
want to succumb to low-quality vehicle wraps when speed
becomes an issue, should we fall behind. This issue will surely
affect your reputation in the industry and cost you a customer
or program if you do not proceed with caution.
By professional standards, the custom discipline is often
defined as the pinnacle of highly advanced work in the art of
wrapping. It requires a lengthy period of time to master,
including the development of the installer's signature style.
Custom doesn't only apply to luxury cars or souped-up
vehicles; its broad range of modified appearances can be seen
on drums, coffins, washing machines, vapes, keyboards,
tables, etc. The look of these objects as a whole is largely your
responsibility, and it can be as interesting as your imagination
and ingenuity will allow. Furthermore, custom is not just
reserved for cosmetic purposes. With paint's messy streaks
and sheens that aren't fully blended, the wraps of today have
been engineered to compete against its biggest known rival.
Similar to the installation techniques that are required for
fleet wraps, there's very little room for errors, and a seamless
effect is mandatory for custom wraps. Your panel seams are
not noticeable or visible on a wrapped unit. The detail work
also becomes magnified around corners, edges, door jambs,
etc. with close attention being paid to panel alignments of a
custom digital print. [Editor's Note: Check out pg. 8 for more
vehicle wrapping tips.] Instead of coming from a single creative

viewpoint, my advice is to approach custom subjects from a
multitude of viewpoints. I've learned that even unflattering
choices and angles could contribute in representing the subject
in a dynamic or even larger context. It's always a risk when you
choose to infuse big ideas with experimentation into your
design aesthetic. Your choices, deliberate or not, could very
well redefine the scope and landscape of vinyl wraps.

http://www.BIGPICTURE.NET

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - May 2018