How Grafical makes its mark in elite motorsport

Grafical is delivering premium quality graphics that are fast, vibrant, and opening the door to the biggest names in racing.

When Roland DG first spoke with Belgian motorsport graphics specialist Grafical Racing Design founder Jarno Provost, he was laser focused on one goal: rise among the biggest names in international motorsport.

Today, that is true.

The company’s work has appeared in MotoGP Moto3, World Supersport, and an expanding portfolio of professional teams. As the clientele has grown both in number and profile, the pressure to deliver flawless vehicle wraps and race graphics under some of the tightest deadlines in the industry was intensifying.

Jarno turned to upgrading his Roland DG TrueVis AP-640 wide format latex printer to ensure Grafical fires on all cylinders. Now, the AG-640 is the centrepiece of production operations.

‘The AG-640 has completely changed what we are capable of doing,’ said Jarno. ‘It has allowed us to take on work that simply wasn't possible before.’

Unlike many commercial print environments, motorsport rarely sees a predictable day. Cars and bikes crash, parts change, sponsors update entire auto bodies need replacing days before a race.

To Jarno, the competitive differentiator is being able to keep up with the constantly changing demands of motorsport vehicle graphics.

The TrueVis AG-640 has dramatically shortened production times by allowing latex prints to be laminated and installed directly after printing, eliminating the waiting period required with traditional eco solvent technology.

‘Most of what I print now goes through the AG-640,’ explained Jarno. ‘We can print, laminate immediately and apply the graphics straight onto the cars, bikes or helmets. That cycle time has completely changed the way we work.’

And, the results speak for themselves. Since adding the AG-640, Grafical has secured two major rally sport customers specifically due to their ability to deliver full vehicle wraps within tight timeframes.

‘In rally sport, everything happens fast,’ said Jarno. ‘One customer called after a car crashed before an event. They needed an entirely different vehicle wrapped within three days. We were able to say yes. They told me they weren't going to call anyone else in the future because we were the only company able to deliver it.’

Grafical’s ability to meet a quick turn delivery time has garnered a loyal customer base who know they can reliably deliver high quality and durable prints fast.

Speed isn’t the only way to win the loyalty of world class racing brands. Top manufacturers like Ducati and KTM require unerring brand colour accuracy across vehicle decals, wrap, and sponsorship graphics.

‘The colours are so much better,’ Jarno said. ‘We are now able to reproduce colours that were difficult before, including major manufacturer colours like KTM Orange, and Ducati Red.’

The increased colour range and ink configuration is beyond previous competitive offering including dedicated red, orange, and white inks. New capabilities mean new opportunities.

With an expanded ink range, Grafical can now print onto new, transparent materials while achieving more vibrant colour reproduction across vehicle graphics, labels, and decals.

The improved scratch resistance coverings have also contributed to more streamlined workflows and lowered costs for the company.

‘We produce a lot of product labels now without needing to laminate them,’ Jarno explained. ‘That saves both time and material costs while still delivering excellent durability.’

Grafical's partnership with Roland DG goes beyond just using its technology. In the early days, Jarno was part of the test group helping Roland develop the AG platform. Since then, he has worked closely with the printer manufacturer to refine the machine based on the needs of real world motorsport production.

This collaboration represents one of the proudest accomplishments of the partnership.

‘When Roland introduced the 'Make Your Mark' message, I realised I would actually been able to make my mark on the AG,’ he said. ‘That is something I will always be grateful for.’

That partnership has helped Grafical continue building its presence across professional motorsport, from MotoGP appearances to race winning graphics in the World Supersport Championship.

The business is now focused on expanding further into the racing market by signing additional professional teams and continuing to support elite motorsport competitors with rapid turnaround graphics that few providers can match.

Now that Jarno and the Grafical team have achieved the goals they set out when Roland DG last spoke with them, Jarno's ambition continues to grow.

His next goal? Seeing a world champion standing on the podium with Grafical's branding proudly displayed.

‘Never say never,’ he said.