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98 • WRAPS • 2 0 1 6 TOOLS & EQUIPMENT printers have proven to produce; wrap shops are discussing ways to print and sell their own versions of short-run or custom-color wrap film to other shops and color-change specialists. "Instead of being limited to the wrap film shades provided by media manu- facturers, wrap shops are printing their own color of choice and applying a textured laminate to give it dimension. Color-change specialists are no longer limited to the colors and size of wrap film rolls provided by media manufacturers. When you print your own brand of wrap film using a 3 M adhesive vinyl on the ColorPainter M-64s and protect it with a 3M laminate, it becomes warrantable under the 3M MCS warranty." David Conrad, director of market- ing, North and Latin America at Mutoh America, Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, adds that wrap shops are looking for simplic- ity, production, reliability and quality output. "These are all key to making the life of the print production manager in any wrap shop job's easier," he says. Printing on Specialty Materials "Printing on specialty materials is another way wrap providers can differ- entiate their services and get their cus- tomers' wraps to stand out," says Eric Zimmerman, product manager, Color Products, Roland DGA, Irvine, California. "We've seen prints on reflective mate- rials and matte-colored materials along those lines. A couple of wraps—one from Roland customer Sticker City, Sherman Oaks, California, that was printed on reflective silver, and another from 54 Blue Communications, Calgary, A B , Canada, printed on matte black—really stand out. Combining large printed areas with layered or separate print and contour cut graphics makes for a really interesting look. This approach doesn't This wrap was printed on a ColorPainter printer and designed and applied by Zebra Wraps LP, a 3M Certified Graphics Manufacturer and Installation Company. "The primary focus of this project was to produce maximum impact for brand awareness. The customer provided feedback that the series of truck wraps were better than a billboard and resulted in phone inquiries from all over the country," says Zebra Wraps president Darren Dees. (Image courtesy of Zebra Wraps LP) require as much coverage or ink and material as other vehicle wrap jobs, yet produces results that are just as profitable and impactful." Wrap Models from Roland Zimmerman says Roland's SOLJET XR-640 printer/cutter delivers not only high-quality imaging and outstanding productivity, but also unmatched versatil- ity. It includes integrated contour cutting and offers 7-color or 8-color ink configu- rations, with CMYKLcLm plus light black, white and metallic silver ink options. "Our new SOLJET EJ-640 printer is specially designed to provide high productivity and lower operating costs, making it ideal for shops that want to do large quantities of fleet graphics, but may not require the versatility of a printer like the XR-640," Zimmermann adds. "Similar models are also available in our VersaCAMM and VersaExpress lineups for wrap operations that are looking to make a smaller investment and are will- ing to sacrifice some of the print speed." James Naccarato with Iconography Studios in Los Alamitos, California, says his company's Roland units empower the shop to print, laminate and wrap non- stop. "The quality, versatility and low running costs enable us say 'yes' to any job that comes our way," he says. "We laminate everything we produce, sometimes within an hour of printing," adds Nick Woodward, graphics man- ager for Richard Childress Racing. "The Roland inks are durable and the colors are right on. Our graphics hold up at over 200 mph." The ColorPainter M-64s includes industrial Piezo printheads engineered for ultra-fast printing speeds and longer wear time, which reduces waste and saves on replacement costs. (Image courtesy of OKI Data)