Signs of the Times - July 2016 - (Page 16)

V in y l A pp s By Steve Aust More Road Rage Service and promotional vehicles gleaned from the 2015 contest field Steve Aust is ST's Senior Associate Editor. A member of its editorial staff since 2000, his work emphasizes vinyl graphics, architectural and environmental graphics, and 3-D signage. L ast month's Vinyl Apps column featured a quartet of food trucks that were entered in the 2015 Vehicle Graphics Contest. This month, we're featuring an array of service-vehicle graphics (vehicles that are used in the business' direct day-to-day operations, such as a plumber's van) and promotional vehicles (those that emphasize a product or service rather than a company) that undoubtedly moved the needle for these shops' customers. The Vehicle Graphics Contest deadline - its 10th edition - is rapidly approaching on July 13 (see the ad on page 74 for more information). As these case studies attest, quality projects that don't win prizes are still likely to have an opportunity for recognition in print and via www.signweb.com and our socialmedia platforms. If you have any questions, contact Contest Coordinator Steve Aust at steve.aust@ stmediagroup.com or (513) 263-9308. A look at my 6-ft. 3-in., 260-lb. frame may not convey it, but I'm a deeply sentimental person. Christmastime amplifies this trait, and the sound of a Salvation Army bellringer and sight of her kettle strikes me as a welcome harbinger for the season of giving. This Smart Car brands simply, but powerfully, with a supersized depiction of a signature Salvation Army kettle with snowflakes and stars enveloping it in a whisper of holiday magic (even in July, I eagerly await Yuletide). Grapevine Communications (Sarasota, FL) designed the graphics using Photoshop software, and SignZoo, also of Sarasota, fabricated the wrap with 3M™ Controltac™ IJ180-10Cv3 air-release media that's printed on a Seiko (now OKI Data Corp.) ColorPainter W-64S solvent-ink printer. 3M's Scotchcal® 8519 luster-finish topcoat, which SignZoo put on using a Seal Image 54 laminator, will keep the kettle bright and the stars twinkling for seasons to come. If you live in Valparaiso, IN and need a handyman, you'd do well to call James Moore and his crew at One Guy with Tools. The wrap certainly creates a positive impression - a busy, frilly design doesn't fit for a rugged service truck. Also, the "man in white" within the numeral tips its hat to the archetypal imagery of Johnny Cash's iconic "man in black" silhouette. Digital Graphic Solutions, also of Valparaiso, developed the wrap. Adam Farster designed it with Adobe Creative Cloud software, and the shop printed the graphics on a Seiko (now OKI Data) ColorPainter H-104S solvent-ink printer using 3M Controltac airrelease media. Installer Tim Leininger worked with graphics laminated on an AGL 6400 laminator with Scotchcal 8518 glossy topcoat and installed it with 3M Gold PA-1 nylon squeegees. 16 SIGNS OF THE TIMES July 2016 http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - July 2016

Signs of the Times - July 2016
Columns & Departments
ST Update
Technology Update
Integrating High-End Effects in Your Design
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Commercial
Lighting Techniques
Moving Message
Technology Review - Computerized Cutters’ Accu-Form
Technology Review - Cyrious software
Design Matters
New Products
Signs that Invite
Horseshoe-Shaped Window Graphics
Driving West
State of the Industry
Returns to Glory
Enter ST’s Vehicle Graphics Contest
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - July 2016