Want to put pinstripes on your Ford? You’d probably be better off going to a professional vinyl installer, but in case you want to try to do it yourself, Roush Performance is trying to make it easy. The company just rolled out a variety of vinyl stripe options for 2005 to 2011 Mustangs that it promises can quickly and inexpensively turn a “one of many” Mustang into a “one-of-a-kind” trick pony.

By mixing-and-matching among different top, side, hood and roof stripes, there are more than 500 different configurations available. You can choose complete pre-designed sets or create their own by picking among the different color and style combinations.

“There have been more than nine million Mustangs sold since the introduction and it’s getting harder and harder to find any two that look alike because so many owners take great pride in customizing their vehicle,” says Jack Roush. “I think the Mustang is an amazing platform to work on, and adding vinyl stripes, such as those from Roush, are a quick and fairly inexpensive way to make a bold statement with your car.”

First Display is giving us an example of how to promote your vehicle wrapping business. Check out this excerpt for some tips.

Catchy graphics attract the attention of all passers by. The conventional methods of advertising such as putting fliers in newspapers, audio advertisements, and pamphlet distribution have become obsolete now. People do not have time to go through them and here is when graphics advertisement comes to the seen Car windows graphics is the catchy new way to attract people’s attention for the maximum time as visual memory is known to be longer than others.

There are a lot of business owners who put vinyl self adhesive large window graphics on their store windows and see the increase in the number of footfalls each day. People come in just out of curiosity when they are attracted to something and boost up your sales within a short time span.

Advertisers are increasingly using new innovative ideas of putting graphics on vehicle windows. Vinyl graphics are safe to be used on glass. Although, the calendared vinyl goes well on vehicle body but does not gel with glass. This is because the car windows are silicon polished and normal vinyl adhesives do not last for a long time on such surfaces due to intense heat and sunlight.

Be sure to check out our vehicle wrapping e-books.

I read an interesting article about how to vehicle wrapping as mobile advertising. It was written by a vehicle wrapping company. I want to offer an excerpt to it so that all of you vinyl installers out there can see how to position your service with potential customers:

Mobile advertising you say? Yes, take a strong look at vehicle wraps as a marketing tool for your business. A well designed marketing wrap on your vehicle or fleet will do a great deal for expanding your marketing dollars. One person can only make so much money through work. Leveraging assets in your business to create and maintain revenue is one key to success. One of the biggest assets we have in life is a vehicle, as a business owner using this asset can most likely help you tap into a resource which you have never before utilized.

Vehicle wraps are a form of mobile advertising and can be used to advertise your service or product. SS Graphics knows first- hand, this type of mobile advertising is growing quickly in popularity. This is because of the flexibility and mobility this form of marketing affords. Vehicle wrap ads, allow you to use your car, truck or your fleet. This gives you the excellent opportunity to get your sales message across to the public. While you are drive there are potential clients who happen to be driving right alongside you. We know you will get noticed with a full color, inviting vehicle wrap. If the vehicle is parked – your marketing message is still hard at work. Imagine if you are parked a clients’ place of business or their home, how many eyes are on the vehicle. Your number one sales person may be sitting in your parking lot.

Vehicle wraps can be compared to a standard billboard; however, this billboard travels with you, probably ever where you go. Vehicle wrapping is a fantastic tool in your marketing as it has high impressions on a daily basis. Your vehicle wrap has the potential to make sales for your company simply by being on the road with thousands of drivers viewing your ad.

Be sure to check out our e-books on vinyl installation and vehicle wrapping.

There’s a great article by my friend Rob Ivers over at SignWeb. In it, he talks about how to use squeegees with purpose. Here’s an excerpt:

Proper squeegee technique helps you avoid common application errors – bubbles, wrinkles and zippers. Understanding root causes is critical to developing methods that prevent mistakes.

Bubbles are trapped air. The primary causes of bubbles are nicks in squeegee edges, pre-tack (vinyl adhesion caused by simple contact before it’s been squeegeed or even touched, which prevents all of the air from escaping), incorrect squeegee pressure, and improper squeegee technique (which pushes air towards previously squeegeed areas).

Wrinkles result when vinyl adheres to itself. They may occur when the vinyl has slack, or when pressing your squeegee too hard. Zippers comprise a series of parallel lines (wrinkles and/or “long” bubbles), appropriately named due to their resemblance to one side of a zipper. The most common reason for zippers is pushing air (and, sometimes, excess vinyl) against adhered areas.

From this, I learned squeegees must have smooth edges free of nicks and imperfections. Pay careful attention to the amount of pressure applied. Use too little, and the vinyl won’t adhere well. Too much pressure stretches the vinyl, which creates excess that leads to wrinkles or zippers. When vinyl tends to pre-tack, don’t let the graphic contact the surface prior to squeegeeing. Pre-tack occurs because the film has an adhesive with high initial tack, or because the surface temperature is hot. Proper technique pushes out all of the air. It never directs air towards areas previously adhered.

Be sure to check out our e-books that cover a lot of these same topics in-depth when it comes to vehicle wrapping and other vinyl installations.

3M Graphics Market Center welcomes FDC Graphic Films, Inc. as a Master Distributor and the Preferred Converter for all 3M branded films. FDC, located in South Bend, Indiana, is a supplier of sign films, wide-format digital media and digital overlaminating films to the sign and graphics industry.

FDC said it will now offer 3M distributors several value-added services, including:
-         Same day shipments
-         Punched and unpunched materials
-         Slitting—any dimension
-         Custom striping
-         Premasking

Under this new program, all orders from program products should be placed directly with FDC. For more information, contact FDC at 800-634-7523, or visit www.fdcfilms.com.

Richmond Sign & Design Services is offering a quick video on applying vinyl graphics and decals. The company says, “Like everything else, having the right tools is half the battle ! I have perfected my techniques over 20 years in the business and they have been proved and tested.” Click here to see the vinyl application video for yourself. And check out our e-books that give you step by step instructions from the pros.

3M is rolling out its new installer program. The program aims to provide installation companies and individual installers with increased skill, credibility and visibility in the marketplace. The program will train, recognize and promote highly qualified, professional graphics installers and companies.

“The growing volume and complexity of applications, substrates, curves, contours and textures has increased the need for highly skilled installers and companies. 3M is meeting that need with this new comprehensive training and testing program,” said Tim Boxeth, marketing manager, 3M Graphics Market Center.

According to Boxeth, both national and local brand owners are capitalizing on the advertising value of large-format graphics, but success depends on a great design and print, the proper high-quality materials and expert installation. “Within these critical elements, poor installation can have an adverse effect on the entire job and reduce the impact for the brand owner.  That is why 3M, in conjunction with key partners, will train and recognize more installers and companies on more applications,” said Boxeth.

There are now two options from 3M.  Both add value in the graphics supply chain, provide options depending on the installer(s) approach, and will be promoted by 3M equally.

1.  The 3M Certified Graphics Installation Company program is a continuation of the successful program administered for 3M by the United Application Standards Group (UASG).  This option is for the installation company that would like to be recognized by 3M and UASG for not only its installation skills/knowledge, but also its business practices.  Certification requires meeting certain business requirements and passing a hands-on and written test.  Testing is available at 3M Center in St. Paul, MN.  Visit UASG.org or 3Mgraphics.com for more information.

2.  The 3M Preferred Graphics Installer program is a new program designed for the individual installer that would like to be recognized by 3M for their installation skills and knowledge.  To receive the title, the installer must successfully complete a hands-on and written test and meet some other basic requirements.  Testing is currently available at 3M Center in St. Paul, MN or Lowen Corporation’s 3M Graphics Authorized Installation Testing Facility in Hutchinson, KS. Visit 3Mgraphics.com for more information.

3M also offers preparatory training for the tests at multiple locations throughout the U.S.  Preparatory training is available in cooperation with 3M Technical Service, Wrap Experts and Lowen Corporation.