I had booked myself onto its ‘Introduction to Vehicle Wrapping and Vinyl Application’ workshop to try and get a first-hand understanding of why such workshops are becoming so popular and whether they really can help start a novice sign-maker off properly on the path to expertise. I worried that I would be a duck out of water and end up out of my depth as I grappled with alien materials and difficult application techniques. But I really need not have.
The course ran from 10am to 4pm and was a highly enjoyable day out, they even give you a top notch lunch. By the end I was not only able to carry out basic wrapping techniques, but also had a much deeper fundamental understanding of what is required to carry out a professional and high-quality vehicle wrapping and livery service.
I worried that I would be a duck out of water and end up out of my depth as I grappled with alien materials and difficult application techniques. But I really need not have”
It is these two things working in tandem that made the course work for this novice, and the fact that Antalis’ digital support manager Giles Bristow seems to have heavily road-tested and researched its courses before taking them out on the road. As such there were a hundred little bits of information that made the students sit up and take note, and I lost count of the number of times I head a phrase to the effect of, “I never understood why we did that before”, or “that is going to save me so much time.”
The day ran over how to set-up your wrapping environment, all the tools you will need and techniques on getting the most from them, an overview of the application limits of different vinyl and its proper usage, hands-on training on both furniture and vehicle panels, concrete business advice on what sectors of the market to start off in, and even insider advice on how to charge appropriately for individual jobs.
The other students also came from a diverse highly background and spanned commercial printers moving into sign-making, apprentice vehicle wrappers, and even the owner of a professional wrapping shop that wanted to go back to basics and overcome some of the bottlenecks in his operation.
Insider information
Just a few examples came as expert trainer Paul Hughes explained the key applications limits between monomeric, polymeric, and cast vinyl. Warning the class that if you use the wrong grade for a difficult application it will end in tears. He also covered aspects such as the importance working in an ultra-clean environment, the false economy of cheap squeegees, the massive difference that the right tools can make, the merits of high-quality heat guns that carry laser temperature guides, how you should be charging if a job includes parts removal, and even advice on designing effective liveries.
Those in attendance gained a valuable insight into vehicle wrapping tips and
tricks
Hughes warm and relaxed style and the comprehensive availability of tools, materials, and testing wrapping challenges also made for a much more refreshing approach to training. He also gave fantastic insights into a range of time-saving techniques, such as using knifeless cutting tape to create go-faster stripes. While many try to cut-out pieces of long vinyl and painstakingly apply it in order to keep it visually straight, he advocates using cutting tape to mark out the stripes, wrap a large piece on top of them, and then simply pull off the tape and excess to create perfect stipes in a quarter of the time.
Jumping back in the car after a long but rewarding day out, I was not only without any worries, but happily contemplating what it would like to spend all day bending vinyl to my wil”
A comment from Hughes during the training perhaps summed up best why the course, and the Digital Academy in general, was so interesting and well worth a visit: “My mission is to show you piece by piece, issue by issue, how to conquer the barriers to wrapping cleanly and to a high quality when you are starting out.”
Jumping back in the car after a long but rewarding day out, I was not only without any worries, but happily contemplating what it would like to spend all day bending vinyl to my will.
Head to sign7tv.com and search ‘Antalis’ to watch my special video-report from the day.
