Pyramid Visuals Blog

Charlotte o Connor picking up her custom wrapped campervan

A call came in from Quiksilver enquiring about the possibilities of customising a 1970’s Campervan for an upcoming “promotional tour”. Having talked through a selection of options to meet with their budget, it was only at this point that we learned that the “promotional tour” was in fact to help launch the fledgling career of Charlotte O’Connor, a young British female musician recently signed to Columbia Records – a record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment – and also a recently signed female ambassador for Quiksilver Women.
The following day and after several discussions with Charlotte’s manager, the head of music promotion at Sony, several in-house designers for Quiksilver and the European director for Quiksilver Women, the first sight of the draft artwork was witnessed. Pyramid Visuals were also informed that the Campervan would have to be fully branded using Charlotte’s own designs and ready to hit the road for the start of her UK tour within the next 3 days. We were also informed that the van was being picked up and delivered for fitting to Pyramid Visuals in 2 days time and that we would only have one morning to complete the fitting.
Once again, Pyramid Visuals delivered the job on time and on budget to the great delight to Charlotte, who tweeted and facebooked several pictures of the tour van to her growing legions of fans within 15 minutes of collecting it, and her manager, Quiksilver and Sony representatives who have all subsequently expressed their appreciation and delight at how quickly and professionally the whole job was handled by Pyramid Visuals from start to finish.

You can follow Charlotte on her tour by reading more on her website http://www.charlotteoconnor.com/

Pyramid Visuals wishes Charlotte Mega success in her career.

Pyramid Visuals has evolved into one of the leading digital print specialists in the UK. We offer a comprehensive list of services which includes Exhibition Displays, Retail Displays, Vehicle Liveries and branding, Point of Sale, Large format Print, Outdoor media, Signage, Event branding, and Print Management.

We’d like to continue to send you news and information from time to time about our services and recent projects that we have undertaken, which we hope you find interesting and informative. News of different aspects of our offering will build a picture of our capabilities, and could provide ideas for your company in the future. If you have received this e mail in error, or do not wish to see future news please use the unsubscribe link at the foot of this note.

Pyramid and the Lego Technic Challenge

Lego recently launched their global Technic challenge competition where Lego fanatics have the chance to show of their design skills and build the best possible Technic model using Technic pieces. To promote the competition various stores around the country are to host events to promote the competition and allow children to practice with Technic and create machines to perform every day tasks.

Pyramids brief was to create a Point of Sale display Unit and Dumpbin that would enable Lego to show of the Technic pieces capabilities. Creating the FSDU, essentially didn’t cause our cardboard engineers many problems, although, because of it’s sheer size we had to use 6 sheets ( sheet size: 2400 x 1600mm) of EB flute to replicate just one unit. To Create the Technic Cogs on top of the FSDU we were able to use our Zund Cutter to shape the corrugated. However, when it came to designing the Dumpbin we were faced with two major problems. Firstly, corrugated is quite a rigid substance thus, would not bend to form the cylindrical shape and secondly, creating a cog effect to the externals of the dumpbin. To overcome these problems our cardboard engineers created an inner cylindrical shape, locked with tabs, from 440mic semi rigid PVC and created the cog effect by concertinaring a 2.5m length of EB flute to create a 300mm diameter circle. This was then fastened to the inner cylinder by weaving a strap through the concertina thus, leaving no fixings visible.

Overall the project was a brilliant success and the units are being displayed throughout the country.

For more of our Point of Sales Services please visit us on www.pyramidvisuals.co.uk

• Retail Displays
• Visual Merchandising
• Free Standing Display Units
• Counter top Displays
• and all other Visual Solutions

Designing and Preparing the Vehicle for Wrapping
Design work for vehicle wrapping is much different than design work for flat graphics or banners or any other vinyl application, according to experts, and preparing vehicles for installation is critical to the appearance and life of the wrap.
Designing for Vehicle Wraps

Knowing the vehicle

Knowing the shape and size of the vehicle and all its nuances is a critical part of the design process; therefore, taking measurements before you do any design work is a must. You really have to have a good handle on templates, templates are so key because positioning is critical. If you have to do a lot of reprints, then that could break your business. Experts also recommend an auto library that contains vector images of cars, trucks and buses and a digital camera with which to take pictures. The goal is to know every millimetre of the vehicle. If you don’t take time to do this up front, then you could end up with text over a door handle. Even though you are wrapping a box trailer, for example, measurements are still important because there are slight differences that could cause major problems during installation.

Read the rest of this article on our website

van digital wrap

Business have successfully been using vehicle wrapping for the past 15 years but its only recently that end users have also seen the benefits of car wrapping thanks to the advances and colour finishes of the vinyl.

With so many vehicles with colourful wraps on the road it was only a matter of time before the public wised up to the world of vehicles wraps. People tend to get bored of with their cars and with the credit crunch buying a new car is just not affordable. So changing the colour of their car would add a new lease of life to the car and owner and the vinyl manufactures have geared up to the next generation of vehicle wrapping.

Whilst printable and self colour wrapping vinyl’s have been around for 15 years the unusual colours and finish are just at the beginning. There has been about 20% increase in enquires this year for matt finish wrap which probably started this all off a couple of years ago and carbon fibre effect is constantly been asked for but no vinyl was up to the job of a full wrap until now.

There is now a range of colour effect wrapping vinyl’s from fantastic pearl white and carbon white to a cost effective mirror chrome. I’m sure once the custom car market sees some of these then there will be a greater demand for more colour effect vinyl’s as wrapping is significantly cheaper than a re-spray and takes a fraction of the time and can be done many times.

Creative designers have also cottoned these new self coloured effect vinyl’s and to make the wraps more interesting are designing vehicles wraps which have a

combination of digital print and colour effect vinyl creating an even more eye catching design.

Matt black Car wrap

As printing costs have come down and speeded up, self adhesive vinyl’s are easier to install and remove many Blue Chip companies with fleets are frequently re-wrapping parts of their fleets to fit in with companies above the line advertising campaign.

Installation costs won’t come down much as it takes time and skill to wrap a vehicle but with more companies offering this service then this will give the consumer great choose and more locally.

Promotional vehicle wraps to support other field marketing campaigns is up 10% possibly down to becoming more affordable and vehicle rental Companies becoming more lenient to fully wrapping their vehicles. Field marketing gets to the very heart of target audiences and what better way to do this than a large double decker coach in the middle of the car park, or driving up and down the high street, you just can’t miss it!

Got a new office? A launch in the pipeline? Summer sale to promote?

Window Graphics

One effective way to spread your message is through vinyl graphics. Vinyl Graphics and window decals have been around for years and are an inexpensive and functional way to decorate windows, buses, cars and virtually any other smooth surface. The good news is window decals and vinyl graphics are also becoming more innovative every day.

Looking for a cost effective promotional tool?

Printing window graphics doesn’t cost much nowadays. With digitally printed design and production, the process is highly simplified and requires less expense and resource, so you can get vinyl graphics and window decals printed quickly. Business owners appreciate the benefits of this, which is why self adhesive vinyl printing tends to be an integral part of any marketing campaign.

Vinyl is a strong and durable material

Vinyl graphics are able to withstands the effects of prolonged exposure to sun, rain, wind and snow. The secret of why it’ so long lasting lies in its use pigments in the solvent ink mixed to create the self-adhesive vinyl prints. It is very common for vinyl producers to use UV ink, which also protects vinyl banners from UV, water and humidity.

Window manifestations that stop crowds

Window Manifestation

Window manifestations can be used for catching the eyes of passers-by, as seasonal decorations, to promote a sale or special offer– these are just three of the many options available. Custom window manifestation designs are usually computer cut and applied to create the exact effect you want.

The versatility that every advertiser wants

Vinyl graphics and window decals can be reused for future marketing campaigns, e.g. window graphics are easy to put up and take down.

Simply store your vinyl graphics until they are needed again. If you want to change the copy or design of an existing window manifestation, it can literally take minutes to change the original design – as long as it’s still on file. With vinyl graphics there is no need to create new signs from scratch. This ensures value for money, versatility and consistency of brand. All the ingredients needed for successful and ongoing marketing communication.

The effectiveness of point of sale – when combined with vibrant design, digital printing and reduced production costs – means that point of sale can take many forms and is no longer just for huge brands.

Let’s look at the different examples of point of sale:

• Counter top displays
• Large POS signs
• Wobblers
• Free standing display units (FSDU)
• Cardboard displays

Point of sale displays should carry a strong ‘call to action’ message. Customers must be prompted to enquire more about your product or service as soon as he or she sees your POS display.

packaging display units

Three fail-safe pointers to help you develop successful point of sale

Placement makes perfect

Placement should never be underestimated – you will only benefit when your prospects see the POS at the right time.

Depending on your business, place POS on counters, at the front of your store, next to restaurant tables or at the bar, e.g. so people can read it as they wait for their drinks.

Make it catchy

No one likes to read boring signs. If you have a product, you should have an eye-catching quote or a stand-out design in order to let people to interact – and act on it. The message you choose must be understood at a glance.

Work with vendors

If you are not sure where to start when it comes to point of sale, contact Pyramid Visuals or ask other, similar businesses who have used POS in the past.

Point of sale – the stand out option

These are three essential points that will help you to create a successful point of sale – especially as part of an integrated marketing campaign. By bearing these three points in mind, you’ll be able to dodge the main POS pitfalls and find success in this productive, yet often underestimated form of promotion. Good luck!

I am vastly interested in the intricacies of digital print, from the small lowly flag to the majestic building wrap, no surprise then that I was over the moon when Pyramid Visuals offered me employment.

Sarah

Now I was in a position where I could not only earn an honest wage but lo and behold I was put smack bang in the centre of a fast paced multi organisational company whose life blood was the visuals they produced.

We have a plethora of printers, SEVEN in fact, all UV or Solvent specification.
We also have a large flat bed printer and the beauty of these printing resources?
We can print anything for anyone anywhere and practically any time.

Hard working Digital Print operator and Fitters join forces here with an imaginative creative team and dynamic sales force to culminate in the perfect place to work.

I never fail to be impressed by the volume and quality of work the team produce and have a constant thirst for knowledge, everyone here at Pyramid Visuals is more than happy to talk me through how a job is completed and can discuss at length the different materials we use and for what job so that when I am approached by a customer, I can take great pride in the fact that I can answer their queries to the best of my abilities.

In short, I love working for a company that not only know what they are doing but are also at the cutting edge of the industry.

Life is good

Since installing the Inca Syder V back in November / December last year, Pyramid Visuals are pleased on how well the new press has been performing and found it to prove how much of an asset it has been to the company. The machine has hardly stopped running since the beginning, producing all different POS items including exhibition panels, FSDU and Standees.

FSDU

The speed of the machine has helped turn around more items in shorter time and meet tight deadlines without any problems. With the support of the Zund cutter, which provide the finishing touches from the items produced on the Inca, it helps to know that the Zunds output is 3-4 times faster than the Inca, which ensures that it keeps up with the production of work flowing through the factory. Just a few examples of how well the Inca and Zund presses perform :

1. To produce 100 units of a 4 x shelf free standing display unit (FSDU) using EB flute corrugated material took around one week from start to finish, 2-3 days to print and cut out to shape, plus 2 days for gluing, part assembly and packing. The colours were vibrant and helped create a solid finish without any banding. The UV inks cured really well and did not have any problems with cracking even against the grain.

2. There was also a case of a small promotion campaign across 7 x elements of POS items, including Standees, hanging banners etc. These were required to be produced in very quick time. It was only for 3 x stores and what would normally take around 4-5 took only 3 x days from start to finish. This included the collation, packing and sending direct to store.

3. With the latest design software available with the Zund, complicated projects have helped Pyramid create units easily and quickly. For example, there was a recent sample box that needed to be produced, but not only did need to be changed to adapt different size products inside, the client wanted to re-use the outer box for another purpose, rather than just dispose of it. The lid and the base were perforated around all the edges and held in place. After the inside of the box was finished with, the two parts were ripped along the perforations and were placed back to back using a sign holder to create a double-sided header. Giving that we are all working to a more waste free environment, this certainly helped tick the boxes.

See more on Cardboard Engineering.

Amy Sweeting is one of three girl team taking part in the Mongol Rally, leaving on July 24th. This will entail a journey of approximately 10,000 miles through some difficult territory in a car which must have an engine capacity of no more than 1 litre!  We are undertaking this enormous challenge to raise funds for Disability Challengers, a Surrey charity which provides play schemes and other opportunities for disabled children and young people, and we are hoping that you will feel able to support us.

The three of them have worked at our local Disability Challengers play scheme during school and university holidays for some years now and have seen for ourselves the hugely important work that this charity does.  Play and leisure opportunities are vital for all children and young people to help develop important social and communication skills plus a host of other things, but sadly thousands of disabled children and young people are excluded from such opportunities because of the level of care they require.  This limits development and achievement of potential, and also places huge strains on families.  Disability Challengers welcomes youngsters however profound their disabilities and we all have great fun!  Unfortunately though, there is insufficient funding to meet need.  The charity estimates that for every disabled child and young person who uses its services, three more are desperately waiting to access their play and leisure schemes.

The girls want to raise as much money as possible to support the excellent work of Disability Challengers to open more schemes and have decided on something that will really challenge us – the Mongol Rally!  The journey will take them through about 15 countries depending on the route we finally decide, and deserts, mountains and wilderness. On average just over half the teams make the finish line but we are determined to make it. Our preparations are well under way but we need vital support.

Pyramid Visuals has produced some of the vehicle graphics and decals and wish the team good luck with their challenge.

Please do what you can to support them, in however small a way this is and need to raise not only funds but awareness of the charity and to do this, they will be hosting many fundraising events. Disability Challengers is celebrating 30 years of operation and in the past 10 years has  increased the number of families it supports from 70 to 1,000 and it hopes to continue developing and expanding its schemes to include even more disabled children and young people. Disability Challengers provides a life line for disabled children and young people and their families and parents, giving the latter a break from what can be a constant cycle of care.  As one parent told us, “I can’t imagine a future without the support of Challengers.”

http://mongolrally10.theadventurists.com/living-on-a-dare

http://mongolrally.theadventurists.com/index.php

Pyramid Visuals also produced the vehicle wrap graphics for the Land Rover Ambulance which is been donated to a hospital on its arrive.

http://www.stardustmongolrally2010.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=162

Mark (Vehicle Graphics Apprentice)

I decided a year ago that I wanted to learn to wrap cars; I had very little experience in the printing industry but was confident that with time and persistence I could learn skills that would broaden my horizons in this industry.

Vinyl Wrap

I started by fixing a car wing to my living room wall and purchasing 50 metres of vehicle wrap vinyl, after spending most of my spare time applying and removing vinyl from the wing I felt I could not learn any more without expert advice so, I embarked on a 2 day certified training course.  I was now confident that I could wrap an entire car.  I was very very WRONG!  I have been with Pyramid Visuals for 2 months now as an apprentice and, alongside experienced staff, have successfully fitted approximately 20 vehicles from Double Decker Buses to Camper Vans.

Each job presents new challenges and I still have a lot to learn, it is also far more physically demanding than I could have anticipated and at the end of a full day fitting every bone in my body aches, as does my brain!

It can be very stressful knowing that even a small mistake can cost several hundreds of pounds and cause substantial delays to a customer who needs their vehicle back.  Like many things; what seems easy in theory is incredibly different in practice. However, I am thoroughly relishing the challenge.

Mark – Apprentice vehicle Wrapper