Seams

[datoshway]

Whats everyone doing about seams? Do you try and seam panels in doors? Or do you just tile the sides evenly and seam them wherever it may need to be seamed?

 

[HulkSmash]

it all depends on the vehicle really..
But we try to do seamless installs.

 

[Circleville Signs]

What he said.

All depends on the vehicle. If it's in the client's budget, then seamless is the way to go - however, when you're doing fleet work on panel vans, seam it up. Start at the back, and work your way forward. Try not to overlap more than 1".

if it's a car, and total height is less than your printer width, print each side as one single panel.

 

[SublimeGraphics]

it all depends on the vehicle really..
But we try to do seamless installs.

+1

 

[Alti-Plotter]

...we try to do seamless installs.

+1

 

[Tifosi]

Seamless is the way to go but you do get a little more waste.

Seamless does make a huge difference on the finished product.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

Plan where your seams will lay if your going to have any.

 

[boxerbay]

seams? what seams?

 

[SightLine]

Same as Colorado and Circleville. Often on fleet stuff or cheap customers it's just going to have seams. We do try to minimize them when possible though maybe at least getting the main big panels seamless like the doors but still having a seam in the narrow rail above the doors, etc. Depends on the customers budget, expectations, and timing.

 

[threeputt]

Plan the seam carefully if you must have them. We try for zero seams but it's not always possible.

3/4" seam seems about right for size. But try not to have any at all.

 

[kirkbedtelyon]

When we wrap buses we use a long horizontal seam aligned with the windows. When the windows are replaced with perforated vinyl...poof. Seams are mostly gone.

 

[grafixemporium]

What he said.

All depends on the vehicle. If it's in the client's budget, then seamless is the way to go - however, when you're doing fleet work on panel vans, seam it up. Start at the back, and work your way forward. Try not to overlap more than 1".

if it's a car, and total height is less than your printer width, print each side as one single panel.

I disagree with your philosophy on seams or no seams based on the client's budget. It is our philosophy that regardless of the client's budget, we cannot afford to have poor quality work on the streets. In my opinion, seams look tacky and unprofessional... especially seams that could have been avoided.

There is no reason for there to be a vertical seam down the middle of a door panel that is only 48" wide or down the middle of a pickup truck bed side that is only 40" tall. However, I see it done that way all the time.

Of course, some vehicles must have seams. In the case of cargo vans, we try to make the seams as inconspicuous as possible. One horizontal seam at knee level usual does the trick. When the seams are at eye level, they are particularly ugly. When they are down at the bottom of the vehicle, they often go unnoticed.

Try to find the seams on this cargo van we did last week... very inconspicuous.

Even with enclosed trailers and box trucks, we do them seamlessly. The aluminum panels on them are typically 48" or less... perfect for matching up your print panels and producing a seamless job.

 

[HulkSmash]

I disagree with your philosophy on seams or no seams based on the client's budget. It is our philosophy that regardless of the client's budget, we cannot afford to have poor quality work on the streets. In my opinion, seams look tacky and unprofessional... especially seams that could have been avoided.

There is no reason for there to be a vertical seam down the middle of a door panel that is only 48" wide or down the middle of a pickup truck bed side that is only 40" tall. However, I see it done that way all the time.

Of course, some vehicles must have seams. In the case of cargo vans, we try to make the seams as inconspicuous as possible. One horizontal seam at knee level usual does the trick. When the seams are at eye level, they are particularly ugly. When they are down at the bottom of the vehicle, they often go unnoticed.

Try to find the seams on this cargo van we did last week... very inconspicuous.

Even with enclosed trailers and box trucks, we do them seamlessly. The aluminum panels on them are typically 48" or less... perfect for matching up your print panels and producing a seamless job.

I agree with this.
but i would say maybe 10% of box trucks have seamed aluminum panels...

 

[grafixemporium]

Plan the seam carefully if you must have them. We try for zero seams but it's not always possible.

3/4" seam seems about right for size. But try not to have any at all.

I tend to think larger overlaps look cleaner. I think maybe because with 3/4" overlaps, they have to be absolutely perfect to look clean. With 2" overlaps, they appear less like an "accident" to me.

For instance... on an F150 crew cab, you have to put a seam between the front and back door on the frame above the doors. There is no way around that. It's a small little 2" section but you gotta put a seam there. Our door panels usually have an inch or 2 of excess on either side. So when you lay the front and back doors, there is actually a 4" overlap on the frame. It looks much cleaner and much less like a seam with that large overlap.

Same thing on cargo vans. We typically put a 2 to 3" overlap between the upper and lower horizontal panels on the body of the van. Then the doors and fenders are done seamlessly, of course.

 

[Chad1979]

Question. From start to finish how long to it take to to design and install the fewest seams possible?

 

[grafixemporium]

Like 6 weeks... or 6 hours. Just depends.