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Wall Wraps
A “Coarse” in
A sign company is at the head of the class on wall wraps.
T
hanks to advances in vinyl film and adhesives, nearly any wall surface is a possible canvas for vinyl wraps. And it doesn’t matter if the wall is indoors or out, as PrintWorks Group (www.printworksgroup.com) proved on a recent job for Valparaiso University.
Founded in 2000 as a filmhouse for a printer, the company has been using its HP 5000 printer to branch out into outputting more large format jobs for customers—everything from design to branding to printing to wrapping. PrintWorks Group has worked frequently with Valparaiso University over the years on banners and other graphics. Originally the school approached the company about a paint job. “They wanted us to make a stencil or a decal so the painters could come and paint the cement block,” says Eric Verbich, prepress and large format technician for PrintWorks Group. Instead PrintWorks Group pointed out the flaws in painting the surface (including inconsistency in texture and coverage) and told them about MACtac’s IMAGIN® RoughRAP™ material, which could be applied to the wall in place of paint. The university saw a sample, liked it, and decided to opt for the wall wrap instead. Valparaiso officials provided PrintWorks Group with two different logos—one that would be installed on a brick column and another that would be applied to split-face cement block in a softball dugout. PrintWorks Group received the logos on white backgrounds, so they asked the college if they wanted the logos cut out or printed with the background. The college opted for the cut-out logo. “That was actually the first time we ever did a cut out of a logo for anybody,” says Verbich. signshop.com
October 2013 // Sign Builder Illustrated
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All Photos: Printworks grouP.
Course 101: Design