Nettl Crewe & Nantwich used a Mimaki UCJV300 LED UV to print graphics for a car driven by young motorsport star Max Dodds
Need for speed
While the Covid-19 pandemic may have put a stop to many forms of travel over the past 18 months, it failed to slow down innovation in the vehicle graphics sector, with all sorts of new and creative projects being produced by companies around the world.
The rising popularity of vehicle wraps and graphics in recent years has seen the number of companies operating in this market increase significantly, with many businesses adding a new arm to their service offering to satisfy customer demand for these applications.
Given the amount of companies now operating in this sector and the competition for work now more fierce than ever, we speak with some of the leading voices in vehicle wrapping to find out if there are still opportunities for expansion in this market.
Realistic opportunities
First up, Hybrid Services, the exclusive distributor of Mimaki in the UK and Ireland, has a host of options when it comes to printing actual graphics for wraps. Martin Southworth, reseller account manager for Hybrid Services, says vehicle wrapping remains a very realistic opportunity for expansion.
“As many of the processes to produce the graphics are shared with other sign-making applications, it can also be a great additional revenue stream to offer a new service to existing clients as well as being an excellent way to attract new business,” Southworth says.
As many of the processes to produce the graphics are shared with other sign-making applications, it can also be a great additional revenue stream to offer a new service to existing clients”
However, Southworth adds that as vehicle wrapping can potentially be quite a time-consuming task, it should be charged accordingly. He also advises that investing in the right hardware and technology, and knowing how to use this, is key to success in the market.
“Equally, appreciating the advantages of the materials available will be an important education process, ensuring sign-makers maximise the potential opportunity that moving into vehicle wrapping can offer,” Southworth says.
“Investing in training in all aspects of the process is a further consideration. It’s not just about getting the most from your hardware but being proficient at physically applying the output to the vehicle. Finally, having a dust free, temperature controlled, and clean wrapping environment will ensure the best results.”
Looking at the entry-level kit available from Mimaki and Hybrid Services, the new Mimaki JV100-160 is a production solvent printer that is designed to fit into all sizes printer that is designed to fit into all sizes of sign and graphics print businesses. With its low cost of entry – the new model is available for £12,995 and includes RIP (raster image processor) software – Southworth says it is within reach of start-ups, as well as companies looking to refresh or expand their print capabilities.
Mimaki’s new JV100-160 production solvent printer
Aside from printers, Mimaki also offers vinyl cutters and laminators, both of which are key pieces of kit in vehicle wrapping.
“This trilogy of hardware can enable a company to handle every aspect of even the most complex wide-format jobs, with formidable productivity from separate print and cut machines allowing different tasks to be completed simultaneously,” Southworth says.
“This unified approach has other benefits as well – training and ongoing support are easily accomplished, and with powerful software included with both the printer and cutter, the workflow is intuitive too.
With this in mind, Southworth recommends the Mimaki CG-FX vinyl cutter that can be used for cutting colour-change vinyl elements as well as printed output. For companies with limited space, Mimaki’s CJV range of integrated printer/cutters offers a compact solution at a variety of sizes, price points and productivity levels.
Mimaki’s CG-FX vinyl cutter can be used for cutting colour-change vinyl elements as well as printed ouput
Expression of style
Material choice will also have a big impact on the success of projects in the vehicle wrapping market. Spandex offers a wide range of options for this type of work and recently added a number of new products to its portfolio in response to demand from customers.
Two new colours have each been added to the standard Oracal 970RA Premium Wrapping and Oracal 970RA Special Edition Colour Match Series of wrap films.
Customers will now have access to a total of 128 colours within the standard range, with the latest products coming in the form of Steel and Millennium grey shade. Meanwhile, in the Special Edition range, there is now a choice of 14 exclusive colours, including the new metallic gloss Oak Green and Aventurin options.
Ben Scammell, UK sales director at Spandex, comments: “At Spandex, we’re committed to extending product choice for our wrap customers and their clients.
“In addition to their practical advantages, vehicle wraps are an expression of individual style and personality, so new colours are a great opportunity for businesses to ignite customer interest.”
Elsewhere, Avery Dennison offers a full-range portfolio of printing films, colour-change films, protection films and other products to support all sorts of application needs in the vehicle wrapping and graphics market.
Esra Boro, product line marketing manager for wrapping and signage at Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions EMENA, acknowledges that vehicle wrapping has long been regarded as a major diversification market for sign-makers, with many companies making the move into the sector, but this has created increased levels of competition in the sector. She adds that this is only set to intensify as more work becomes available to those in the segment.
“All the signs are that consumers and businesses will increasingly consider wraps as a way to set their vehicles apart,” Boro says, adding: “For consumers, there are lots of examples on social media that show what is possible, while for businesses - both larger and smaller operators - proper branding and strong messages are becoming an essential requirement.
“I believe the market for wraps of all kinds, printed and unprinted or for protection, will continue to be extremely busy.”
Looking at the latest options available from Avery Dennison, Boro picks out a selection of new solutions, which she says have been developed to reflect and set trends, as well as widen the range of products the company offers.
Among these is Avery Dennison MPI 1105 Speedmaster, a gloss white, conformable self-adhesive cast vinyl with a face film that has been especially developed for print across all major printer platforms. The product comes with Avery Dennison’s EasyApply technology, ensuring entrapped air can be squeegeed out without the need to puncture the film, guaranteeing a smooth finish.
A vehicle wrap project with Avery Dennison’s new Supreme Wrapping Film Gloss Metallic Pride Prismatic Grey product
Also new are fresh solutions from the Avery Dennison Supreme Wrapping Film range, courtesy of the spring Launch. These include SWF Gloss Metallic Prismatic Grey, SWF Gloss Metallic Mysterious Indigo, SWF Gloss Metallic Mystery Black, and SWF ColorFlow Gloss Hidden Forest.
Avery Dennison has also recently launched Gloss Black and SPF Matt options for its Supreme Protection Film range, as well as Pure Defence PU for the Avery Dennison Protection Film portfolio.
Think outside the box
While many companies will go down the more traditional route with vehicle graphics, one business has taken another approach as it seeks to gain an advantage in the market. This year, Brandfixx announced the launch of its new vehicle decals business, offering customers an alternative option to more traditional wrapping methods.
Owned by Vehicle Livery Solutions, Brandfixx focuses on providing modular solutions for vehicle décor. The company designs, manufactures and fits these graphics to suit every type of vehicle.
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David Saunderson, chief executive of Brandfixx and Vehicle Livery Solutions, comments: “It’s a complete game changer, and I say that after spending an awfully long time in the vehicle graphics and wrapping industry.
[L to R] Greg Saunderson and David Saunderson celebrate the launch of Brandfixx
“I have close to two decades of experience and understand the problems we’d come across when wrapping a vehicle – it is a time consuming, messy, labour-intensive process that relies on expensive materials, specific fitting conditions and highly skilled applicators.”
The way Brandfixx works is that it uses precision, laser-guided 3D canning technology to reverse engineer the surface of any vehicle, allowing the business to create a bespoke, modular vehicle decal kit.
“This ensures a consistent, millimetre perfect fit for each individual decal panel. It is also much faster to apply - meaning that the vehicle is off the road for less time,” Saunderson says.
Saunderson adds that Brandfixx will train customers on how to fit their own decals, so they can make updates themselves or replace damaged graphics in the event of an accident.
“We’ve had a conversion rate of over 90% during our customer trials and we’re aiming for a European launch in the not too distant future,” Saunderson says.
While vehicle graphics has been an established market for some time, it is clear that there are not only opportunities available for newcomers to the sector, but also room for even more development as the segment moves forward with new innovations.
