Earlier this year, our team at Studio Graphics had the opportunity to work with Bombardier Aerospace — a global leader in the transportation industry. When they initially contacted us about wrapping their Learjet 75 Liberty mock-up, it was evident at first glance the installation aspect would be the greatest challenge, since business jets are normally painted. Not only would this mock-up be showcased at the world's largest business jet trade show to lure in potential buyers who would be inspecting every detail, but it would have a special unveiling the day prior! 

The industrial design team in charge of the final look and feel were concerned with the limitations of the wrap, and having seams. Putting as few seams as possible meant we would have to work with large horizontal panels with printed stripes that would have to match up to the millimeter. All these potential problems, however, actually turned out to be the easier parts of the job!

The real test was matching and keeping consistent color on a metallic printable vinyl. With the knowledge our team acquired from attending an SGIA Color Management Boot Camp, we were able to navigate through many issues that arose while printing on the metallic vinyl. Our understanding of color enabled us to communicate efficiently with the clients’ designers, who have been matching paint colors for years. Their paint color concepts are comparable to the concepts that we acquired at the boot camp.

Our ability to quickly determine the limitations of the processes when printing on metallic vinyl, and find solutions to work around these limitations, can be attributed to the knowledge we gained at the workshop.

Furthermore, our experience with SGIA introduced us to their network of color specialists, who were more than willing to assist and answer any questions we had. The end result was a finished product that surpassed expectations. This in turn allowed our client more flexibility with regard to time and logistics when comparing wrapping vs. painting.

Find an upcoming SGIA Color Management Boot Camp near you!