4 Things to Know About Vinyl Vehicle Graphics

If a car, truck, or bus with a striking graphic wrap has ever caught your attention while driving down the road, it can act as a testament to the value of fleet graphics as an advertising method. Vinyl graphic wraps are an incredibly effective way to promote your business all across your city or even across the country, as they function as a mobile billboard, while allowing you to easily customize and replace the graphics according to your company’s needs. 

To create a graphic that will prompt people to learn more about your business, consider including elements such as your logo, primary branding message and any relevant contact information or social media handles. Remember, with these types of designs, simplicity is key, so if you have multiple selling points or branding messages, it’s better to limit it to one message per vehicle, and utilize the rest of the fleet for other branding points so that all together they form a cohesive campaign. If you think that fleet and vehicle graphics may be a beneficial addition to your advertising efforts, here are four other things to keep in mind during the planning stages.

1. You have the choice between partial or full wraps

Fleet graphics come in a variety of shapes, forms, and finishes, which means that you can customize them to fit your needs! One way to do this is by deciding whether you want a full vehicle wrap or a partial one, which would cover only a portion of your vehicle. For an entirely unique and custom-branded vehicle design, you may consider choosing a full wrap. This will allow you to completely control the color of your vehicle, as well as create a seamless design. Alternatively, you can cut down on costs and installation time by choosing to install partial graphics instead of a complete wrap. This can still serve as an effective branding or promotional tool if done right. To create a well-designed partial wrap, you’ll need to factor in the vehicle’s base color into the design so that it coordinates with the graphic and looks like a cohesive display. 

2. Vinyl can be removed without damaging paint underneath

Provided that the paint beneath is smooth and free of chips, vinyl can be removed without damaging the car’s surface. When installed on a smooth surface, it can easily be removed with the help of a heat tool, resulting in no damage to the vehicle's paint. Issues arise when vinyl is installed on a vehicle with imperfections in the paint, however. If the vehicle has defects such as rust or other viewable damage, the vinyl could lead to damaging the paint during the removal process. Additionally, vinyl will not look smooth when installed on damaged surfaces.

3. The type of film you choose depends on length of use and budget

One of the great parts about using vinyl wraps is that they come in a variety of finishes, giving you lots of freedom to choose which look you want for your vehicle. Six of the most popular types include matte, gloss, satin, brushed metal, carbon fiber, and shimmer.

• Matte

• Gloss

• Satin 

• Brushed Metal

• Carbon Fiber

• Shimmer

Shimmer vehicle wraps are certainly not as common as many of the other vehicle wrap options. However, if you’re looking for a way to make your vehicle stand out and be infinitely more fun than any other car, truck, or van on the street, it may very well be the option for you.

4. Windows can be covered or left blank

Another thing to consider when designing your vehicle graphics is whether you want to include windows in your wrap design or leave them blank. With a few exceptions for legal and safety considerations, it is completely up to you to decide how or if you want to wrap a window. The driver’s side window, passenger’s side window, and windshield must be left free, but the rest of the windows can be wrapped with clear or opaque vinyl or perforated window film (often referred to as window perf), depending on what your preferences and design plans are. The difference between the two films is that window perf allows people inside the vehicle to see out the window, while opaque vinyl isn’t see-through unless you print the design on a transparent background. The display side of perforated vinyl is also generally more visible from far away than opaque vinyl, though it is often the more expensive option.

Making the decision to invest in vinyl fleet vehicle graphics can be a big decision, especially for smaller businesses, but with the right kind of planning they can pay off big time. To learn more about vinyl graphics for your vehicles, visit our Fleet Graphics page or contact us to discuss your specific needs!