Best Watercraft Graphics of 2014

FIRST PLACE
Fabricator
Wicked Wraps
Mukilteo, WA
(425) 298-9727
www.wickedwraps.net
Designer
Katherine Becher
Installer
Wade Becher
Client
Self

This Yamaha wakeboard boat wrap transfers Wicked Wraps’ powerful logo to a new vessel; what better way to brand your shop than racing across a lake in a wrapped speedboat? Katherine designed the wrap using a custom template from SA Intl.’s The Bad Wrap vehicle-template software and Adobe Creative Suite 6. The shop produced the graphics with Avery Dennison’s MPI 1005 Supercast Easy Apply RS air-release media on an HP DesignJet L26500 latex-ink printer. Avery’s DOL 1360 glossy overlaminate, applied with a Kala Mistral laminator, keeps the wakeboard’s emerald-green design brilliant. Wade installed the wrap with Geek Wraps’ soft-edge, felt squeegees; PowerSlam magnets; YelloTools cutting blades, and a propane torch.

SECOND PLACE
Fabricator/Designer/Installer
Metro Wrapz
Hollywood, FL
(954) 983-6662
www.metrosignsinc.com
Client
Dwyane Wade

Today, professional athletes aren’t merely jocks; they’re the cornerstones of multimedia empires. An NBA veteran with more than 10 years’ experience, three league championships and numerous All-Star appearances, Wade has prepared himself for a post-basketball career by aligning his marketing team, Brand Wade, with Chinese manufacturer Li-Ning to produce basketball shoes that buyers hope will bring their game to “D-Wade’s” level. To promote the launch of a new shoe, The Way of Wade 2.0, Metro Wrapz, Brand Wade and marketing firm Zambezi collaborated to execute a wrap for the Venetian Lady, a 135-ft.-long yacht. Metro Wrapz’ design team perfected Zambezi’s black-and-white, camouflage concept using Gerber’s Omega Composer software and Adobe Photoshop. Instead of printing the graphics, Metro Wrapz cut most of the graphics from 3M Wrap Series 1080 material, and created window graphics from Controltac IJ-36 window-graphic material. Over two, 13-hour days, the 10-man crew installed the colossal wrap with Geek Wraps’ soft-edged, Teflon® squeegees.
The top and front areas were decorated with 10, 52-in. x 20-ft. panels with a vertical seam. On the bottom sides, because the area was only 30 in. tall, they cut a series of 52-in.-wide, 32-in.-tall panels. The middle panel spans 58 in. x 50 ft. After the cutting and weeding, this panel was applied with two cherry pickers. This piece served as the installation cornerstone; after it was done, installers aligned top and bottom panels with a snapline. Using Knifeless Tech Systems’ knifeless tape, they laid down transfer tape and wrapped the 1080 material on top of it before pulling the lines. This step prevented damage to the yacht’s gel coat.

THIRD PLACE
Fabricator/Installer
360 Wraps
Dallas
(214) 432-9029
www.360wraps.com
Designer
Philip Mendoza
Client
Rodges Electric

This bass-boat wrap punches up the fighter-plane theme by incorporating Avery Chrome metallic media, with overlaid layers of shark teeth, bullet holes, rivets and assorted, military-style markings. The shop printed the wraps on Avery MPI 1005 Supercast Easy Apply RS air-release media on an HP DesignJet L26500 latex-ink printer. To enhance the contrast, 360 Wraps applied Avery Dennison DOL 1360 glossy overlaminate to the metallic film, and a DOL 1380 matte-finish topcoat to the printed material.

Advertisement

Honorable Mention
Fabricator/Installer
Ink Monstr
Denver
(303) 200-0676
www.inkmonstr.com
Designer
Loren Lujan
Client
Robert Lucero