The Buzz Line

In an attempt to curb the automobile-addicted habits of an admitted 'car culture' in Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina Transit decided to inject a little excitement into the otherwise ordinary routine of taking the city bus. Regina Transit aimed its efforts at local students and developed the concept for 'The Buzz,' a full-wrap bus with interior as well as exterior graphics, designed by the Noblet Design Group and Rawlco Communications. Print provider Sleek Signs and vinyl-graphics installer AutoWrapped were tapped to carry out the printing and installation of the project.

Production
After receiving the print files from Rawlco, AutoWrapped made the necessary adjustments in Photoshop to ensure that the graphics fit the bus template. The files were then sent to Sleek Signs for printing. To output the exterior and interior graphics, the shop used its MacDermid ColorSpan DisplayMaker 72SI with SolaChrome-HR inks and imaged onto 3M Controltac Plus Graphic Film IJ180-C. The exterior graphics for the 44 ft. long bus were printed in eight 52 x 288-in. sections; print time was approximately 6 hr. The graphics were laminated with 3M Scotchcal Gloss Overlaminate 8518.

At the suggestion of AutoWrapped owner Richard Evenson, the design called for graphics on both sides of 250 sq ft of window perforation. To carry out this undertaking, the graphics seen from the interior of the bus were first printed in reverse onto Clear Focus JetVue perforated film using the DisplayMaker 72SI. Then, two coats of white Coates Rev UV ink were screen printed by hand onto the reversed print, to make the graphics “pop.” After the ink cured, two coats of black were screen printed onto the white ink to block out the reverse-printed graphics, followed by another two coats of white ink.

The perforated vinyl was then re-registered in the printer and, again using the DisplayMaker, the exterior window graphics were printed on this top layer of white ink. Printing of the window graphics took 60 hr. Installation of the graphics took three AutoWrapped employees approximately 4 wks.

Comment
Evenson choose to screen print the layers of white and black ink because the DisplayMaker didn’t have white-ink capability, and even still, “White UV digital ink was not dense enough-I needed an opaque white ink so the layer of black ink did not bleed.”

Client
Regina Transit, Saskatchewan, Canada

The Players
AutoWrapped, Vancouver, BC (www.autowrapped.ca); Sleek Signs, Regina, SK (www.sleeksigns.com); Rawlco Communications; Noblet Design Group, Regina (www.nobletdesign.com)

Tools & Supplies
MacDermid ColorSpan DisplayMaker 72SI, 3M Controltac Plus Graphic Film IJ180-10, ColorSpan SolaChrome-HR ink, 3M Scotchcal Gloss Overlaminate 8518.