Metropolitan Movers contacted us recently to put their advertising on the side of their moving truck. They wrap the entire truck with their brand to make all of the trucks look professional and attract new customers. The trucks look great on the road!
To wrap a truck we start wi
th a photo of the vehicle then add artwork to create a mockup of the truck so the client can see what it will look like on their vehicle, installed, before we start printing the material. We then need to ensure that the image files are of sufficient size to enable the printed materials to look fabulous when they are printed the size of a full truck. Typically at least 300 dpi (dots per inch).
Once all artwork is approved we can start printing. In this case we used a mid grade 3M material IJ40C. It has a life as recommended by 3M of about 7 years. We also laminate it with a Gloss 3M laminate 8508. When printing we need to create 6 separate pieces to finish a truck side, each piece has a 1” overlap as the material can shrink over time.
Once the material is all printed we are ready for the install. First we ensure the truck is clean, then wiped down with isopropyl alcohol to ensure a good bond. The install is no speedy task. It takes time to ensure a good job that will last. On a box truck there are several obstacles that can make it somewhat tricky. The first is rivets, as they can range in size depending on the truck box manufacturer. The bigger they are, the more complicated the install becomes. The second is if there are doors on the side, this requires some cutting around the hardware. When a good 3M certified installer is on the job with the right care, the truck will look as good as the one in the picture.