Dos and Don’ts for Commercial Fleet Graphics
Commercial fleet graphics are useful from both a logistical and marketing standpoint. On the logistics end of things, they can help you and your customers identify your vehicles no matter where they are. At the same time, they advertise your business to everyone passing by.
They’re clearly worth investing in, but they won’t be effective unless you design, install, and maintain them with care. Our list of fleet wrap graphic dos and don’ts will help you figure out what you need to do to make the most of the money you spend on these essential markers.
Dos for Commercial Fleet Graphics
Do Hire an Experienced Vehicle Graphics Company
Designing commercial fleet graphics is harder than it looks. You can’t just throw a design together and call it a day – you have to consider how that design will look on the 3D surface of your company vehicles. Hiring a professional sign company to create the design ensures that it will be clear, legible, and won’t hit windows, curves, or door seams at awkward angles.
Do Choose a Simple Design
Fleet wrap graphics are usually only seen for a few seconds at a time before your vehicle or your viewer moves on. That’s not enough time to take in an intricate design. Keep your graphics simple and bold, and use easy-to-read fonts that will show up well at a distance. It shouldn’t take more than a glance to get your point across.
Do Use Your Branding Elements
Your fleet graphics are a mobile representation of your company, so they should fit in with the rest of your company branding. Try to use the same logo, colours, and general tone used in your other marketing materials. Keeping your brand consistent like this builds trust and recognition among your audience.
Do Focus on Your USP
Your company’s marketing should already be centred around a unique selling point – a special feature or service that only you can deliver. Make sure you highlight this point in your fleet graphics as well. This will help you market your business to new people while your fleet is out on the town.
Do Choose Colours That Help Your Message Stand Out
The colours you choose for your fleet graphics should match the emotion you want to convey, but they should also stand out from the colour of the vehicle they are being applied to. Colours with lots of contrast will stand out best, especially when viewed from afar. If you can’t get your text to stand out, try adding a block of colour behind it to give it a background to work off.
Do Use High-Quality Materials
If you want your fleet graphics to last, you’ll want to have them made from quality vinyl. This material is highly durable and can be stretched over corners and rounded areas without warping, keeping your original design intact.
Do Protect the Print with Overlaminate or Clearcoat
Giving your vehicle graphics a protective coating will make cleaning easier and help the vinyl resist fading even after years of UV exposure. It also gives your graphics a shimmering glossy appearance that’s great for catching people’s eyes.
Do Choose Certified Commercial Fleet Graphics Installers
Even the highest quality fleet graphics won’t look good if they aren’t properly installed. Have yours applied by certified installers to make sure they come out smooth, clear, and professional-looking. Remember, these graphics will be marking your cars as professional vehicles that represent your business! You want them to look as good as they possibly can.
Don’ts for Commercial Fleet Graphics
Don’t Share Too Much Information
If there is too much text on your fleet graphics, your audience won’t read any of it. Stick to the basics: your company name, your logo, your address, your phone number, and maybe your website or email. The less you display, the more the information you do include will stick out in your audience’s mind.
Don’t Put Just a Small Decal on Your Vehicle Door
While you don’t want to go overboard with flashy colours and graphics, a tiny door decal won’t grab anyone’s attention. Make your commercial fleet graphics large enough to be clearly seen from a distance. Use as much space as you need to do this – remember, you can also use the back or hood of your vehicles if you need to.
Don’t Overlook Maintenance
Vinyl fleet graphics can be damaged by road salt, gas spills, and exposure to other corrosives. Take the time to look over your graphics occasionally and check for damage. If you find any, review the possible causes and consider replacing the graphics on that vehicle. It’s important to keep your fleet looking fresh and well cared for.
Don’t Let Bugs and Contaminants Build Up
Leaving dirt, bugs, tree sap, and other contaminants on your fleet graphics can expose those graphics to small amounts of chemicals that will gradually damage the vinyl. Cleaning these things off regularly will minimize the amount of contact your decals have with those substances and help them last longer.
Don’t Use the Wrong Wax
Wax with petroleum distillates in it can damage your fleet graphics. If you’re going to use wax on your vehicles, make sure it doesn’t have any of these additives first. You can even test the wax on a small, discreet area of one of your vehicles to see what happens. If the paint or vinyl reacts poorly, you’ll know not to use it on anything else.
Don’t Use Car Washes with Brushes
When it comes time to clean your fleet vehicles, stay away from car washes that use coarse bristles brushes to soap up your car. The friction from these brushes may lift the edges of your decals and force you to replace them sooner. Use soft rags or contactless car cleaning solutions instead.
We Design and Install Top-Quality Fleet Graphics in Toronto
Your business’s vehicles could be doing double duty as moving advertisements right now, so what are you waiting for? The Sign & Graphics Manufaktur offers fleet graphics design, printing, and installation services all in-house. Contact us at 905-670-0797 or online to request a quote for your fleet graphic decals today.
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