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Killer App: Minuteman Press Bath dresses van to plug city festival

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Killer App
"The vehicle is used for deliveries most days, so we had to work around that too"
"The vehicle is used for deliveries most days, so we had to work around that too"

The past few months have seen several major cultural events that generated large amounts of print – the Coronation of King Charles III and Eurovision in Liverpool to name two – but the usual busy calendar of other major spring and summer fixtures has also continued unabated, with music festivals, sport, and arts events also keeping printers busy.

One of Minuteman Press Bath’s regular clients is Bath Festivals, which it has worked with since 2004. It became the official print partner of The Bath Festival in 2021 and predominantly donates or provides its print services at cost to the registered arts charity.

What was produced?

Minuteman Press Bath came up with the idea to wrap the rear doors of its own van as part of its sponsorship, to help promote the festival on the road.

“This year’s programme cover is so vibrant and interesting so we decided it would be perfect for the back of a vehicle. Free advertising is one of the best things we can do to help, in addition to supplying printed materials,” said operations manager Kieran Blacknall.

What did the job entail?

Minuteman Press Bath used Adobe Illustrator to create the layout and artwork proofs, and the job was then run through Onyx Thrive 21 RIP software and printed on the company’s HP Latex 700W.

It used around five metres of Drytac Polar Cast Air GSL 1.37m-wide vinyl for the wrap and this was laminated with Drytac Cast Gloss on its Vivid Easymount.

For the lettering on the van it used Drytac Polar Premium PG White – an air assist polymeric film – cut out on its Summa vinyl cutter.

For installation, the two-man team of Blacknall and large-format technician Sam Hawkins first had to temporarily remove the van’s door handle, registration plate and badges.

“We did the two doors as separate pieces and lined them up during install, trimming as we went,” Blacknall explained.

What challenges were overcome?

“We received the cover artwork at the end of March and came up with this idea in April. 

Once we signed off the design, we had to get the job completed quickly to maximise the time it would be out on the road, advertising the festival,” said Blacknall. “The vehicle is used for deliveries most days, so we had to work around that too.”

What was the feedback?

Jasmine Barker, head of marketing and communications at Bath Festivals, said: “Minuteman always go above and beyond to provide top-quality print and the van door wrap was no exception. Kieran and the team are always very friendly, creative and enthusiastic and really help bring our festival to life.”

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Vehicle wrapping