A well-designed vehicle wrap can make a huge difference when it comes to building brand visibility, and wrapping your vehicle gives you a unique opportunity to showcase your brand on the go.
But the very first part of the process, the design, is a crucial step that needs to be done properly to ensure that the final outcome is as effective as possible.
Whether you’re looking to completely transform your vehicle, or you’re adapting a current design, this post will help you avoid common mistakes and design a wrap that brings your brand to life.
Creating the perfect wrap isn’t just about looking great. Your message needs to be clear, concise and memorable. As vehicle wrapping experts with over 20 years of experience, we’ve put together a few tips on how you can do that.
The best vehicle wraps balance creativity with clarity.This ensures the design emphasises the brand message without overwhelming the viewer with too much information
It's important to remember that when people see your vehicle, it will likely be moving, so they'll only have a few seconds to catch your message. That’s why it’s essential to keep the message clear and simple, with one primary idea and call to action. As the saying goes, less is more, so avoid clutter and ensure your contact details are clearly visible and instantly recognisable.
Colours play a crucial role in making sure your vehicle wrap is effective and memorable. For example, research suggests that designs with high colour contrast can enhance recall by up to 38%.
It’s therefore important to make sure there’s a good contrast between your background colour and any text or graphical elements, to ensure it’s readable up close and from a distance.
Also, using your brand colours will boost brand recognition, but make sure not to overcrowd things - too many colours can be distracting and take away from the overall impact of the design.
Blurry or pixelated images can ruin the impact of your wrap, so it's crucial to use high-resolution images and professional graphics that look great and catch people's attention.
High DPI images are essential because they ensure that images remain clear, even when viewed up close. We recommend maintaining good resolution at a distance of 1.5 metres
Every vehicle has its own size, shape, and unique details, so whether you’re wrapping your car, van, lorry, or caravan, its shape will affect the ideal layout of your design. It's important to consider things like doors, windows and handles to avoid placing any key elements in hard-to-see spots.
To avoid any mistakes, a 3D mock-up will give you a clear idea of how your design will come to life, helping you position important elements in spots that can be clearly and easily seen.
When designing your wrap, there are a few things to avoid to ensure your vehicle looks professional and drives real results.
1. Overcrowding the design: Too much information, text, colours or design elements can confuse the viewer - keep it simple for maximum impact. You don’t need to fill every inch of the design!
2. Small text and complicated fonts: Always keep readability in mind - your vehicle is going to be seen quickly and from a distance, so text needs to be legible up close and from afar. Where possible, stick to bold simple fonts that are easy to read.
3. Ignoring vehicle shape: Placing text or design elements on curved or hidden areas can distort it and make it hard to read. Always keep important elements in the most visible spots of the vehicle, for example, the bonnet, door panels, or side panels, keeping clear of the recesses.
4. Low-quality imagery: Blurry images don't look professional, and affect the overall impact of the wrap. Always use high-resolution images and graphics that look sharp and impactful.
5. Not testing from different angles: Before finalising your design, check out how the wrap looks from different angles. Sometimes, designs that look great from one angle may be obscured or confusing from another, especially on larger vehicles.
6. Neglecting legal considerations: Covering certain parts of the vehicle isn’t recommended, it’s important to ensure the design complies with regulations.
The customer had basic van graphics on vehicles in the past, but for their two new Transit's they wanted a new dynamic design which is why they came to us. We spoke with the customer about different types of wraps, discussed ideas and also what budget they had for each van. This helps us in the design process so we can design to achieve the maximum potential out of the van. We provided 4 bespoke designs and the customer went straight for this one. The design features a large company logo with three contrasting colours in keeping with their branding. The messaging is simple with the design focussed on being stand out and striking. The customer logo is simple and modern which helps with the design process.
The design was created and lends itself to being used on various types of vehicles as this customer has a fleet of vehicles of different shapes and sizes. It features one main colour which itself is bright and effective and the company logo/icon is the main feature.
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Designing the perfect vehicle wrap takes a great deal of creativity and practical considerations, But by keeping your messaging simple and choosing your colours wisely your wrap can be a powerful advertising tool for your business.
Here at CJ Signs, we offer a complete vehicle wrapping service, from design right through to application. So if you’re looking to transform your vehicle, check out our graphic design service, or get in touch with the team.
