Computers and digital imaging changed fleet graphics completely in much the same way that such technology has changed all outdoor advertising. Producing designs that will fit the side of a truck moved from the time-consuming restraints of an artist's easel to the graphics designer's computer monitor where images are manipulated by pushing a mouse.
Instead of blocking a pattern onto a trailer sidewall with a grease pencil and having that pattern filled in slowly by a sign painter, truck decorators now send their images to a printer for application on self-adhesive vinyl film. A design, which might have taken days to produce as did the original western art murals on the old Jolly Rancher candy trailers, can be reproduced on a high-speed four-color printing press in minutes and installed in hours. Fleets can have advance supplies of decals printed for application to new trailers or for repairing images on damaged trailers. No longer does a scrape with a tree limb require a lengthy visit to the paint shop.
Not only are computer-generated graphics faster and less expensive than paint, they also are more durable. A typical decal warranty is seven years. Most fleets report that their decals routinely last this long. What's more, the decals usually last longer than any individual design. Fleet graphics are more likely to be replaced as part of a total design change than for repair to worn or faded decals.
Changes to outdoor advertising have made their way to truck and trailer graphics. Billboards now are printed as single sheets of vinyl that hang on the outdoor sign much like a curtain hangs on a window frame. This is a big step away from the days when billboard images were printed on multiple panels and applied to the outdoor sign in much the same way as wallpaper. This same technology is available for fleets. A lightweight frame is installed on the trailer sidewalls, and a sheet of printed vinyl is stretched over the frame. These signs can be changed in a matter of hours. Better yet, changing the image does not destroy the material. It can be stored for later use.
This month, we take a look at the web sites of several companies that provide fleet graphics. Some of the companies specialize in designing and manufacturing identification programs for trucks. Others provide a full range of outdoor advertising from billboards to fleets to point-of-sale graphics in retail locations. One company can provide conventional decals or the reusable sheets.
www.truxign.com The web site for Truxign (pronounced truck sign) opens with a page of truck images, blurred to make them appear to be in motion. Site navigation is provided by a collection of eight buttons down the left side of the page. Selecting the first button, Graphics Design, takes the visitor directly into the site and a claim that color graphics on trucks helps sales. Truxign says it can create a design at a fraction of the cost from a design artist. In fact, this page offers a preliminary design layout at no charge. Visitors are invited to fax a copy of their company logo to Truxign for this service.
Click on the Graphic Manufacturing button for a description of Truxign's services. Decals can be manufactured on Scotch Print film, vinyl, or reflective material. Turnaround time is three to five days following final design approval. The Factory Tour button leads to a fairly simple page with an image of a hard hat in the middle. Click on the hat image to start the three-part tour. The first section shows the printing process. The second section shows installation and says that 3M installers nationwide can apply Truxign decals. Alternatively, Truxign will provide a kit for do-it-yourself installation. The company also will install decals produced by other manufacturers. The third panel in the tour is a "thank-you" page with the hard hat image available for a second trip through the process.
The fourth button on the navigation bar is supposed to lead to frequently asked questions. Apparently this page is inactive, because we could not reach it on several visits to the Truxign site. The Quote Request button leads to a fairly conventional e-mail contact form. It does have several notable features. For instance, the default response to the contact form is "I'd like a catalog." The page also has space for a potential customer to request a telephone call or e-mail contact. Under the telephone number blank is an opportunity for the customer to request contact as soon as possible.
Clicking the Who Are We Anyway? button leads to a short history of the company that was formed in 1957. This history notes that the son of one of the founders switched the company from sign painting to computer graphics in 1991.
www.signaturegraph.com This address leads to an introductory page that offers the special Flash software from Shockwave needed to view graphics on the site. If the visitor needs the software, clicking the Shockwave button on this page will result in a free download of the program. This takes a few minutes. If your computer already has this software, the site can be accessed directly at www.signaturegraph.com/main.html. The Shockwave software is necessary, because the site images will not appear without it.
The main page opens with a photo of a truck that changes patterns about once a second. Navigation is with four buttons across the top of the page. Select the Signature Graphics button for a description of the company that was formed in Porter, Indiana, in 1986.
For a look at work from Signature Graphics, click on the Solutions button. The Solutions page describes the services and manufacturing capacity at Signature Graphics, noting that the company can store and distribute decals for customers, eliminating the need for third-party fulfillment houses. The Solutions page has two buttons. The one labeled Idea Book will show the visitor 11 images of Signature Graphics clients on five pages. Click the Next or Previous arrow under the images to move through the progression. The second button is labeled "Miles and Miles of Impressions." This leads to an interactive page that calculates how many advertising impressions a trucking fleet can make. Check for the privacy policy in force, fill in the interactive form, and click Calculate to see how many impressions a fleet can make.
The Successes button on the home page leads to a page of thumbnail pictures of Signature Graphics clients. Moving the mouse from one to another of these images results in a sound and a bright yellow outline around the selected image with a pop-up text that describes the client. Clicking on a thumbnail provides a larger image and a case history of the client.
Click the News button on the home page for a thumbnail archive of past Signature Graphics company newsletters. This archive does not lead directly to newsletter pages. Instead it downloads to the visitor's hard drive as a large file of text and images.
www.modagrafics.com The website for Modagrafics opens on a busy home page with duplicate ways to reach subsequent pages. Text buttons along the left edge duplicate graphic buttons in the main body of the page with labels like "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme . . . Win Free Stuff!?!" The text buttons are straightforward and easy to use.
Follow About Us for a description of the company and its services. Modagrafics is privately held and was founded in 1973. The company provides original research and design for custom graphics packages for stores, billboards, fleets, and many other applications. Printed material is stored in an environmentally controlled warehouse for delivery and installation as needed.
The Portfolio button leads to a series of images of Modagrafics work. These images include trailers, outdoor advertising, menu boards, and floor coverings. Click Goodies for an e-mail form that offers the chance to win free work from Modagrafics. The form requires name, address, and telephone number. It asks for a description of company business and has a disclaimer that a salesperson will not call. At the bottom of the page is a button labeled Click here to WIN!
Modagrafics makes it easy to provide images for decal production. Click the Sending Files button on the home page for a complete list of the software that can be used to send image files. The page says that an image for a full 48-ft trailer sidewall requires more than a gigabyte of memory, so art should be submitted in CD format. The last page in the site is an offer to supply XXL nontoxic decal remover.
www.mmtglobal.com This address leads to the home page for Metromedia Technologies, an international producer of outdoor advertising. Click on the map or one of the worldwide business names for a specific part of the world. Follow the link from North America to the Metromedia Technologies Inc, USA Web Site. This page shows a huge billboard of a sumo wrestler confronting the Nestle Quik bunny.
For information about trucking, click the Fleet Graphics button along the left edge of the page. This leads to description of Metromedia's two fleet graphics products. The company can provide conventional adhesive decals or its Flex-Fleet product. Flex-Fleet is a seamless one-sheet image that installs on a frame of the trailer sidewall. The flexible sheets can be used for years or rotated from vehicle to vehicle. They can be stored for seasonal promotions. The page says that Flex-Fleet sheets can be changed without stripping costs and without the added cost of sanding and repainting before installation.
All Metromedia Technologies work is done with digital imaging on a variety of media. The Production Requirements button leads to a page that offers a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader software so that a visitor can read the instructions for submitting material. The instructions are in PDF format, which requires the special software.
Click the Sales Offices button on the main page for a link to a page of worldwide offices. Click on one of the flags on this page for a detailed address for sales representatives. These contact pages provide e-mail capability.
