How to Make Your Car Wrap Pop!

1–800-Radiator Car Wrap

We all want our brand and vehicle graphics to stand out, grabbing the attention of every potential customer possible. While that’s great to strive for, how is this actually done? Is it with overly flashy graphics, all of your services listed, or funky colors? Not nec­es­sar­ily — or not even likely. A car is perceived very dif­fer­ently in motion. What may be attrac­tive when parked may be less so when the car is moving. A design that looks OK sitting still may be too busy when it’s on the road, colors can blend together, and details may be lost. To design an effective car wrap, consider how it will look in the garage and when driven.

If it’s a com­mer­cial vehicle or uses text — limit the words. The best headline may be a short catch­phrase and the organization’s name and contact infor­ma­tion. Any more than this, and your message may be lost. Increase your company’s exposure by limiting what prospects have to look at.

Choose the right color — color affects meaning, and the wrong color can change the message. An easy example would be a muscle car wrapped in pink. The color makes it a feminine car, which is OK if it’s for Susan G. Komen, or if the vehicle is driven by a woman, but probably not the best color for Bubba to take to the local drag strip on Saturday night. Another example — gray, a con­ser­v­a­tive color, would probably not be the best fit for cars promoting enter­tain­ers. Be sure the color fits the purpose and the eye.

Not every part of the car can be or should be wrapped. Chrome bumpers, window trim, and other equipment probably should not be covered, and some materials, such as a few plastics, are difficult to cover. More impor­tantly, less can often be more. KISS — “keep it simple stupid”. With the advent of digital printers, modern vinyl adhesives, and state of the art inks, there’s a tendency to overdo it. Just because it can be done doesn’t mean it should be.

Think outside the box. While basic design patterns are good for usability and provide a good starting point, don’t copy what everyone else is doing. Have fun with it. When planning and designing a car wrap, ask yourself if it expresses who you are? Is it memorable? What message does it convey?

If you want your car wrap to pop, take the time to design the pop into the wrap. We can help you design a car wrap that reflects who you are, what you do, and fits the car. If you’d like some ideas give us a call at 1–888-544‑8051.