Design

Best Transit Vehicles of 2010

Who says public transportation has to be dull?

Published

14 years ago

September 28, 2010

Steve Aust Signs of the Times October 2010 Issue

FIRST PLACE

Fabricator
Graphitek
Hoosick Falls, NY
(800) 423-4371
www.graphitek.com

Designers

Chris Yount/Graphitek

Installers
Tom Oliver
Chris Ramsey
VSP Marketing Graphic Group
West Seneca, NY
(716) 674-7446
www.vspgraphics.com

Liberty in America, a grassroots political organization that espouses limited government and regulation, wanted to make a visual splash for its 1988 Prevost bus, which engages in cross-country tours to promote its cause and recruit members (a minivan was also wrapped for the campaign). Working with Graphitek’s staff, freelance designer Chris Yount built upon the core concept of an American flag, a Thomas Paine quote and allowing the audience to sign the bus. To accomplish this, the designer created an Adobe Photoshop and clip art that featured the Constitution and the Statue of Liberty – safe bets to attract attention at festivals and rallies.

Graphitek printed the project with Arlon’s 6000XRP air-release media with Arlon’s 3220 glossy overlaminate on its Mimaki JV3-160SP solvent-ink printer. Because the wrap would feature signatures from Liberty in America sympathizers, a topcoat without an integral, anti-graffiti component that would accept signatures proved important. For the window graphics, the shop used Media One’s 50%-perforated material.

Because of the project’s tight turnaround time, VSP Graphics completed its installation in six hours. Oliver and Ramsey completed the job with 3M Gold squeegees, a heat gun and years of experience. Trace George, VSP’s owner, said experience provides the best tools for wrapping the film around the bus’s numerous corrugations and window frames.

SECOND PLACE

Fabricator
Bluemedia
Tempe, AZ
(480) 317-1333
www.bluemedia.com

Client
Oakley

In an effort to connect its brand with athletic women, Oakley, a maker of activewear sunglasses and watches, ordered this Phoenix city-bus wrap that bears its “Perform Beautifully” logo. Andy Salcido and the bluemedia design team fine-tuned the graphics with Adobe’s Creative Suite. The printing process entailed producing the wrap on 3M’s IJ-46, a 4-mil, matte-finish film with a repositionable adhesive, with its HP Scitex Turbojet 8300 printer. 3M’s 8509 clear, pressure-applied laminate helps keep the wrap vibrant for the long run.

To apply the wrap, the shop used felt squeegees, a torch, 3M rollers and an Olfa knife.

THIRD PLACE

Fabricator
Bluemedia

Designer
NBA inhouse staff

Client
NBA

Bluemedia earned double recognition for this light-rail train wrap that promoted the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, which took place in Phoenix. The shop printed the graphics on its HP Scitex TurboJet 8300 printer using 3M’s Controltac with Comply film. 3M’s glossy, 8518 overlaminate helped keep the likenesses of such NBA stars as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James crisp. The shop installed the graphics similarly to the Oakley project.

HONORABLE MENTION

Fabricator
Ads On Wheels
Bedford, NH
(800) 237-6694
www.adsonwheels.com

Designer
Rob Fitzpatrick

Installer
Dave Zech
Zebra Stripes
Chantilly, VA
(703) 802-3000
www.zebrastripes.com

Client
International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

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