Discount Fireworks Part 1: Mega Container Wrap
Posted by Kim Dudley on Wed, Nov 09, 2011 @ 02:28 PM
When we wrapped a 40-foot metal container, what was the biggest challenge we faced? It wasn't the sheer size of the full wrap, or the long hours of labor involved, nor was it a question of where we could possibly store it during installation, though it was a question on all our minds. In the end, the biggest challenge was simply the surface texture.
Both the designer and the installers agreed the corrugations that covered the giant metal container on all sides proved a formidable opponent. The sides had shallow, beveled corrugations, and the front and back ends had deep 90-degree angled corrugations. In the design phase, designer Vanessa Bogensberger had to consider how much of the image would be hidden in the corrugations, and how much, if any, material would have to be added on top of the actual width. The corrugations on each side were shallow enough that the material could be laid flat, heated, then stretched into the corrugations. When it came to the ends, however, the material would have failed if we tried to lay it flat and stretch it. The graphics were prepared in the design phase with a cushion of 40% more material over the actual width of each end, and installers Rich Wilke and Bruce Katterfeld tucked material into the 90-degree grooves as they went.
"It's the biggest thing I've ever installed. I've installed large panels before, but nothing like all four sides of a 40-foot container." Rich said. "We spent three full days on that sucker, and it turned out very, very cool." Bruce agreed the most difficult part of the wrap was heating and rolling the material into each corrugation.
Luckily, the fireworks graphics did not suffer from stretching, but had it been a logo, "it would have been almost impossible," Vanessa said. When working with such a large format, high quality images are key. "We can proof with low-resolution images before purchasing an image to make sure the customer buys into the concept, but we've got to have high-resolution images for large-format printing," Vanessa explained. "Jack owns his images already, so that wasn't a problem."
When I talked to owner Jack Hughes about the finished product, he said, "It really catches your eye. People drive by the warehouse and they comment on the stand out there. The big explosions and big round logo really catch your eye. Everybody really likes it."
Log on Friday, November 11 to read "Discount Fireworks Part 2: Dune Buggy Wrap and a Party."
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Signs for Success - Custom Wraps and Graphics is located in Spokane, WA and services Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Airway Heights, Cheney and Deer Park, pointing coast to coast wherever successful signs are needed.