Fade To Black, With Metamark

Milford Haven based D-Sign Studio is one of those companies that never knows quite what's coming in the door next. T5s turn up in some numbers - this one though had an unusual motivation for visiting - and a great outcome in store...

Set out on any road heading in the direction of a bit of coast, or vaguely south on a sunny day, and it's a statistical certainty that you'll find yourself in the company of a Volkswagen T5, or several, at some point. The T5 has become an insanely popular platform for conversion to a camper vehicle and it has a huge and very dedicated following. They seem to know just where to migrate when the sun shines and how to have a good time when they get there.

Enter one very nice looking glossy black T5 into D-Sign Studio. The van's owner wanted something but was a little vague as to precisely what that might be. In a nutshell though, the lovely black T5 had picked up quite a bit of battle-rash in the course of its work and, being black, its life scars were sticking out like a sore thumb. A paint job to bring it back to its former glory would have been ruinously expensive, so what about covering the worst of the wounds with vinyl graphics?

The D-Sign Studio team proposed several potential solutions to the T5's owner but the one that seemed to 'stick' was basically a very abstract arrangement in shades of black and grey that could never be described as 'in your face' but that would work with the van's lines and conceal the nastier pops and pings. A design was eventually formed and proposed and an added benefit suggested.

If, said the D-Sign team, the design was supplied and fitted as cut and applied elements rather that panels of print, if future scars and damage were picked up by the vehicle, the 'livery' could be easily added to so covering any scrapes and scratches. Genius - no other word for it.

It took a quick visit to the Metamark 7 Series Swatch for JD and the team to pick the Matte Black, Graphite, and Gunmetal colours that would comprise its stunning camo job - the vinyl was cut to shape, applied to the vehicle and the work delivered. The customer is over the moon with the results.

The job works with the vehicle lines and is not the smack in the face that some applied livery can be on the T5. It covers where it needs to cover and if future damage is picked up, bits of the livery can be easily replaced, or new bits can be added. Once again, that's genius. The design isn't just attractive, it's extensible. The application is both inventive and novel. The potential for this idea is huge.

Creative and practical in one and the same package.