New DVD website
I have a new website for my DVDs - www.learntowrapcars.com. This website is linked to this website and Carwraps (www.carwraps.net). I will also be adding new tools and videos in the coming months. Most recently I added the Squeezy Sleeve and the Flexifelt to the shopping options. I use both of these squeegee buffers when I install now. To see some youtube videos about my new video and tools check out:
Hup Holland Hup
World Cup fever here is reaching its peak with the Dutch playing in the finals Sunday. Today I wrapped a Mini Cooper in the Dutch colors using Avery 900. I wrapped the Mini Cooper for a client of Squeezy, the premiere installation company in the Netherlands. The client actually wants to keep the wrap on for a year so, win or lose, the guy is riding in style for quite awhile.
Matte Black Week Continues
I wrapped another car in matte black this week. This time it was a super slick Jaguar. For this wrap, I used the new 3M black matte 85 series with comply that is coming on the market soon. Up until now its come with only Controltac but it now has Comply which makes it go on super smooth. The black matte is nice and rich as well with no shining when stretched. Thanks as always to the dapper Ruben van Raam from 3M for hooking me up with this new film and HDV for the work. Next up is a black matte motorcycle and a Mercedes.
Front cover of Sign and Digital Graphics magazine
I was very pleased to find out that for latest issue of Sign and Digital Graphics they put me on the cover and ran an article I wrote on my UGIS: Universal Graphic Installation System. Its the first time I've made the cover of any magazine so its actually kind of a thrill. Thanks as always to Matt Dixon and everyone at the magazine for their support.
http://www.sdgmag.com/article/installation-tips-help-wrappers-improve
Thank you, Olf
As a thank you to Olf, the constructor for the renovation on my house, I wrapped his Toyota matte black. The film we used was U.S. Avery's EZ wrapping film. A special thank you to Molly Waters for coordinating the delivery of the film. The material went on smooth as butter and it didn't lose its matte finish when molded around complex curves like on the bumper. Black matte is all the rage here in the Netherlands. This week I have two black matte wraps - a Jaguar and a Mercedes.
Great testimonial
This is a testimonial a student from my last workshop sent to Mutoh. The kind words were much appreciated and, equally important, I think he really defined what I do and how it is different from what everyone else is teaching.
"After having attended a few other wrap training classes I was still facing struggles with installs that took longer than expected. I did some searching on the web and found stellar reviews for Justin Pate and the Mutoh Hands-On Wrap Class. It was clear that with his years of experience, Justin had developed a unique system to break down the complexity of wrap installations. I felt that learning them first-hand was a necessity to decrease overall installation times and increase our profits.
The class far exceeded my expectations from the get go. Justin took the time to explain materials, tools, vendors, techniques and more. He went over his UGIS technique in detail, with numerous visual and hands-on examples. I couldn’t believe that this system hadn’t been “required teaching” by the major material vendors. With over 2500+ installs under his belt, it was clear to see that there was a well thought process behind developing his technique. His has made the UGIS easy to understand, simple learn and a breeze to execute.
In previous classes, we were encouraged to use heat to stretch the material into any space, this however led to premature failure and obvious re-do’s. In fact, the entire class was in awe when Justin installed the side of a Ford Transit using UGIS and no heat. Justin showed us how to “visually read” the material so that we could minimize film distortion. We learned to use proper hand tension and tool technique instead of heat to make the material conform, as we needed. This knowledge alone has saved us countless hours in install time and re-do’s.
I cannot say enough good things about Justin and what I learned in this class, it’s truly a game changer in our shop. It will increase production efficiency and quality, which in turn will lead to bigger profits. My only regret is that I was unable to attend the Advance Workshop the following day. Had I been able to change my flight, I surely would have made it!"
Elmer Martinez
GMediaWraps
GMediaWraps.com
847-791-6668
Private workshop for Sojourn in Halifax
I'm on my way back to Amsterdam after teaching a 2-day private vehicle wrap workshop for a company called Sojourn in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Sojourn has been doing a few wraps but wanted to up their game so they can really get a big piece of the market. Their goal is to be able to not only get faster but raise the quality and durability of the wraps. Job accomplished. On Day 1 I worked one-on-one with Matt, their lead installer, wrapping a Dually with Avery's 1005 Supercast film with the 1.3mm overlam. Everyone at the company was blown away by how well the Supercast prints and how easy it is to apply. On Day 2, I gave a basic/intermediate workshop for 6 of their employees. They picked up the basics in the morning and then wrapped a pick-up truck in the afternoon, starting off with the hood.
I then moved on to more complex aspects like wrapping the bumper.
I was extremely pleased with how quickly they picked up my UGIS and I see big things in the future for Sojourn.
Mutoh interview about wrapping
Brian Phipps, general manager of Mutoh, was interviewed about printers and vehicle graphics. He talked about the Carwraps Business Builder and my trainings. Thanks, Brian.
Mutoh School of Wrap Workshop at Seal completed
I just got done teaching the 2-day basic/intermediate workshop for Mutoh at Seal in Elkridge, MD. Once again, it was a great class. All the students were eager to learn and wrap, wrap wrap. We wrapped one of the students vehicles, pictured below. We worked a lot on technique and understanding the film and really only got to wrapping the car during the afternoon session on day 2. I was very impressed that with everything they had picked up they wrapped the car in 3 1/2 hours. Thanks as always to Mutoh for printing such beautiful graphics and Avery for their supa Supercast. A special thanks to Mark Rugen and Seal for the hospitality. Tomorrow the advanced workshop and then off to Halifax to teach a private workshop for Avery.
First Squeezy Carwrap training completed
Yesterday was the first carwrap training at Squeezy and it went very well. There were 9 students with 3 instructors - Sandra, Herman and myself. Ruben and Ronald from 3M were there to provide theory training and answer any questions regarding the media. The facility is just perfect for trainings with lots of mounted doors, a dedicated vehicle for wrapping and a lecture room for video (and for drinking coffee). I am very happy to be part of this training program. For more information on these trainings go to my workshop page on this site or www.squeezy.nl. The media used was 3M's IJ380 and 85 series.
