Designing Truck Graphics and Vehicle Wraps

Learn the basic rules for  designing effective truck graphics and vehicle wraps...

This article appears in  Sign Builder Illustrated.

By Jim Hingst

Many of the basic rules for designing outdoor advertising and transit advertising are also relevant when you design vehicle graphics. The cardinal design rule is: Keep It Simple.

Beautifully understated, the FedEx truck graphics reinforce the company’s recognizable corporate identity.

Customers understandably want to get their money’s worth. So they tend to want to cover every inch of the vehicle with numerous different advertising messages. The result is usually a cluttered and confusing mess.

Your job is to convince them that less is more. Limit the number of words to a maximum of six. Use a legible typeface, and incorporate bright or contrasting colors to attract attention.

Advice from Mr. J.

“Too many words, too many colors and too many design elements can create visual clutter and detract from your primary message,” says New Jersey sign maker, Julian “Mr. J” Braet. “Good truck graphics and vehicle wraps should communicate who you are, what you do and how your audience can get a hold of you.”

By keeping your designs simple, you will make vinyl applications easier and your graphics will have greater visual impact.  Limiting your design to three or four primary elements is most effective.  According to Mr. J, the most important  elements in truck graphics design include the company name and/or logo, the company slogan and a product picture that communicates what you do as a business. Trim and accent striping can help visually tie the design elements together.  Of course, don’t forget the company phone number and website.

Contrast in color and value aids readability.


“Big, bold, uncluttered graphics are more readable,” says Mr. J. “This is especially important in designing truck graphics, because your message is not only viewed at a distance, but it’s usually moving too.”

When determining  the location of copy on a vehicle, avoid such obstructions as door hinges, indentations, handles and compound curves, if possible. It’s best to locate text flat surfaces, such as the vehicle’s sides, hood and trunk. If you stretch the copy across a flaring, front-quarter panel or bumper, the lettering will likely become distorted, which hampers visibility.

In many cases, it’s easier to produce the background and the copy as separate design elements.  That way you can apply the computer-cut copy as an overlay. This allows you to adjust the positioning of the lettering to avoid obstructions, such as mirrors, louvered vents and doors.  

Why conduct an on-site survey.

Vehicle templates can greatly aid the layout process. But they are no substitute for conducting an on-site survey.  In conducting vehicle surveys pay careful attention to the condition of the paint job.  Is the paint a factory finish or a repaint job? Is their damage to the vehicle, that requires repair?

When inspecting a fleet of vehicles, Chuck Bules,  of  Arlon, advises verifying all measurements and taking pictures of each side, from every angle. Measurements are critical because you need to know how much live area you have available for the graphics.

Vehicle templates save a tremendous amount of time.  But there can be discrepancies between what appears on a two-dimensional computer screen and the actual  measurements on a three dimensional vehicle surface.

“Vehicle graphics is business of details,” says Bules. “There are so many variables in designing, manufacturing and installing that can make or break a program.  When you miss one of these details, it can cost you money.”

The focal point of the design.

In arranging the key elements  of your design, first decide which is most important. This is your focal point. Then determine where to position that primary element in the composition to give it the most prominence.

One way to attract attention to your focal point it to place that item slightly off center.  Another technique is to make the most important element of the design bigger than all of the other elements. This helps set the primary element of the design apart from the other elements and attracts attention to it.  As the Japanese say, “the nail that sticks out, gets hammered.”

Key design elements include the company name, logo and a product picture that communicates what you do as a business.

All of the other elements in a truck graphics or vehicle wrap design should complement the focal point. Make sure that the other elements don’t compete with or steal the attention from what should be the center of attention.

An attractive fleet design influences buyer behavior and improves employee pride and morale.

Many popular textures are available in software packages for use as backgrounds. Avoid the temptation to throw in everything along with the kitchen sink into your design.  Busy backgrounds often distract from the primary message and design elements.

“It’s much better to select lighter colors for backgrounds, such as a picture of clouds, sandy beaches or ocean water,” says Arlon’s Bules. “Fuzzy backgrounds, with fewer defined points of alignment, are much easier to match, when joining one graphic panel with another. You have much less room for error when you join panels with deep colors and highly defined images with multiple points of alignment.”

RECOMMENDED VINYL APPLICATION TOOLS

3M Power Grip Rivet Brush Applicator RBA-3

● Thicker handle provides a more comfortable grip and put less stress on the tendons around your elbow. 

● Stiffer bristles provide the more burnishing pressure to better secure vinyl films to rivet heads.

● Minimizes strain on muscles, nerves and tendons that lead to repetitive motion injury.

Teflon Hard Squeegee 4in for Car Wraps

● The slick Teflon surface of the squeegee glides smoothly over vinyl films without scratching.

● Ideal for vehicle wrap applications for pushing out stubborn wrinkles as you work the film around compound curves.

3M Hand Applicator Squeegee PA1-G Gold

● Stiff nylon squeegees provide the right amount of pressure to force air from under vinyl films and aid the adhesive’s flow out. 

● Nylon squeegees can be sharpen over and over for longer life.

● Preferred by  most professional decal applicators.

3M Hand Applicator Squeegee PA1-B Blue

● Softer, plastic squeegee is more conformable, for better vinyl application to curves, corrugations and irregular surfaces.

● Flexible yet durable plastic.

3M Hand Applicator Squeegee PA1-B Tool-Kit w/ 3x Felt Tips & Lint Free Gloves

● 2 Wrapping Gloves.

● 1 Blue 3M medium-hard professional squeegee.

● 3  Self adhesive felt edges for squeegee.

SEALITPEN

● Felt tipped marker filled with acrylic clear coat. 
● Use the SEALITPEN to edge seal a vinyl graphic. 
● A clean way to apply edge sealer - no brush required. 

3M Brand 3950 Edge Sealer

● Seals exposed edges of vinyl graphics.

● Prevents pressure-sensitive vinyl films from lifting resulting from environmental exposure or cleaning.

● Easy to apply clear edge sealer with a small artist’s paint brush or sign maker’s quill.

● Essential sealer for any professional graphics installer.

● Suitable for graphics applications in temperatures from 50°F to 100°F.

3M Tape Primer 94 1/2 Pint 8oz For Vinyl

● Promotes adhesion of all brands of pressure sensitive vinyl films and 3M™ VHB™ Tape.

● Use when vinyl graphics will be stretched into concave areas.

● Use complex vehicle contours, such as bumpers.

● For use on difficult to stick to and low energy surfaces such polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS, PET/PBT blends, concrete, wood, glass, metal and painted metal surfaces.

● Dries to a clear finish.

● Cleans up with isopropyl alcohol.

Steinel HG 2510 ESD Programmable IntelliTemp Heat Gun with a LDC Display 

● Temperature range: 120°F - 1200°F.
● LCD display enables temperature selection in 10°F increments
● Ideal for applications requiring precision control.

RollePro Vinyl Application Roller

● Using a RollePro eliminates the need to puncturing holes in vinyl films. No need to use a rivet brush. 

● Reduces the speed of applying vinyl graphics over rivets up to 50%. 

● Install vinyl graphics faster to make more money.

RollePro™ Textured Surface Kit

The RollePro™ Textured Surface Kit includes a standard handle, an original wheel and a high temperature wheel. The high temperature wheel can be used on a variety of surfaces such as brick and concrete.



3M Air Release Tool

• Needle point punctures bubbles under vinyl graphics to remove entrapped air.          • Retractable point protects graphics installer from puncturing himself. 

 

Car Wrap Magnets

• Vinyl wrap magnets hold vinyl graphic in place for easier application.

• Replaces masking tape in positioning graphics.

Knifeless Finish Line Vinyl Wrap Cutting Tape 50 Meter Roll

● Knifeless tape cuts vinyl graphic film without using a knife.

● Extremely flexible. Applies smoothly around doors, windows and wheel wells.

● Creates perfectly smooth, straight lines. 

RAPID TAC Application fluid for Vinyl Wraps and Vinyl Graphics

● During hot weather applications RapidTac prevents preadhesion that results in damaged vinyl graphics.

● RapidTac allows you to reposition vinyl graphics without distortion, until you register it to the right location.

● Proven formulation.

RAPID TAC II Application fluid for Vinyl Wraps Decals

● Specially formulated for vehicle wraps.

● Allows application of vinyl graphics at lower application temperatures. 

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Vinyl Application Videos

Squeegee Technique. Nothing is more basic in vinyl application than the squeegee. But some squeegees work better than others. And there are right ways and wrong ways to use this simple tool. This video clip reviews squeegee selection, squeegee care and squeegee technique. Click to Link

Wet Applications. Dry applications are typically recommended for most vinyl applications. For those exceptions to the rule, this instructional video explains the right way to perform a wet application. Click to Link

Application of Window Graphics. Installing vinyl graphics on glass can be challenging, because the adhesive aggressively grabs onto this high energy surface. Repositioning graphics on window is generally difficult, if not impossible. This instructional video explains how to dry apply window graphics right the first time. It also describes the necessary steps required for surface preparation. Click to Link

Transferring Frosted Window Graphics Films.  Because frosted window films are highly textured, transferring cut vinyl graphics can be problematic. This video provides direction in selection of the right application tape and how to apply these films quickly, easily and without problems. Click to Link

3-Step Surface Prep. This instructional video describes how to properly clean the surface of a vehicle before applying pressure sensitive vinyl graphics to a trailer or doing a full wrap of a car or van. This three step surface prep involves detergent washing, solvent cleaning and a final wipe down with IPA. Click to Link

Vinyl Application Over Rivets. Applying vinyl graphics on vehicle surfaces with rivets is challenging for most sign makers. Vinyl failures to these surfaces are all too common. This video demonstrates some tips and procedures, used by professional decal installers, which will make these demanding applications easier and more trouble-free.  Click to Link

Vinyl Application to Corrugations. Learn how to apply vinyl graphics to corrugations in a relaxed state. Forcing films into the valleys of corrugations puts too much mechanical stress on the film. Sooner or later, the vinyl will lift or tent in valleys. Click to Link

Applying Air Egress Vinyls. Vinyl films with air egress release liners have almost eliminated bubbles and wrinkles from applied graphics. Air egress release liners with their highly textured surface structure are problematic. Not much will stick to these liners other than the vinyl film. At RTape our best premask solution for air egress liners is a special Conform® tape called 4761RLA. Click to Link

About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.

Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer.  Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.

Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for  publications, such as  Signs Canada, SignCraft,  Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and  Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 325 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.

Slides of Jim's Artwork

© 2015 Jim Hingst