By Melissa Donovan
Vehicle wrap businesses are tasked with tackling the unexpected these days as brand owners compete to stand out. Designing, printing, and installing wraps on all sorts of vehicle makes and models is the norm. As a print service provider (PSP) operating in this segment of the industry, a combination of knowledge and skill is paramount to success.
Above: Vinyl Wurx printed six, over 20-foot pieces of Avery Dennison MPI 1105 Easy Apply RS on its HP Latex 360 printer, then over laminated with Avery Dennison DOL 1360Z gloss overlaminate to create a wrap on a full-size school bus that was converted to a mobile Caribbean food truck/restaurant.
Wide Format Print
Vinyl Wurx, located in Woods Cross, UT, services the greater Salt Lake Valley and UT area, as well as other states throughout the U.S. in addition to shipping internationally to almost every company in the world. Located out of one 3,000 square foot location, it employs seven staff members. The company was established in 2014 “when a vinyl wrapper and a window tinter came together to create a better, bigger full-service print and install shop,” according to Julian Mitkus, owner, Vinyl Wurx. “We produce almost everything in house and use our relationships within the industry to accomplish customer goals that require machinery outside our reach,” he continues.
The company’s core offerings are custom vehicle, color change, and full print wraps. With wide format printing capabilities in house, it offers everything from stickers and labels to wallcoverings and building signage.
“Our industry moves quickly, and with it customer demand. Wide format printing makes it possible to be diverse in our offerings, and adapt to meet the goals and challenges that we face,” explains Mitkus.
Visual Eatery
Mitkus is well-versed in wrap trends. To him, the basics—vibrant, full-color prints and simple solid color changes—are timeless. However, the increased options for colored metallics and laminate finishes ranging in sheen and texture are of great interest.
He also notes the capabilities of cameras and other technology making real-life image prints look incredibly realistic. For example, food trucks with printed pictures of the actual food offered are currently popular.
Vinyl Wurx recently completed a wrap job on a full-size school bus that was converted to a mobile Caribbean food truck/restaurant—with a kitchen and seating inside. The client hoped to give the bus a new life with a full coverage wrap reflecting a design that would attract customers.
The design process took place over a few weeks. Once finalized, the job moved into the test printing phase to ensure the colors and real life images in the graphics would appear sharp at large format sizing. Six separate, over 20-foot each pieces were printed on an HP Latex 360 printer.
Media chosen for the project was from Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions, specifically Avery Dennison MPI 1105 Easy Apply RS.
According to Mitkus, the project was especially challenging due its size—nearly 45 feet long. It required a bit of preparation work and special technique to ensure the wrap would stick to all the surfaces on the bus.
“The turnaround time on this project was less than a week, making it possible for this small business owner to get its operation back on the road quickly. Our team here at Vinyl Wurx handled the job from start to finish, from design to installation. Installation required scaffolding and lots of skill and patience,” he adds.
The client was extremely pleased with the outcome.
Wrap Into the Future
Vinyl Wurx wraps it all. Evident from the project spotlighted here, having the skills and knowledge in place to tackle any job means keeping it all in house and not turning a project away. Coupled with trusted technology and wrap materials, it’s apparent Vinyl Wurx is set to continue wrapping well into the future.
Sep2022, Digital Output
