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Designing a Memorable & Effective Truck Wrap

Designing a Memorable & Effective Truck Wrap
October 8, 2021 TheHoth
truck wrap

It may seem strange that adding a wrap to your truck can generate more money for your business. But did you know that truck wraps can yield a whopping 30,000 to 80,000 impressions per day? And because they often last up to 7 years, they are considered one of the most cost-effective forms of advertising out there. 

Key Benefits of a Vinyl Wrap Truck 

There are many benefits of using a vinyl truck wrap for your business, including the following:

  • Truck wraps are typically cheaper to apply than paint
  • You can advertise your business while you drive and while you park
  • Once in place, truck wrap advertising will drive new leads and sales on its own
  • There are many design options available, from simple decals to full truck wraps 
  • Wraps last for many years and are more durable than paint 
  • It is easy to apply truck wraps and to maintain them
  • They are easy to remove and update without damaging your truck 
  • They help protect your truck from scratches, scrapes, and other damage 
  • Branded wraps can help your business appear more professional and more established 
  • Truck wraps will help generate more brand recognition
  • They are cost-effective and much cheaper than other forms of advertising, such as billboards 
  • Truck wrap advertising has fewer restrictions than traditional signage, which typically requires a permit 

Now that you know how important vehicle wrapping is, let’s make sure you do it right!

6 Tips For Designing a Memorable Truck Wrap

Apply the following tips and tricks when wrapping a truck:

1. Research & Conceptualize Your Truck Wrap Design 

Before you work on the truck wrap design, you should dedicate some time to research the business and its competitors. Using this information, you can come up with unique design concepts. Moreover, you can create several design templates to see which one will suit your truck.

It’s helpful to think of your vehicle wrap as a large business card. Skimping on design might make or break the effectiveness of your wrap. With that mindset, budget in a proper amount of design time, allowing for revisions and reviews, before you go all in. If you are going to spend a few thousand dollars (at least) for a good wrap, you want to make sure it’s done right.

2. Choose Experienced Designers

Finding a designer is easy. However, finding a quality and professional designer is another story altogether. Choose the one with great experience in delivering memorable designs.

Second, designers should be part of a team that does the truck wrapping. It is not ideal to get a design from one company and use another company for installation. That’s why you have to counter-check the designers’ references and portfolios.

Ask the designer to keep it simple. You typically only have a few seconds to catch someone’s attention on the road, so don’t overload your wrap design with a bunch of detailed information. For this step, it’s crucial to get inside the mind of your customer. What can you communicate in a second that will make a lasting impression? What are the core competencies and values of your business? How can you merge those questions and blend it into your wrap design?

Professionals deliver professional work. It’s that simple. If you compromise on the quality of the designer, you will pay for a bad truck wrap.

truck wrap design

3. Select the Right Colors

Color is one of the most important parts of vehicle wrapping. It is the key from which every other design aspect will proceed. Get it wrong, and not only will you have wasted money, but you will also fail to draw in new customers.

Different colors are associated with different emotions, so be careful to choose colors that align with your brand and what you stand for. For example, according to color psychology, red is associated with passion, while blue is a calming color. 

It’s usually best to keep things simple and stick to just a few key colors. Generally speaking, bold colors work best for truck wraps because they are more eye-catching and memorable. 

Selecting the right color may affect other parts of your company as well. For example, if your company’s color does not work well on a truck wrap, you might have to rebrand. The good news is that an experienced fleet servicing company can help you rebrand to fit your vehicle wrapping requirements.

4. Incorporate Your Company’s Graphics

People will admire your truck when it has all the cool colors and designs. Yet, it will be a wasted opportunity if your company’s name is not on the truck body.

Vehicle graphics are there to promote your brand. The truck must have your business name and logo. Be careful to use a sizable and readable font. Also, ensure you choose a good spot to put the name and logo, one that is clearly visible. You may want to strategically place your name and logo in several different spots so that it can be seen from all directions. 

Also, remember to add the phone number, email address, website, or location of your company. You need at least one easy way for potential customers to get into contact with you! A simple website URL is typically easier for people to remember than a phone number.

You may want to include a few of your key products and services as well. This will alert potential customers to the solutions you provide. That being said, don’t clutter the truck with too much text or non-pertinent information. It will distract from the key message, which should be your company name and what you do.

truck graphics wrap

5. Consider the Shape of the Truck

Consider the nature of your canvas. The artistic piece of designing a great vehicle wrap is important, but you also have to consider the vehicle’s surface. Mirrors, windows, rubber and chrome can break up your design considerably, so you need to make sure you factor that into the creative process. Also, if you have a fleet, you will need to consider a uniform design for multiple vehicle sizes and types without having to go back to the drawing board for each make and model.

You can have the best design template in the world, but the shape of your truck will affect how it looks. Truck grooves and spaces can distort the information on the wrap.

Ensure that there is a flow to your design. Don’t leave your images hanging. All sides must complement each other. Consider whether it is legal to cover some parts of your truck as well, such as the windows.

You also want to make sure that the design doesn’t look awkward or embarrassing when windows and doors are open!

6. Think Outside the Box & Get Creative 

Vehicle wrap advertising is all about making an impact on passersby, so try to get a little creative with your design. 

Lots of companies incorporate a bit of humor into their truck wrap design to help them stand out from the crowd and be remembered. A trick of the eye or an optical illusion can make people stop and take a closer look. 

Another creative way to drive up your business’s website traffic with a truck wrap is to include a Quick Response (QR) code, or a barcode that can be scanned with a smartphone to immediately bring the viewer to your webpage. 

Another creative idea, which can help you track the impact of your car wrap, is to offer a discount to callers who mention seeing the car wrap ad.

Consider Alternatives: Truck Graphics, Wrap, Decals, or Paint? 

Before you invest in a truck wrap, you should think about all the alternatives available. You can go with a full truck wrap or a partial truck wrap, you can keep things simple with smaller decals or graphics, or you can get a paint job. 

There are pros and cons to all of these options, but if your goal is to advertise your business, we highly recommend going with a wrap, decals, or graphics instead of a paint job. Wraps are cheaper, sleeker, and more durable. Check out our article comparing truck decals, graphics, wraps, and paint to learn more.

vinyl wrap truck

Know Your Budget: How Much Does it Cost to Wrap a Truck? 

Setting your budget is another important part of the truck wrap design and planning process. 

The cost of a truck wrap varies from place to place and depends on many factors, including the type of wrap you choose, the size of the truck, the complexity of the design, and the installer you choose. For a pickup truck, you can expect to pay between $2,500 to $6,000 for a full, professional wrap. 

If you’re looking for something cheaper, partial wraps or decals usually cost less. Some people attempt to go the DIY route in order to save money, but don’t forget to factor in the cost of the necessary application tools, trim removal tools, and possibly extra vinyl wrap in case you make any mistakes. 

To get a more accurate estimate of the cost of a truck wrap, you should request a detailed truck wrap quote from a professional company like Pacific Truck Colors. 

Call The Truck Wrap Experts

There are many things to consider when wrapping your vehicle. You have to get it right to stand out from your competitors. Everything is easier when you leave it up to the professionals! 

At Pacific Truck Colors, we have a full Vehicle Graphics Department that specializes in custom-made vehicle graphics for cars, vans, and trucks of all shapes and sizes. We can design and install any kind of vehicle graphic, from simple door decals to full-coverage truck wraps. We only use high-performance media designed for use on vehicles and proven installation techniques so that your truck graphics look as professional as possible and withstand the test of time. 

Additionally, our Paint Department can handle anything from a simple touch-up on a single truck to a full paint body job for an entire fleet of trucks. With both a 40-foot and 60-foot booth, we can easily accommodate any size truck, including F-150’s to concrete trucks, 53 ft flatbed trailers, motorhomes, and anything in between.

Contact us and we will solve any and all of your fleet servicing needs at our one-stop shop in Portland!