Wraps Report
Looking back through history, sports always have played a significant role in this country. Through time they have become more developed and refined, as they have gained popularity among the masses. The reason this is important for you as a wrapper is because, believe it or not, there is a tremendous opportunity to lend your talents to the sporting industry. Think about the possibilities.
New, grandiose stadiums and arenas have made their mark on cityscapes nationwide and are ripe spots for internally and externally wrapped graphics. Racecars recently have been ducking the paintbrush to make way for ultra-thin wrap jobs. And events as large-scale as the Super Bowl to smaller-sized community bowling leagues have invited wrappers to decorate their facilities. These are just a few examples of the many wrap-ready areas in the sports world.
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THE ROAD AND THE WATER
Automobiles still have the most accessible surface to wrap, so even in sports it makes sense to start here. Many race series have a strong wraps preference, including the ARCA Racing Series. As a series sponsor, CGS Imaging in Toledo, Ohio, has become tremendously invested. Stocked with MACtac vinyl, the shop prints and installs graphics for many tracks, including 11 at the International Speedway and two at the Motor Speedway. Most recently, CGS wrapped all ARCA transporters at the first race in Daytona, Fla., as well as many racing team vehicles and haulers.
Chuck Stranc, of GCS Imaging, says MACtac’s material was installed because, “IMAGin B-free Pro has good adhesion. We chose it because it prints well, serves its purpose, is reliable and works really well.”
Of course, there are several other examples of wraps in the racing business. Conduct an Internet search and you’re bound to find several beautifully wrapped race cars. For example, Motorsports Designs in High Point, N.C., the originator of RaceWraps and a loyal 3M partner, is a major provider or wraps for NASCAR. Also, Dave Schnorr of AUTO-Graph-It has designed and implemented wraps work for the likes of Patron Tequila Race Team as well as Milka Duno, racer on the IndyCar Series.
A unique advantage to wrapping race cars is that they require more change-out and/or repairs than your everyday vehicle wrap. Because they are exposed to situations that involve wear-and-tear and collisions, the chance that the wraps will become damaged greatly increases.
Vinyl companies, such as Oracal, do a lot of work with wrappers of race cars, and what better way to put your vinyl through its paces than to attach it to a machine that goes through the ordeal of an auto race.
Shifting gears for a moment, even boats involved in sports activities have become profitable canvases for wraps. SignZoo in Sarasota, Fla. provides such work for events, like fishing competitions. According to shop owner Larry Cavalluzzi, “the application of the wrap takes approximately eight to 10 man hours.”
And, similarly to race car wraps, SignZoo offers repair kits with every wrap and normally can install a new print for any damaged area.
NEVER TOO COOL
From the waterways to the ice rink, wraps are gaining momentum. Just like many other sports, ice hockey has opened its doors to allow wraps to be installed on team buses, Zambonis, arena boards and locker rooms.
DDI Signs, Newport News, Va., created a niche for itself while providing digitally printed graphics for ice rinks. So impressed with DDI’s work, The Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League contracted the firm to fit its practice rink, corporate offices and locker rooms with original wraps.
Of the work done for the Capitals, there were both small and large elements, ranging from etched vinyl logos on glass doors to a 27’ x 54’ external window graphic.
A little further north, MACtac customer ICON Digital in Toronto, Ontario, partnered with TGI Systems to create bus wraps for eight World Junior Hockey teams. The wraps were printed on an HP Turbo Jet printer on MACtac IMAGin digiTrans and displayed in Ottawa, Ontario, as the teams traveled to and from their games.
As wrap shops begin to look beyond the jobs directly in front of them, they inevitably begin to see more opportunities arise. For example, instead of only wrapping a minor league baseball team’s bus, ask about the stadium’s dugouts, training rooms, outfield fences or even helmets. Considering the extreme variety and volume of sports leagues, events and facilities outside your doors today, it shouldn’t surprise you that there is a great chance to collect more work.
Obviously, we don’t have enough space in these pages to list all of the wrap work that’s been done in the sports world, but look around and you’ll certainly notice what’s out there. For your convenience, here are a few more examples for you to see what types of projects your peers are providing. Perhaps this will stir up some ideas for your future endeavors.
MORE SPORTS WRAPS EXAMPLES:
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SCS Vinyl Works Showcased at the Winter X Games 13, Joe Parsons and Heath Frisby rode on SCS Wrapped Sleds. Frisby’s was a 3M Scotchbrite reflective-based wrap. Arlon DPF 8000 is also used on other installs. |
Flying Colors Using a VUTEk machine to print on an assortment of vinyl and polyester mesh from Ultraflex and Verseidag, Flying Colors decorated the dugouts, fences and walls of Wrigley Field for the 2009 NHL Winter Classic in Chicago. Other works include the Rose Bowl, Invesco Field at Mile High and the Davis Cup. |
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bluemedia Window wrap of Arizona Diamondbacks logo at Chase Field in Phoenix using 3M vinyl. The wrap firm has also done work for NASCAR and Arizona State University’s football stadium. |
Rainier Industries Full stadium wrap of the University of Indiana’s football facility. Arlon DPF 8000 film was used for the walls and entryways. Other universities, such as the University of North Carolina, dons Rainier’s wrap touch. (See Sign Business, March 2009.) |
Ryan N. Fugler has several years of experience in the graphics industry. He can be reached at 