To pinstripe or not to pinstripe?

[Syncronoid]

Thoughts? I kinda like 'em. Not necessarily the final pattern, but just getting a visual.

_________________
'90 Syncro Westy w/GW2.5L

[visibleink]

Do it.
_________________
Been on the samba so long I remember petting that dog to see VWs, WYHI, and green bug girl.

<-- Helga, she slammed her dub in '53 and adjusted valves with her teeth

[Muftobration]

I like the pinstripe. I also like the cheesey decals dealers apparently added to some vans, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt. Here's an example of one of those.

[Syncronoid]

Over the top!

[visibleink]

[levi]

OP added them.... with p/shop!
_________________
One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but till I do I won't be hangin round.
Going down that long lonesome highway,
gonna see life my way

https://youtu.be/cSrL0BXsO40

[E1]

I've been a real (paint) pinstriper since 1977, and thus despised vinyl since the day it came out (Duh).

So to my despair ( ), it looks great, I like it a lot.

Use wax & grease remover first so paint is dead clean.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[AZ Landshaper]

I like the pinstripes. When done in a classy way they add dimension and order to the otherwise fairly boring look. Especially boring when the van is one color. I think some of the dealer decals look cheap and too busy. A nice 2 or 3 in stripe that ties the van together and draws your eye away from some of the less appealing features (on my van it’s dirt and oxidation) is a nice touch. Three and four stripes or a real large stripe often leave the van looking over d signed or real busy.
That one stripe you have added looks nice. I’d do it. In fact I have a van that I’m gonna do it to.
_________________
Support Small Business.

-------------------------------------------------------
85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.

[Syncronoid]

If you click on the pic and expand, you can see there are actually 3 stripes; thick/thin/thick. I'm thinking maybe 3 stripes of increasing (or decreasing) thickness from top to bottom or vise versa.

[Jake de Villiers]

I like it! Keep it symmetrical.
_________________
'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
www.thebassspa.com

[Das67bus]

Looks great! I would go with it.
_________________
SLOW RIDE........TAKE IT EASY!!!
-Foghat

COMFORTABLY NUMB!!
-Pink Floyd

[AZ Landshaper]

Funny enough I did zoom in and didn’t notice the three stripes. I have seen a number of examples of that and it looked pretty good but I got to say the three stripes come off as one big stripe from any further than about 6 feet away from the van. this is a normal result of grouping Any similar characters whether the stripes, plants or furniture. I’m sure there are three stripes looks significantly better than one big ass stripe when you’re up close either way I think it looks fantastic Rock on just not like this.

I know it’s personal.
_________________
Support Small Business.

-------------------------------------------------------
85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.

[E1]

OP, per your two center lines I got to picturing a single line with dashes, and also it's worth trying different block lengths and breaks between as potentially cool -- if not downright divided lanes-like.

Or mod out what you have to include a passing lane on the top line as an insider Bus joke.

Highway Yellow optional.


Edit: Well, this ended up going long!>>> but for the OP and anyone else considering designing their own stripes in Photoshop...

>>> If I were to do what you are, I would not use different-width tape lines to parallel and make a composite -- presuming you're not painting this.

Instead I would find a good sign and graphics shop that outputs vinyl as full-color images. They often have huge plotters so you could output all the parallel stripes filling the belt molding as one vinyl panel, and long enough for the biggest bus panels -- but only taking the belt molding width per foot of vinyl output. Two feet of full-width plotter output should cover the whole van and graphics within your stripe are potentially endless -- and you'll have a few perfectly-matching panels for later repairs if needed. I may offer Vanagon stripe packages sometime but have bigger fish to fry atm.

Apply wet with warm water and two drops of Dawn or liquid soap per quart of water, shaken up and sprayed from a water bottle. Allow two good hours to dry.

This solves the permanent vinyl issue of edges to peel, loosen, and flake, and eliminates a reasonably-high chance of getting bad vinyl (most of it is crap except 3M if they sell stripes anymore). And you won't have every vinyl edge claiming wax that looks bad and is hard to buff off.

In your design, you could do the lines in an ink (CMYK) mix that's a close-enough match to your paint to appear as "matching" when the color's an inch or more set away from it by the black. The only time the match is critical is at the stripe ends.

If paint match is a priority, tell the shop and ask to borrow their color books a couple minutes, match a color to your van, record the CMYK values (0 to 100% each of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) and enter that mix onto your PS document as a custom CMYK color and name like "Bus Gray" or whatever. Print a short test strip and tape it to your van to insure you like it before outputting the rest.

Only other PS prep step is turning Edit>Color Settings in PS turned ON, so the document knows its colorspace before you even build the document and van color. Then save the final art with a profile, and for this Adobe RGB98 is what to use even if built in CMYK. Ask the sign shop first in case they'd rather it be built in RGB and they auto-convert to CMYK to their printer's color profiles.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Syncronoid]

Electrical tape mock up. Thoughts? Too much? Too dark? Maybe a different shade of black or a dark grey? Different stripe pattern? Not sold on it, but just thinking I might come across a combination that screams "Wow, YES"!

_________________
'90 Syncro Westy w/GW2.5L

[0to60in6min]

I like gray...

[dhaavers]

x2
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[bobbyblack]

Those look sweet, gives me more ideas too for my rig

I've been considering using that body line as the recess for a full side length orange LED strip and hook it to the turn signal. That would get some serious attention.
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[Syncronoid]

As in leave is stock?

[mikemtnbike]

I think it looks awesome- when/if my van gets a paintjob, I will definitely be adding a body stripe like that.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual

[SCM]

I think it looks pretty cool too. I would maybe remove the door handle and run the stripe underneath.

My friend has a white van that he bought from his dad. His dad ran a similar stripe out of white reflective tape. You don't see it during the day but if you hit the van with a flashlight while camping it REALLY lights up. My friend hates it but I think it's kinda neat. Probably annoying for other motorists at night though.
_________________
'91 Westfalia GL Automatic (GTA "Turbo" Rebuild w/Peloquin) and 2.3L GoWesty Engine