Matte White Porsche
Last Friday I wrapped a Porsche with an installer from Squeezy for Jacob's 55th anniversary, a sign maker here in the Netherlands. Instead of the usual black matte the owner opted to put white matte on - 3M 85 series. Truthfully, I have never been a big fan of the black matte look (though I love the extra jobs its created). Yet, the matte white was really spectacular. It created depth to the vehicle as well as made it look somehow smoother. It almost made me want to go out and wrap my own car white matte. Thanks to Neils Landgedijk from Squeezy for the work and 3M for making a fine paint replacement film.
Epic 2 Week Workshop/Sign Show Completed
I just got back to Amsterdam after completing a 2 week workshop/sign show bonanza in LA and Reno. In week one I taught 2 private workshops for Icon Image Graphics and an owner of a Sign O' Rama in Perth, Australia.
I then worked the Mutoh booth in the NBM Long Beach show.
After getting a Sunday off I then taught the Mutoh School of Wrap that was hosted by Graphics One in Burbank. Monday and Tuesday was the Basic/Intermediate and on Wednesday the Advanced.
Thursday morning I flew to Reno to teach a 2-day private workshop for Sierra Custom Signs.
Friday I flew back to LA to hang out with family then Saturday I returned to my ladies back in Amsterdam. Definitely a high energy run but well worth it. It was nice to meet so many people eager to learn the art of wrapping. Next workshops coming up are at Squeezy on September 2 and the Mutoh School of Wrap at Avery Headquarters in October. For more information on that workshop go to: www.mutohschoolofwrap.com.
Basic Training Workshop at Squeezy
Today I finished teaching the second Basic Training Workshop at Squeezy in the Netherlands which is sponsored by 3M. There was 10 students and I, along with Herman and Sandra, provided hands-on instruction throughout the day. For the Basic Workshop, Ruben van Raam from 3M provided theory training about 3M, the properties of the film, how they are made and the different films and uses. After that I talked about tools and then the students got their hands dirty for the rest of the day. The main focus for the Basic Workshop is on learning proper fundamentals - how to squeegee, clean, cut, make text straight and problem solve. This training is a stepping stone to the Car Wrapping workshop taught at Squeezy and for the advanced paint replacement training that begins in November. The films used for the Basic Training varied widely so as to give the students as much experience as possible - IJ50, IJ70, 85, IJ100, IJ380 and 580 reflective film.
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.
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.
Squeezy workshop a success
The pilot training session for Squeezy's new 3M sponsored carwrap training took place today. 7 attendees participated in the training which focused on 3M IJ380 and 85 films. Squeezy's training facility is first rate with a dedicated training room that includes a wide array of mounted doors. This is for focusing on the more complex aspects of applications like compound curves and deep recessed areas. In their main installation space there are two vehicles that serve as practice for learning the general story of car wrapping. Niels Langedijk, owner of Squeezy, has really gone out of his way to make this a first rate program. I am very happy to be a part of this new endeavor as it has the potential to set the quality standard for car wrapping and paint replacement. A special thanks to Ruben van Raam of 3M for helping with this project and for instructors Sandra and Herman for being so damn cool.
New training center
After months of preparation, the Squeezy training center in the Netherlands is ready to begin offering 3 levels of workshops. The workshops are sponsored by 3M featuring IJ380 and 85 series paint replacement film. The three levels of workshops are: basic application, car wrapping and paint replacement. Niels Langedijk, co-owner of Squeezy, has spearheaded the training program and has created a beautiful training facility in their new building located in Zwaag (1/2 hour north of Amsterdam). I will be the lead installer for the car wrap workshop which will feature UGIS: Universal Graphic Installation System. The first workshop, which starts this Tuesday, May 4 sold out along with the other 2 scheduled courses so more dates are being added shortly. I will post those dates as soon as I get them. I am very excited about these new workshops at Squeezy. I think that with the quality of the facility and vision of the program it will help set a standard for the industry that will help bolster it for long-term profitability.
C’est bon
This is a job I recently did for Squeezy here in the Netherlands for the Amsterdam Citroen dealership. This job took over 2-days to install and used Mactac window perforation. When I first started the job I thought it was going to go down in just over a day yet, with having to move the lift every four panels, wind and obstructions, it took 2 1/2 full days of hard work. As much as I love wrapping cars, I really love these kind of big jobs because they look so spectacular when done (also - they are flat and easy to install). Thanks as always to Niels Langedijk and Squeezy for the work.
Workshop – Brussels
On Nov. 19 and 20, I will be teaching a workshop in Brussels with Niels Langedijk and Sandra Schreuder, both of Squeezy, the premiere installation company in the Netherlands. The class will be held at 3M Belgium in Brussels. The class has 36 participants, much larger than expected. The two day workshop will focus on 3M's 85 series and IJ380 films. This is always one of my favorite workshops to do, mainly because I get a chance to eat some of Belgium's famous french fries. Pics will be in the follow up blog to the workshop.
Getting ready for SEMA and the Sign Warehouse workshop
I'm getting everything ready for my next trip to the States. From Nov.3-6 I will be doing demos for Mutoh at the SEMA show, the world's largest car show. In the booth I will be wrapping either a race car or a Ford Mustang with Oracal film. Joining me for a few days in the booth will be Niels Langedijk, co-owner of Squeezy, the premiere installation company in the Netherlands. Sandra Schreuder, Niels' girlfriend, will also be helping out. She's one of the best installers I know so having both of them there will be super cool. They will have lots of tricks to show. After Vegas I will fly to Texas for the workshop at Sign Warehouse from Nov. 9-11. Todd LaBrie, owner of Carwraps, will teach design for the first day and I will teach installation for the remaining 2 days. The class sold out very quickly which is a great way to end the last workshop of the year. Mutoh is finalizing the schedule for next year so I'll post it as soon as it comes out.