Client: Seattle Kraken
Category: Large Format Print
Medium: Metro Transit Vinyl Wraps (Trains, Busses), Bus Print Ads, Billboards
Programs: Photoshop, Illustrator
In September 2025, I was contacted by the Seattle Kraken about creating some advertisements for the beginning of the 2025-2026 season. This included vinyl wraps for the Link SoundTransit train, as well as 6 different designs to be used on 45 busses around Seattle and the surrounding area. The bus designs would also eventually be used as billboards in Seattle and Tacoma as well.
Photo provided by: Seattle KrakenStage 1
The first step when wrapping something as complicated as a train is careful planning. There are so many panels, doors, windows, lights, speakers, and spaces where the print will be cut off. Ensuring the scale of the players won't be cut off in awkward places as well as the typography's legibility won't be effected when doors or windows are open. Something I often do is use rough shapes to make a low res plan of where typography and players will sit to ensure maximum scale and legibility.
Rough Draft
Stage 2
Once the rough outline of the design is complete, the second step is to start to add the design elements. Beginning with the background, followed by the players and typography to ensure it's all to scale and legible I then move into adding textures that relate back to the theme of the design/team/city/any additional important imagery provided by the client. The Seattle Kraken use an amazing Bioluminescence texture that adds a lot of texture and brightness to the dark blue that is to represent the dark waters surrounding the city.
Designing the Wrap
Stage 3
Finalizing Imagery
Once the client has approved the overall look of the design for the train, I then start on finalizing any additional details, lighting effects, color corrections, then setting up the file to be print ready.
Below is a step by step gif of the process from rough draft, to final print ready files, to photos of the train.
BUSSES
There were multiple sizes of bus but 2 main ones were the Ultra Super King (USK) busses and the King Busses. The USK busses would be a large vinyl wrap while the King Busses would be a small advertisement along the side. There were 6 designs for both the USK and King busses that would be placed on 45 busses driving around the Seattle and Tacoma surrounding area.
ULTRA SUPER KING (USK)
These player or moment specific bus wraps are to help get the fans around the city excited their favorite players are coming back for the start of the season, as well as direct them to where they can purchase tickets.
Designs
in-market photos
Photos provided by: Seattle KrakenKING
Similar to the USK bus wraps, the King busses are player or moment specific bus wraps are to help get the fans around the city excited their favorite players are coming back for the start of the season, however these are intended to direct fans where they can watch, listen and follow along to the Seattle Kraken all season.
Designs
in-market photo
Photo provided by: Seattle Krakenbillboards
Physical billboards based off the bus templates and placed around Downtown Seattle and Tacoma, Washington.
While visiting Seattle, Washington, I went around the city looking for my artwork. Sadly due to a scheduling conflict I was unable to see the train and busses in person, however some of the billboards that were based off the USK busses were re-sized and put up around Seattle and its surrounding area. I spent the day exploring the city until I found a few that were within walking distance. Downtown seattle in-market photos
Photos of billboards taken October 2, 2025