Help please!

[Signmaker1234]

So I have never done any wraps nor have I made the jump to digital printing. I've always have done cut vinyl only. I use AI and cutting master 3 with my graphtec cutter. Never had a job like this one though. The vehicle is a 2008 Chrysler town and country ( mini van ). I need to know the best way to lay this out, I need a stripe that is an arc from the rear fender above the wheel that goes to the rear of the door handles stops, l and then picks up on the front side of them and continues to the front wheel well. Use a template? If so how do I scale it up? Any help would be appreciated!

 

[myront]

We don't use templates. Too many variables not covered (trim varies from model to model). Take a good side shot of the actual vehicle that's getting wrapped. Jot down some measurements (door width, etc.)
Do your layout using clipping masks. For full wraps prints are usually done in rectangular sections. One over-sized print to cover a door, another to cover a fender etc.

 

[myront]

Knifeless tape....

We haven't had very good success with the knifeless tape. Leaves too much of a rough edge. Maybe the material we use is too thick or something. If it's a "half wrap" i.e. stripes or "waves" it's trial and error. Making it look good in the proof is the easy part. Getting the cut down can take some reprints.

 

[bob]

We don't use templates. Too many variables not covered (trim varies from model to model). Take a good side shot of the actual vehicle that's getting wrapped. Jot down some measurements (door width, etc.)...

Rather than taking measurements, tape a 16x24 framing square onto a reasonably flat surface of the vehicle then take a picture trying to keep the camera lens parallel to the vehicle. As in minimal parallax. Import the photo into whatever software you're using, draw a rectangle around the framing square, them map the photo into that rectangle. Resize the rectangle with the photo mapped into it to 16"x24". Unmap the photo. Now you have a full size picture of the vehicle. Layout whatever it is you're laying out on this picture. You won't be off by much. Not enough to worry about.

Much better than taking a bunch of measurements and usually more accurate.

 

[Signmaker1234]

Pic

Pic of van, need a 1 inch stripe in an arc to the stars/points.

 

[myront]

Rather than taking measurements, tape a 16x24 framing square onto a reasonably flat surface of the vehicle then take a picture trying to keep the camera lens parallel to the vehicle. As in minimal parallax. Import the photo into whatever software you're using, draw a rectangle around the framing square, them map the photo into that rectangle. Resize the rectangle with the photo mapped into it to 16"x24". Unmap the photo. Now you have a full size picture of the vehicle. Layout whatever it is you're laying out on this picture. You won't be off by much. Not enough to worry about.

Much better than taking a bunch of measurements and usually more accurate.

I actually use a CorelDraw macro in much the same fashion. We attach a 12" magnetic strip to the side, take the photo, import to Corel. draw a rectangle around the magnet, run the macro, image will scale to size. This will get you in the ballpark.

 

[Signmaker1234]

Using

I'm using AI

 

[Logoadv]

If you are just doing 1 inch stripe, call the guy who does the stripes all the cars at the local dealership. He can probably do it in 15 minutes freehand and it will look perfect. Used to watch the guy who does it around here while I was doing body side advertising or showroom graphics for another company. I've tried it myself a few times and it's embarrassing how much longer it takes me!

 

[myront]

I'm using AI

Sorry to hear that.

 

[Signmaker1234]

It is simple but

It is simple but I would like to lay it out on the computer, so when I do get into wraps I have some knowledge of layout and scaling?

 

[Signmaker1234]

So I measured

So I measured the wheel/hub cap to be 17 1/2" . Then made a box in Ai to that dimension, scaled the pic of the van wheel/hub cap to fit inside that. So does that mean I'm to scale then? Draw my line/arc and I'm good?

 

[Signmaker1234]

Thanks

Thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate them!

 

[Signmaker1234]

I was

I was gonna cut this today but it got late and tomorrow my wisdom teeth come out so, hopefully in a few days I'll be back to this project!

 

[S'N'S]

Rather than taking measurements, tape a 16x24 framing square onto a reasonably flat surface of the vehicle then take a picture trying to keep the camera lens parallel to the vehicle. As in minimal parallax. Import the photo into whatever software you're using, draw a rectangle around the framing square, them map the photo into that rectangle. Resize the rectangle with the photo mapped into it to 16"x24". Unmap the photo. Now you have a full size picture of the vehicle. Layout whatever it is you're laying out on this picture. You won't be off by much. Not enough to worry about.

Much better than taking a bunch of measurements and usually more accurate.

Much like Bob said, I use a 1foot square bit of magnetic sheet and slap it on the door, stand back 25-30ft and zoom in to take picture, this take out some of the curve you get from being to close. Import picture and resize until the square I put on the car is 1ft x 1ft ........ start designing.
You can also check if it's right by the wheel rim, measure the rim i.e 16.5" and resize pic until the rim is the right size.(make a wireframe 16.5" circle and place over top to check) Practice taking pictures with your own car and working on it in AI.

Also, when resizing the picture, do it proportionately or the picture will be wrong, ie if you drag it out horizontally, it needs to go vertically the same percentage.

 

[bob]

...Also, when resizing the picture, do it proportionately or the picture will be wrong, ie if you drag it out horizontally, it needs to go vertically the same percentage.

That's why you map the picture into the rectangle and then resize the rectangle. That way if there is any small amount of parallax, either horizontal or vertical, you will automatically correct for it. All the countless times I've done this I can recall being more that a fraction of an inch, a small fraction, off.

 

[studio 440]

http://www.stickyyard.com/ ive used this and its pretty good ,but basically the same as bobs technique, same principal. thanks bob great tip

 

[kingerman]

We had done wrapped our medium duty trucks from Clubink. These guys are good at vehicle graphics.

 

[kingerman]

 

[Chris...]

The last place I worked used templates. I was taught to enlarge the template 200% to make it 1/10 instead of 1/20th, easier to work with. Then print at 1000%.

 

[Chris...]

 

[Chris...]