Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1491555
5 8 G R A P H I C S P R O • A P R I L 2 0 2 3 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M S I G N A G E & P R I N T I N G V inyl doesn't just appear on vehicles, but can be on sidewalks; stucco or brick walls; cement, concrete, or asphalt; or anywhere that seems like a rough surface for a smooth graphic. Artists and installers need to find the right materials, use the right techniques, and have the right tools to get the vinyl to stick and last without ripping, fading, leaving a mark, or defacing the surface. "You obviously have to choose the right materials — materials made for those surfaces — and the right lam- ination, then prep the surface," says Justin Pate, CEO of e Wrap Institute, which produces instructional videos and workshops for the vinyl wrap industry. "If you have the right set up, it's straightforward. You can make a mis- take quickly if you don't plan it correctly." Film to Wrap Anywhere Technology allows vinyl wraps to appear in unusual places B Y S H E L L E Y W I D H A L M Shelley Widhalm is a freelance writer and editor and founder of Shell's Ink Services, a writing and editing service based in Loveland, Colorado. Exterior wraps are often on rough and textured surfaces, so the material needs to be thin and able to bond to that surface and the adhesive needs to be aggressive enough to conform to its topography. (Images courtesy Justin Pate, The Wrap Institute)