Top graphics tips from Signs Express
Image: Signs Express (Swansea)
Vehicle livery specialist Signs Express has offered advice for fleet operators looking to install graphics, tackling a variety of queries often posed by customers.
One topic the company is often asked about is whereabouts on a vehicle graphics should be applied.
“You can apply graphics to any part of your vehicle, but the strongest places visually are the sides and rear,” advised Jeff Bufton, head of operations at Signs Express.
“This is because they are the larger, flatter surface areas and also the visibility it affords in busy traffic and car parks.
“Of course, you can apply graphics to any part of your vehicle including the bonnet and roof, but these are less common as they’re less visible.”
He added: “We always encourage customers to really consider text size as that is important for visibility. As a guide letters that are three inches high tend to be visible from about 7.5 metres away and letters closer to six inches tall can be read from around 10 metres.*
In terms of which details should be included, Jeff pointed out that the average maximum attention span is around two seconds, so the golden rule is to keep it simple.
“Using a logo, company name and bold headline should be enough to attract anyone with any potential initial interest who could then read further information, including contact details,” he suggested.
“The biggest mistakes we regularly see are people wanting their phone number to be the biggest thing on the van or by them including lots of bullet points and supplementary information that is the same size or similar to the company name and headline.”
On colour choices, he added: “As with any design for signage some colours just do not work well together and there’s not enough contrast to make the graphics on your vehicle legible. So, depending on the colour of your vehicle, some thought will need to go into selecting the best colours to ensure the graphics look their best.”
Image: Signs Express (Swansea)
Jeff discussed a number of factors which can affect the cost of a project.
“Essentially the more signage you have the more material you use and the longer it takes to create and apply,” he said.
“We only use higher vinyl grades that will stand the test of time, and certain specialist vinyls that are conformable into recesses or are reflective will also add to the costs.
“But we will work with our customers to manage expectations during the design process or to create designs that fit within their budget, so we’ll always try to maximise the value of the signage and so there are never any nasty surprises.”
On the question of whether graphics damage the vehicle, Jeff says the opposite is in fact true.
“For a full wrap graphics actually help to protect the paintwork, making this a popular option for lease vehicles. Our biggest advice on this, however, is to make sure you follow the guidance provided for maintenance and get a professional to remove the graphics when the time comes.
“However, it is important to consider when having a partial wrap or cut vinyl graphics that these will protect the paint they cover, not the rest of the vehicle which is exposed to the elements.”
Jeff acknowledges that having vehicles that are vital for business operations off the road is not ideal, and says Signs Express therefore aims to minimise downtime as much as possible when installing graphics.
“As a rough guide standard graphics can typically be applied in half a day,” he said.
“Slightly more complex designs can take around a day, and a full wrap in 3-5 days, depending on the size of the vehicle.”
