Understanding the Fundamentals of Car Wrap Design

Studies show that 95 percent of Americans can be reached through media that targets vehicle drivers and passengers. Car wraps are found to be even more effective than billboards due to their mobility, direct line of sight, and cheaper cost. It is estimated that car wraps can result in 30,000 to 80,000 impressions per day, and because they last approximately 7 years, this means a great return on investment for your business. With so much opportunity, it’s crucial that your car wrap design is done well and configured for maximum impact.

 

Car Wrap Design 101

Before even thinking about the design of your car wrap, you should consider your business’s brand identity. Do you have a simple, eye-catching, unique logo? What are your primary and secondary colors? If you have a confusing or boring brand identity, the car wrap will be a missed opportunity.

Once you have a solid brand, you can move on to designing your car wrap. Here are a few tips to guide you in the right direction:

• • Placement is everything: Think about the different sides of your vehicle and which will get the most views. Avoid stretching text across corners of your vehicle as it will be difficult to read.
  • Keep it simple: Your audience might only get a quick glimpse of your car wrap, so make sure to minimize the amount of text. Blank space will help draw attention to the main message. Only include enough text to make sure viewers understand what your business does and how to reach you. Also, make sure the text you do use is large enough to be legible from a distance.
  • Be memorable: Bold colors and branding will be more eye-catching and memorable. However, avoid designs that are too “in-your-face” or obnoxious as they can turn-off your audience and be distracting for other drivers.
  • Don’t forget your contact information! This might seem obvious, but don’t forget to include a call to action on your car wrap, and perhaps on multiple sides.

 

Getting Car Wrap Design Ideas

Brainstorming creative ideas for your car wrap is half the fun. You can find tons of inspiring examples and ideas online by searching through Google images or Pinterest. It’s also a good idea to look at your competitors and get ideas from their branding and vehicle wraps.

One unique way to drive up your business’s website traffic with a car wrap advertisement is to include a Quick Response (QR) code, or a barcode which can be scanned with a smart phone and immediately brings the scanner to a website page.  Another creative idea, which will help you track the impact of your car wrap, is to offer a discount to callers who mention seeing the car wrap ad.

 

Planning Your Own Custom Car Wrap Design

For maximum possible impact, it’s recommended that you work with a graphic design team experienced in vehicle wrapping, rather than design the car wrap all on your own. Of course, you can still bring your own brand, ideas and vision to the table, but working with professionals will ensure proper fit, layout and installation of the car wrap, and make a better impression on your potential customers.

Work with Us to See How to Design a Car Wrap!

If you’re looking for Portland car wraps, our Vehicle Graphics Department at Pactific Truck Colors can aid you in every step of the planning and design process. We use only high-performance media and proven installation techniques to guarantee a great return on investment for your business. Get started and request a free quote today!