Vehicle wraps and graphics are a great way to take advantage of unused space on an automobile. Vehicles with adhesive wraps and graphics on them promoting a brand or organization receive thousands of impressions simply from driving around town while running errands each day. There are two styles of adhesive graphics that will be discussed in this blog: vehicle wraps and vehicle graphics. Vehicle wraps are a full wrap of a vehicle, where the adhesive material covers all painted areas of the vehicle. Vehicle graphics, on the other hand, refer to vinyl letters and adhesive decals that do not cover the full vehicle. These signage options are an excellent way to gain more visibility, no matter what size your business or organization is. However, the success of vehicle wraps is often dependent on how well it is designed. This blog will highlight some tips from our expert graphic designers on how to design effective vehicle graphics and wraps.
Ready to have your vehicle wrapped? Read our helpful tips on what to do before you bring your vehicle in to get wrapped.
Bold Colors
One of the most important design elements of vehicle graphics and wraps is color. You want your colors to be bold and eye-catching so others will notice your decal in addition to making text easier to read. Contrasting colors allow text to be read faster and from greater distances. Bold colors make your vehicle wrap more noticeable and can be an effective way to strengthen branding for your organization.
Just having a vehicle graphics isn’t enough to garner attention. Make the most out of your vehicle graphics by using contrasting colors so your graphics stand out.
D.F. Richard incorporated their organization colors onto their vehicle graphics effectively. The clean white backdrop of the vehicle allows the blue vinyl lettering to be clearly visible and easy to read. Had they elected to use orange vinyl lettering on the white backdrop, their design would be far less effective because orange contrasts less than blue on a white background.
Don’t Include Too Much Information
One of the fastest ways to overwhelm your audience is to provide too much information. It can be tempting to include a lot of information, but this results in a very cluttered vehicle wrap that is difficult to comprehend in a short period of time. Instead, prioritize the most important information and include that on your wrap.
Effective vehicle wraps are clear, eye-catching, and includes the following information:
• Who you are
• What you do
• How others can reach you
Slogans and additional information may be included and certainly aren’t frowned upon, as long as the information above can be presented in a clean, clear format.
In the photo above, we can see how Cannon Mountain included necessary information without cluttering their design. Who they are is clearly visible no matter what side of the vehicle you are looking at. The image of the snowboarder indicates what type of business they are. And if someone wanted to learn more about them or to contact them, their website is displayed above the front wheel on either side of the vehicle.
Text Size
A determining factor for how much information you can fit on your vehicle wrap is the size of your text and graphics. Text size is an important consideration for vehicle graphics because you want your message to be easily readable from approximately fifty feet. Larger text ensures your message is readable by anyone near your vehicle, whether you are driving or parked.
Vector Artwork is Best
Vector artwork allows the graphics to be scaled infinitely without loss of image quality or resolution. It also allows sections of the artwork to be edited without affecting the image as a whole. With the complexities of vehicle wraps, vector artwork allows adjustments to be quickly and easily made to any area of the vehicle wrap.
Design with a Bleed
Designing your vehicle wrap with bleed will make the installation process faster and easier. The intricate corners and curves of vehicles can be challenging to wrap and having bleed on the design allows greater flexibility with the installation. Due to the complexity of the installation of vehicle wrap, it is highly recommended to have it professionally installed by an experienced installer.
If you are interested in adding a vehicle graphics to one of your vehicles, or the entire fleet, contact us to speak with one of our signage experts today. No graphic designer? No problem. Our creative team offers design services to clients to create artwork that matches organization branding and culture.
Vehicle wraps and graphics are an effective way to market your organization and strengthen branding by presenting a more professional appearance to customers. If you want to learn more about how custom vehicle wraps can help your organization, reach out to the experts AMI today!
