Ontario-based large-format graphics company GetWrapped.ca combined several leading products from Drytac to produce stunning graphics for use at the Immersive van Gogh Exhibit in Manhattan, New York.
Headquartered in Oshawa and working with leading Toronto venues and agencies, GetWrapped.ca is a diversified business that specialises in the design, production and installation of event graphics, rebrands, vehicle and aircraft wraps and XXL exterior graphics. Working with a wide range of customers, the company creates all manner of eye-catching applications that spark interest and capture attention.
The company was commissioned by Starvox Entertainment to produce and install large-format graphics for its North American immersive exhibits, with much of this focusing on the Immersive van Gogh Exhibit and ultimately Disney Immersive. The special event has been travelling the continent, celebrating the work of the iconic Dutch artist in major cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville, Denver and Las Vegas.
GetWrapped.ca linked up with Starvox Entertainment on the New York leg, which took place at Pier 36 in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, a 75,000 square foot facility that overlooks both the East River and the world-famous Manhattan Bridge.
Drytac ReTac Transforms Walls into Van Gogh Masterpieces
The project included several core features, each of which required careful planning to ensure that the completed graphics truly captured van Gogh’s celebrated works with a high-quality, colourful finish. For this reason, GetWrapped.ca turned to Drytac.
The first part of the project was producing interior graphics for around 9,000 square feet of walls, staircases and other surfaces for the inside of the venue. To handle this, GetWrapped.ca chose to work with two products from Drytac – ReTac Smooth 150 and ReTac Textures Canvas – using its HP Latex 800 to print the striking series of images.
ReTac Smooth 150 is a printable, self-adhesive polymeric PVC film designed for simple installation, clean removal and easy repositioning, making it ideal for large indoor wall graphic applications across a wide range of surfaces. ReTac Textures Canvas uses the same trusted ReTac adhesive technology but incorporates a textured canvas face film instead of a smooth one, delivering visually striking graphics for retail, commercial, display and residential environments.
Glow-in-the-Dark Van Gogh Wall with Drytac Films
The second part of the venture required designing, producing and wrapping the outdoor riverside section of the venue with a collage of van Gogh self-portraits, with the aim of catching the eye of locals and tourists travelling along the river. The wall measured 31 feet high and 400 feet long and comprised of brick, painted wood, glass, siding and fiberglass.
As an additional challenge, the team at Starvox Entertainment then had the idea of alternating a spotlight with a ‘glow-in-the-dark’ blacklight at night to draw additional attention to the graphics during the hours of darkness.
Taking all this into account, GetWrapped.ca elected to work with two materials from Drytac. First, GetWrapped.ca wrapped the brick section of the wall with Polar Grip, a polymeric self-adhesive PVC film that easily adheres to surfaces such as metal, plastic and wood, as well as brick. This meant the company did not need to map out the brick sections and deal with different colour profiles across the wall, saving a significant amount of time.
After the initial wrap, it then applied SpotOn White M50, a monomeric PVC film designed for quick, reliable installation in short-term interior, or exterior applications of up to six months. Its signature dot-pattern adhesive delivers bubble-free application on smooth surfaces, and with 50% greater opacity than traditional SpotOn White, it’s ideal for covering existing graphics or inconsistent underlying surfaces.
“Due to the time constraints of the project, there was no time for us to look for fluorescent ink sets for the glow-in-the-dark aspect of the job, so we had to switch to finding vinyls that would glow when unprinted,” said Niek Ermes, the owner of GetWrapped.ca. “After some testing, SpotOn White M50 was a shining winner and proved a tremendous solution for the exterior graphics.”
Exterior graphics were printed on an EFI Vutek GS3250 before being installed on location, all with the support of Graphics Installation Company New York and ATD Inc , part of the Auto Trim Group network in Canada, while all Drytac materials were supplied by ND Graphics. The graphics remained in place throughout the exhibition, helping to capture the attention of passers-by and leading to an increase footfall into the venue.
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