If you’re looking to brand a company car (or just add some personal touches), you’ve come to the right place. Vehicle wraps elevate a vehicle’s appearance with a wide range of customization options and unique designs.
In short, vehicle wrap is a vinyl material applied to the exterior of your vehicle. We have a wide selection of customization options to make your vision come to life – the vinyl material comes in different colors, textures, and designs. We customize all kinds of vehicles (like box trucks, coupes, SUVs, and pickup trucks) – so whatever type of vehicle you own, we have you covered.
In this article, we will discuss the fundamentals of branding unique to vehicle wrapping.
Many businesses are wrapping their vehicles to showcase their brand – afterall, it’s basically a moving advertisement on the road. Wraps are a cost effective and non permanent solution (professionals can remove the wrap without any damage) that allow complete creative freedom.
When designing a vehicle’s wrap, there’s a few things to keep in mind to ensure successful branding. Listed below are the fundamentals of a successful vehicle wrap design.
1 – Simplicity
The branding is on wheels, so people have limited time to figure out who you are and what you do. In order to leave a lasting impression, the brand identity and messaging should be clear and sleek. A jam-packed and noisy design will be unpleasant to look at, which will lose the interest of potential customers.
2 – Be Unique
Your company is unique, so your vehicle wrap should be too. The wrap design should allow you to stand out among other vehicles on the road – not fit in. Distinctive designs will catch the attention of potential customers and spark curiosity. Wraps should be simple and eye grabbing at the same time.
3 – Limited Messaging
Sometimes less in more – which is the case for vehicle messaging. You get one quick shot to make an impression, so the messaging should be easy to read and provide a memorable takeaway. The only messaging a vehicle really needs is: the company name, a short and catchy tagline, and contact information (like phone number or web address). Limited messaging is a quick and effective strategy to connect to a large audience.
4 – No Photos
Photographs are typically discouraged in vehicle wrap designs because they aren’t effective. A photograph doesn’t represent a brand’s identity or offer the audience a memorable connection to the business’ name.
Expand your marketing campaign to be a mobile on wheels with a vehicle wrap – which will promote business and attract new customers. The array of customization options and specialty designs will ensure your vehicle wrap represents your company.
If you’re in Minnesota, we would be happy to answer any questions you may have about vehicle wrap design. With over 20 years of experience, our team at Tint Pros Platinum Auto Wraps will guide you through the process and ensure all your goals are met. If you are interested in receiving a quote, contact us at 763-290-1242
Design starts with the vehicle, not the artwork. Every wrap begins from a template of that specific year, make, and model, which maps where the panels break, where the body lines fall, and where the handles, sensors, and trim interrupt the surface. Working from a generic silhouette is how logos end up split across a door gap.
For vehicles that are not in the template library, or for anything that has been modified, the panels get measured directly and photographed straight on so the artwork can be laid over real geometry.
The proof you approve is a flat rendering wrapped onto a 3D model of the vehicle. Two things matter when you review it:
Printing uses a solvent or latex printer onto cast vinyl, then a clear laminate goes over the top. The laminate is not optional. It carries the UV inhibitors that keep colors from shifting, and it takes the abrasion that would otherwise reach the ink.
After printing, the material has to outgas before it can be installed, typically 24 to 48 hours. Installing before the solvents have released is what causes bubbles that appear days later and edges that lift after a month.
The difference between a wrap that lasts and one that peels is almost entirely at the edges. Door handles, mirrors, lights, badges, and trim come off so the vinyl can be tucked and anchored behind them instead of trimmed flush against them. A wrap installed without disassembly looks identical on day one and starts lifting at every edge within a season.
Panels are heated to relieve tension in the recesses and around compound curves, then post-heated to set the material’s memory so it does not try to return to flat.
The vehicle sits indoors for at least 24 hours before it goes out. Washing waits about a week, and pressure washing near an edge is what most commonly damages an otherwise sound wrap.
Design time runs anywhere from a few hours for a simple color change or chrome delete to several days for a printed commercial wrap that needs original artwork. The install itself is typically two to five days depending on coverage and how much of the vehicle comes apart.
