Bathroom. Washer/dryer. Gun safe. Guitar. Casket.
What do these dissimilar items have in common? They each feature unique wraps produced by wide-format digital printers from Roland DGA Corp., the same company that produces 3D printers and CNC milling machines used in dental CAD/CAM arena. (With the introduction of Roland’s DWX-4 Compact Dental Mill in 2014, Benco Dental announced their partnership with Roland DGA Corp. The DWX-4 complements Benco’s OneVisit™ solution for chairside dentistry.)
These days, wide-format printers are used to create graphics for everything from cars, trucks and boats, to buildings, billboards, movie sets and virtually anything the user can think of, like many of the unusual objects featured here.
Just about everyone is familiar with vehicle wraps — those detailed, colorful car and truck graphics that grab your attention as you’re driving down the road. Whether it’s for personalization or promotional reasons, people are paying to have all kinds of objects covered with eye-catching prints. This includes a growing number of items that range from the offbeat to the downright bizarre. The list of unusual wraps includes everything from musical instruments and kitchen appliances to toilet seats and coffins… yes coffins! You name it, and chances are people are wrapping it. Here are some prime examples:
Iconography Studios, Los Alamitos, Calif. has taken on some out-of-the-norm wrap assignments for one of their clients, Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Patriot Safes. “We all know that the right to bear arms is an American constitutional right,” notes Iconography Studios’ Sarah Nacarrato. “But we also have the right to wrap them!” Patriot Safes approached Iconography Studios and asked Nacarrato to design and install wraps for their products that would not only increase sales, but also reflect the values of gun owners.
Digital EFX Wraps, Louisville, Ky. has built its reputation primarily on installing highly creative wraps on a wide variety of commercial and personal vehicles, but they’ve also wrapped some truly unconventional objects. “We actually had a client ask us to fully wrap a casket with Green Bay Packer graphics,” said Matt Richart, co-owner of Digital EFX Wraps. “Apparently, the deceased was a huge Packers fan, and his family thought it was only fitting for him to be put to rest in a coffin sporting his beloved NFL team’s colors.” With this in mind, Richart and his team wrapped the entire casket in yellow and green, making sure to include the distinctive “G” on the cover. “It looked more like a Packer’s locker than a coffin, but like the family members said, that’s just how this die-hard fan would have wanted it,” added Richart.
Richart has also wrapped a variety of appliances for manufacturers and individuals, giving traditional white washers, dryers and refrigerators complete digital graphic makeovers. According to Richart, there’s no reason these common household machines can’t be transformed into something visually attractive and exciting. “By incorporating the magic of wrap, we’re able to turn ordinary appliances into stunning conversation pieces,” he said. “Our advanced Roland wide-format digital printers allow us to create detailed wraps ranging from the subtle to the outrageous to suit the individual tastes and personalities of our clients.”
While Monster Image, Inc., Huntington Beach, Calif. wraps plenty of cars, trucks and boats, they also venture into “offbeat” wrap territory occasionally. “I think the most unusual assignment we’ve taken on is wrapping an entire bathroom to create the illusion that you’re about to jump off a rocky Copper Canyon, Arizona cliff into a pool of pristine water 35 feet below,” noted Scotty Jensen, owner of Monster Image. According to Jensen, Monster Image wrapped the walls, the floor and the ceiling, blending more than 120 high-resolution photos taken from all different angles into one image to create a 360-degree experience. “It’s quite a thrill for anyone sitting on the throne,” he added. “You feel like you’re about to take the ultimate plunge.”
The Monster Image team has also wrapped a variety of musical instruments, ranging from drum sets to guitars.
Most of the musical instruments Monster Image has wrapped belong to aspiring musicians that want to want to enhance the look of their instruments with images of their favorite rock star, or other types of detailed, colorful graphics. Said Jensen, “The wrap I did for my son’s guitar features a design incorporating one of his favorite performers — Nikki Sixx of the band Mötley Crüe. “It may not help him play any better, but it definitely looks cool!”
Roland DGA Corporation serves North and South America as the marketing, sales and distribution arm for Roland DG Corporation. For more information on Roland DGA and its products, call (800) 542-2307 or visit the Roland website.