Portland, Oregon Print Shop Completes Carnival Ride Wrap

This eye-catching wrap project comes to us from Portland, Oregon-based Elite Signs. The wide-format printing and sign shop recently completed vibrant Mardi Gras-themed graphics for its client, Funtastic Rides. The wrap, which was printed using a Roland DG TrueVIS VG2-640 wide-format printer/cutter, was an extensive project that required approximately 80 hours of design time and five full days to install.

This wasn’t the first carnival ride wrap for Elite Signs; the shop has taken on projects from Funtastic in the past, including rides like Cosmic Chaos, Ghost Pirate, and Jungle Jim.

Elite Signs owner George Ceballos tells GRAPHICS PRO his shop loves taking on special projects like this one.

As far as design directives from the client went, Ceballos says one of the great things about working with a company like Funtastic is that it trusts the team at Elite Signs to develop original concepts and ideas for their ride wraps. Ceballos adds that the trust comes from a long, working relationship it has built with the client.

“Very often, we’re simply given a one-word direction, like “outer space,” for example, and we’re allowed to create from there,” says Ceballos. “We’ve never failed on creating graphics that they loved. In this case, Rob (the shop’s graphic designer) came up with some very cool drawings that appealed to them.”

The shop used its new Roland printer, 3M IJ180CV3 vinyl, and 3M 8518 premium gloss overlaminate to complete the project. Ceballos makes special mention of the printer’s orange ink for brightening up the print.

The project’s sheer size brought some challenges for the team, from the design stage to the application of the graphics. For example, Ceballos tells GRAPHICS PRO that coming up with the right design template took some time to figure out.

“The overall scale of the project required planning on the installation process,” he explains. “Scaffolding, ladders, lifts were all used to apply the graphics. In addition, we required that our client properly prepared the ride for the application. This was an old ride that had to be strip cleaned and completely smooth prior to our install.”

To properly prep the ride for vinyl application, Funtastic had to perform repairs, degreasing, and replace some hardware and parts. Ceballos says although the design and production process took several months, the application of the graphics took one week.

When asked about triumphs from the project, Ceballos says, “The simple fact that all the pieces came together at the end was a huge relief. The ultimate triumph is creating graphics for a ride that will catch a carnival goer’s eye from across a sea of bright colors and flashing lights and make them want to ride that ride. When you know you’ve accomplished that, you realize all the hard work and challenges that come with it were totally worth it.”

This project is a prime example of the graphics, color, and applications possible through custom wraps. If you have a project you want to share, whether it be a signage, printing, awards, or customization job, submit it here for a chance to be featured.