Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1491555
G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M A P R I L 2 0 2 3 • G R A P H I C S P R O 6 1 require a heavy-duty aluminum substrate with an over laminate, is more rigid and has less of a stretch than vinyl. GRIP is preferable for small display areas (not a wall mural); heavy-traffic areas like sidewalks and walking paths, and places where there can be vandalism, since the edges are hard to lift, says Jim Miller, who co-owns Miller decals, a commercial and vehicle wraps company in Acworth, Georgia, with his wife, Starla. e aluminum is applied using a stiff brush or gloved hands to push it on and fit it around the rough, uneven surface, Miller says. "With aluminum, you don't have to push it into the cracks as deep (as vinyl)," Miller says. "In order to last, it doesn't have to be in every corner and crevice of the stone or brick. Vinyl will dry out and crack. is won't. is will stay there when you leave it." GRIP, however, requires more precise work than vinyl, Miller says. "You can't stretch it over," Miller says. "It has to be really all the way down. With vinyl, you can stretch it a little — it's eas- ier to make corrections." The right installation process Wrapping a textured or rough surface typically takes two to three times lon- ger than wrapping a smooth surface or flat wall — something installers need to inform their clients about, Pate says. e costs are higher with each installation, but the material prices are the same, as well as the results, which oftentimes can look like paint, he says. If done right, the wraps can last for several years, except in high-traf- fic areas where wear and tear limits life to two to three months, he adds. "It's going to have the same visual look. It looks like paint and does not change the graphic or what it looks like but will change how it feels," Pate says. "e cool dynamic has the wow factor and gets cli- ents excited about wraps." R ich mond, C a li fornia a r t ist a nd designer Todd Gilens uses wraps in some of his large-scale art projects that make commentary on things like water systems and ecological change. "Shade," a 1,000-square- foot image of a garden shade plant installed over a lattice structure at the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley propagation house. (Images courtesy Todd Gilens) ENERGIZE YOUR DESIGNS WITH SPECIAL EFFECTS Add a creative edge to apparel with special effect HTV, perfect for one-of-a-kind finishes on T-shirts, fanwear, children's clothing, and more! ✓ Glitter & Hologram ✓ Puff, Foam, & Flock ✓ Patterns & Chalkboard ✓ Foil & Metallic ✓ Color-Shift & Iridescent Twill ✓ Reflective & Glow SHOP SPECIAL EFFECT HTV ⊲ stahls.com/htv-effects GP0423 STAHLS.COM | 800.478.2457