- Joined
- Mar 28, 2013
- Threads
- 302
- Messages
- 956
- Reaction score
- 443
- Location
- Youngstown, Ohio
- Website
- www.bigwormgraphix.com
- First Name
- Team BigWorm
- Vehicle(s)
- >=2005 muscle cars - camaro, mustang, challengers
We don't use a printer at all, all our stripes are cut from cast vinyl using a computer controlled cuter (similar to a very basic CNC machine, only 2 axis). We looked into the same process that Ford uses, went to several trade shows and talked to several equipment manufacturers. The OEM stripes are printed on clear vinyl with a $100,000+ printer that is difficult to buy and maintain (very few of them in the US). Most of what you can purchase here are $30K printers that also print on cast clear vinyl but it isn't the same quality as what an OEM manufacturer would use so we decided against getting a printer. All of our products get their color when the material is made, after the color the vinyl also goes thru a similar process as a clear coat for UV protection. The process the colored cast vinyl goes thru makes it a much more durable vinyl than anything printed, also has deeper better color. Also if your using a $100k machine to make stripes then the stripes have to cost a lot more, which is why Ford stripes are in the $2k to $3k range and our stripes are in the $200-$300 range. The advantage to a printer is you can make 2 color stripes on one piece of vinyl, you can make a subtle pattern in the material, pictures/logos or almost anything you want to print. So OEM (Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge) can make unique graphics for limited production or unique cars that are very difficult to reproduce in the aftermarket with printed graphics instead of cut vinyl.
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