Bridgestone announced a development in tire printing technology last month that allows new stylistic possibilities.
White-wall tires and white lettering harken back to cars with cranks, though neither the tires nor the cars are common today. Bridgestone wanted to change that by finding a solution for bright designs printed onto the sidewall of tires that can maintain high durability, won’t discolor and require less weight added to the construction, thereby aiding fuel efficiency.
Multi-colored tires can further encourage vehicle personalization and offer a unique avenue for companies to take in advertising. Rather than tire shopping out of necessity, this may create a sort of customer that makes tire purchases for recreation.
Thanks to a new development in ink technology, unique multi-colored patterns or images from photographs can be printed onto a Bridgestone tire’s sidewall. These inks are extremely resistant to discoloration and are strong against external damage onto the tire’s surface. Bridgestone believes in a future of colorful, lightweight and fuel efficient tires that they think could change the tire industry.
Bridgestone has not announced when their whimsical wheel wrapping will be available but promises to bring this technology to market soon. Who knew that pictures could be the new black?
