fred 0 #1 September 9, 2001 I'm a ways off from buying my own equipment, but while reading about canopy colors and what else, I realized that I would rather have something unique printed on my canopy.For future reference, do any of the manufacturers do this? I've seen photos of canopies with artwork on them. What I want is a pretty simple design (a circle with some text in it), but nobody advertises this option, and I haven't seen custom printed canopies at my DZ. Is it difficult to screenprint on nylon? Who is allowed to do it? Are there other ways to get a personal design printed? Why isn't this more prevalent?Why aren't there more canopies out there with more than just the simple cell coloring? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymedic 0 #2 September 9, 2001 Fred, parachutes are made of Nylon not Vinyl...MarcBecause I fly, I envy no man on earth Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #3 September 9, 2001 For one.... Its Nylon not vinyl. It usually cost ALOT more to have logos put on a canopy and finding a sponsor is hard unless you are a professinal Demo jumper of someing that is going to make it worh the while to spend the time and money on the logo. If you are seroius about a logo or something just remember that you will probally never be able to find a buyer for it if you decide to downsize later. Demo canopys are typlical used for the acuracy and thats about it. You want that big slow Sharpchuter or Star Trak III to sink into that tiny 30X30 foot landing area.Another problem with logos is that the logo must be able to be read in 3D. The arch of a canopy makes it hard to have straight lines appear straight from all angles on the ground. Other then that most people have a hard enough time just chossing the canopy colors to worry about having their name printed in Script letters across the bottom.Flying on your belly is great..... if thats all you can do! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fred 0 #4 September 9, 2001 QuoteFred, parachutes are made of Nylon not Vinyl...Oops.. Sorry about that. I edited my post to fix faux pas. Ignoring for now the resale value, could I get an all white canopy and have it screen printed with a logo on the bottom? It seems so easy, but its not widely done. Why not? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #5 September 9, 2001 Hey man......hell ya you can have it done. For the best way to find out, call one of the manufactorers and ask them how much it would cost to do what you want to do. The reason it isn't done more, like Phree said, is because it costs a lot and you would have a tougher time reselling it. (Depending on what you put on it, really.)But if you have the bucks, i say GO FOR IT!!!--------------Boogie pics coming!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #6 September 9, 2001 Why not? Well a better question is why? (except for Demos)You are under canopy for a max of 5 minutes at a place where anyone who looks at your main will have seen it plenty of times already. If you get somthing put on the bottom of it then most of the time you will see it is when you are watching the opening and then in spirls or doing CReW stuff. And packing it on the ground. Not much help there. If you get it put there to advertise something then you better get GOOD at doing acuracy and stand up landings. No one likes to see there name draged through the mud (Litterly on windy ways) by hiring someone to do something poorly. If its like a personal thing... fine but you got to think of what its going to look like at a distance and up close. Things can look diferent when you are at 3500 feet then at 500 feet. Any if you do get it done make sure only the manufactor does it. Taking it to your local printing shop will only ruin that nice new $1600 canopy. And if I remember right its not a screen printing process they use, its more of a dying process. Riggerrob can get you more details on that if you need them.Personally... I hate all white canopies. It looks like a reserve at deployment from the ground and unless you kow better watchers will start looking for the freebag. When they cant find it then they get worried about stuff. Did the freebag snag on a line? Stuff like that. Plenty of people have white canopies but its a persona bug of mine. Plus all white canopies are harder to see IMHO in "industrial haze" then colored canopies.Another thing about white canpies is they dont tend to stay that color for long. If you jump in the desert they become tan fom the sand staining the nylon and degrading it. In the Midwest.... Corn and beans will leave green marks on your canopy on those spots that are less then perfect. Other parts of the country have their things to turn that nice white canopy to any color of their choosing Flying on your belly is great..... if thats all you can do! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #7 September 9, 2001 QuoteWell a better question is why? Because he has the money to blow!! Hell man, that would look sweet!!!QuoteAnd if I remember right its not a screen printing process they useI actually heard that it is a "sewing" process with fabrics since the printing doesn't stay on ZP like it should. I could be wrong (it's happened before).--------------Boogie pics coming!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #8 September 9, 2001 I've sewed on a canopy that had a "Call Ralph" logo on the bottom and it definatly was'nt just fabric sewed over the top of the skin of the canopy. It was some sore of almost ink put into the nylon. The manufactors are exacting in getting the skin tension just right on a canopy so not many are willing to screw up the weight balence by sewing another 3 pounds of cloth to the bottom of it. Plus the more stiches in a canopy means that air is going to escape easier. Thats the only way to let air out of a true ZP canopy is out the nose or out the stitch holes.Flying on your belly is great..... if thats all you can do! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OmriMon 0 #9 September 9, 2001 There's a guy at my dz who have an advertisment of his bussiness all over the bottom skin, i think he have a merit, next time i see him i will ask him how much it cost himand there's a student canopy at my dz that have FREE SKIES all over the bottom skin and when i packed it once i looked at it closly and it was made out some kind of fabric thicker than the canopies fabric and it was sewed to the canopy.It actually makes packing really annoying cuz the fabric won't stay where u want it to stay.Free Skies,Omri A-38593 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NewGuy 0 #10 September 9, 2001 One of the guys who occassionally comes around our dropzone painted a ReMax logo on the bottom of his canopy. He said he painted it on himself...A always thought that the paint would chip off.CheersNewGuy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fred 0 #11 September 10, 2001 QuoteWell a better question is why?To have something a bit more unique or individualized that simply picking my own colors. Just thinking about options here. I'd love to have my website logo overhead. It's definately a personal thing. Thanks for the info folks. Guess I'll wait till I win the lotto, though. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lewmonst 0 #12 September 11, 2001 Brandon, where do you get your information, you 40-jump-wonder? why do you keep replying to posts when you don't have any experience related to the topic at hand?btw, how's that new zp semi-eliptical canopy with a 1.36 wing loading on jump #34?ps-you can hang out at the dz forever, but there's only one way to get experience under canopy.lew Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OmriMon 0 #13 September 11, 2001 now THAT wasn't nice!Free Skies,Omri A-38593 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #14 September 11, 2001 QuoteBrandon, where do you get your information, you 40-jump-wonder? why do you keep replying to posts when you don't have any experience related to the topic at hand?btw, how's that new zp semi-eliptical canopy with a 1.36 wing loading on jump #34?ps-you can hang out at the dz forever, but there's only one way to get experience under canopy.Where do you get off?? Just because I read a lot of stuff about canopies and feel comfortable flying this canopy gives you the right to say that?? Hell....I dont care. Or can you say that cuz you're twice as big as me?? Oh well......I knew this place was going downhill. (You didn't even post anything ABOUT this thread.)--------------Boogie pics coming!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kris 0 #15 September 11, 2001 Quote Brandon, where do you get your information, you 40-jump-wonder? why do you keep replying to posts when you don't have any experience related to the topic at hand? Wow, that wasn't called for! The information that Brandon gave was accurate and can be found on some manufacturer's websites. As for his canopy skills, I think that would be better left to himself and the staff at the DZ he jumps at to judge, not for anyone here who hasn't seen him fly. My first main off of student status was loaded at 1.32:1 and I'm still here. If anything, the fact that his main is semi-elliptical should actually fly and flare better for him better than my square sabre did. Kris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymedic 0 #16 September 11, 2001 Wow LEW, that was way uncalled for. The guy studies everything he can about skydiving and as kris said garner info from the web sites. easy to do. I know people at the DZ with thousands of jumps who are clueless as to canopy materials, construction and the new stuff on the marked.just because you have a ton of jumps doesnt make you an expert.MarcBecause I fly, I envy no man on earth Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mountainman 0 #17 September 11, 2001 Quotejust because you have a ton of jumps doesnt make you an expert.What do you have anyway, Lew?? A couple hundred?? I think that hardly qualifies you to criticize anyone. I guess you never had 40 in your life. You must have started out right at 200 with your D license. Hmm...--------------Boogie pics coming!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cobaltdan 0 #18 September 14, 2001 some types of parachute fabrics can be painted with stain.unfortunately, these are high porosity fabrics.i know its all about fashion, but for an every day canopy it is hard to give up zp materials for a logo design.a better alternative is to have your design reproduced with sewn on applique. in this way you increase pack volume but do not sacrifice performance.we have built custom canopy with designs ranging from red bull, to budwiser, to a tiger motif.cost depends on complexity but can add $500-1000 over the cost of the canopy.sincerely,danatair Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
