Vehicle Wrap Best Practices

by Erin Nolan

Once a vinyl wrap is printed and applied to your vehicle, there can’t be any second guessing – at least none that won’t cost your business a great deal more money. This is your commitment to outdoor marketing for the next several years.

Keep in mind these vehicle wrap best practices before you even start the design:

• Use high-contrast colors for the design.
• Large, focused, single-element images work best. When traveling at 55+ mph, drivers don’t have time to focus on multiple images.
• Minimum text height while on the road: 6” tall. Again, keep in mind a driver’s time and ability to read your promotional text.

• Minimum text height when parked: 4” tall. Often applicable to the back of your vehicle, for instance when at a stop light.
• Less information means larger text, and is therefore more effective.
• Use as many vector elements as possible; they won’t print pixelated.
• Use this advertising medium to provide a call-to-action, i.e., send them to your website for more in-depth information.
• Leave at least 3” of bumper room between the edges of the wrap and any non-background elements.
• Realize that the images might be molded onto a curved space – consider the warp effect.

• Design around door handles, keyholes, windows, side bumpers, door opening seams, trim, wheel wells, antennas, license plates, large changes in the contour of a panel, mirrors, headlights, tail lights, badges, etc. Otherwise, one digit in the phone number might just be split across a door opening and over a handle.

Check this list before you begin any vehicle wrap project, and you’ll avoid costly errors and redesigns.