Vehicle Graphics: Lessons Learned

8/17/2021

I think for us,  August is vehicle graphic month.   We’ve had the opportunity to help a number of our clients with their fleet graphics.  This is the second time I’m writing about vehicle graphics in my blog.  

If you are interested in vehicle graphics, there is a simple little infographic on our website that gives you a nice overview of what they are all about.

For our clients this month we delivered a combination of solutions:  cut letters, spot graphics, partial wraps and window graphics.

Here are my observations from our experiences:

• Colour matching is critical for any key colours that define the brand.  For Calgary Elite Roofing, construction orange is their signature colour.    We printed a number of swatches and had a number of people share their opinions before getting the final blessing from the client.  It’s not always easy, and can take time, and it is super important!
• Watch the lines  -it’s an art and a science laying vinyl on a vehicle.  You want your graphics to be level with the ground, but sometimes (a lot of times)  that doesn’t match the lines of the vehicle.  The best thing to do is to put away your bubble level and look closely at the vehicle for the predominant line.  It always helps to have a second opinion at this point — you don’t want to get it wrong and have wonky graphics that need to be redone.
• Think about badging — badges are the emblems the manufacturer puts on a car.    You can usually find them on the front doors, hood or tailgate.  With vehicle graphics, you can work around them, cut them out or remove them entirely.  It’s all a matter of preference for the client.  Usually, we try to work around them through the graphic design process.  With a partial or full wrap you have to either cut around the badge or remove it.   If you choose to remove them for the graphic installation, they don’t need to be put back.  It is entirely legal in Canada to remove the badges.  I’ve read a couple of posts online about whether this is a modification to your vehicle that could affect your insurance.I don’t have a solid answer to that for you, so recommend you check with the experts, your insurance company.

And those are my musings on vehicle graphics, after a month of about 20 installations.

  If you own  a  business,    I  suggest you invest your marketing dollars into vehicle graphics: the cost per impression is lower than other form of advertising. It’s a tremendous opportunity to build your brand awareness.

…. Just try not to drive like an idiot, you’ll be fine.

All the best,

Emma and Dan

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