“It was something from the heart,” says Trish Dill, owner of Desert Signs (Phoenix). The “art car,” as it became known around the shop, was a wrap adapted from a 30 x 40-inch abstract painting for Michael Janzen, a local customer who had commissioned several fleet wraps from Desert Signs in the past. Janzen, a car aficionado and member of a Hyundai Genesis club, asked his daughter, artist Ariel Eichler, to create the artwork specifically to be turned into a wrap. Little did they know, it wasn’t that simple.
After having the artwork photographed, scanned on a large-format machine at Thomas Printworks, and color-corrected, Janzen turned it over to Desert Signs. Dill says adapting the design to the complex shape of the Genesis while still staying true to the art was a unique challenge, but it’s those kinds of projects that make the job worthwhile.
“One of the things we love about vehicle wraps is the creativity aspect,” she adds. “Instead of having a ton of projects, we like to have a smaller amount of more detail-oriented projects where we can have fun.” The wrap was printed on an HP Latex 360 onto 3M Controltac IJ180Cv3 and laminated with Scotchcal 8518.
Dill and her husband opened up shop in 2014 after working at a local Fastsigns for a number of years. They’ve set out to spread their passion for vehicle wraps, with a motto of dedication to the client, as well as a brand-new e-commerce platform for wrap installers nationwide. Their other company, We Print Wraps, a separate entity from Desert Signs, offers wholesale wraps for installers who don’t have their own printing capabilities.
“We’re really trying to expand the industry,” Dill says. “If we can get independent installers to also sell business wraps, you’re going to see more and more vehicle wraps on the road, and more consumers are going to continue to be comfortable with it, and they’re going to want to buy more.”
Check out more from Big Picture's October 2017 edition or explore more vehicle vinyl in this year's “Wrap Sheet” series: