Sticky business: Local craftsman makes window decals

Published 12:00 am Saturday, July 27, 2002

They are the rear windshield equivalent of what bumper stickers were in the 1970s, and are available in just as many varieties.

From last names in Old English lettering to cartoon characters, vinyl window decals are everywhere. And some of them are made right here in Albert Lea.

Chris Weseman, owner of dkals.com at 127 E. Clark St., started the business in his home in August 2001. After one year and multiple moves to better locations, the business is now located downtown, its home since April.

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&uot;I like this location,&uot; said Weseman, explaining that the number of people who drive down Clark Street instead of Fountain Street on their way to Bridge Avenue makes the location of his business &045; and other business on Clark Street &045; more visible. He said the parking lot across the street was another plus.

Although he has been in his new location for three months, he hasn’t got everything set up quite how he would like &045; in fact, he still doesn’t have a sign in the window. He also has not yet placed advertisements of any kind, with most of his business coming from word-of-mouth referrals.

&uot;It’s kind of funny, a sign shop with no sign in the window,&uot; said Weseman, who is also currently self-employed as a technical writer of service manuals.

After graduating from Albert Lea High School, Weseman attended the School of Communication Arts in Minneapolis, where he earned a degree in computer animation and graphic design.

&uot;Actually when I got my degree, I originally wanted a job in animation,&uot; said Weseman, who moved to Los Angeles, Calif. at that time. When he realized that he wasn’t going to find a job in that field, Weseman moved to Las Vegas, Nev., where he had family. Again unable to find an animation job without experience behind him, Weseman instead took a job with a sign shop, where he gained experience in the vinyl decal industry.

&uot;Once I started doing traditional graphic design, I lost interest in the animation part,&uot; said Weseman.

Weseman later moved back to Minnesota when he accepted a position as art director for Throlson & Associates, a technical documentation company he had worked for while in high school, but who by that time had relocated to Le Center. After leaving the company again in 2000, Weseman eventually ended up writing technical manuals as a form of self-employment, later adding decals to his services.

&uot;Once I started working for myself, I had more time to do it,&uot; said Weseman.

Weseman is currently in the middle of updating his Web site, which includes thousands of designs available as decals. Some of the more popular designs include the Minnesota Vikings helmet logo, vehicle manufacturer logos and a highly recognizable decal featuring Calvin from the discontinued comic strip &uot;Calvin and Hobbes.&uot; American flag decals were highly requested for a while after Sept. 11, but have since declined in popularity. One customer actually ordered the cartoon character &uot;Marvin the Martian&uot; holding the American flag.

Most of the images he uses were purchased as computer files, but he said it is possible to scan an image if he does not have one electronically. Acquiring images isn’t always simple, though. Some images, such as professional sports logos, require a license to use. To get the Vikings logo, Weseman had to contact the company that owns it, purchase the license and have the file sent to him.

With football season approaching, Weseman expects an increase in popularity for the Vikings logo. He said that although it is not yet a design he offers, if there was sufficient demand, he would offer the Minnesota Twins logo as well.

&uot;I have to get enough purchases lined up to pay for the license,&uot; he said.

Weseman’s business actually goes beyond decals. In fact, his most requested service by far has been custom-lettered signs featuring business names, such as the Albert Lea Driving School sign on South Broadway Avenue. He has also designed logos for use on semi trailers. The vinyl decals can actually be applied almost anywhere &045; windows, doors, plastic, sign blanks &045; the only requirement is a smooth surface.

On the average, a decal takes about three hours from start to finish &045; one hour for layout, one hour for cutting, and one hour to apply. After layout, the decal is sent to a plotter fitted with a razor blade, in the same way computer documents are sent to a printer. After the plotter cuts the lines into the vinyl, Weseman carefully peels away the excess material. Weseman noted that he charges for materials &045; by the square inch. He called it a necessity, saying that since even if a large amount of excess vinyl is trimmed away from the final product, there is no way for him to reuse it. He does, however, consider his rates to be competitive &045; he does not charge for applying the finished decal to a surface, which can sometimes be a challenge. Although the vinyl doesn’t easily rip, the difficulty lies in keeping the decal straight, avoiding air bubbles and avoiding creases. Colder weather can make application somewhat more difficult as well.

Weseman’s enjoyment of the type of work is what led him to start up his business. &uot;I just thought it would be fun to try and do it, and it has been,&uot; he said.

For more information about dkals.com, visit Weseman at 127 E. Clark St., Albert Lea, call (507) 383-7037, or visit the company Web site at www.dkals.com.