Graphics
Vehicle graphics: what they cost and how long they last
A lettered van is the cheapest advertising space a business owns. If film, application and care are right.
A trades business drives between 20,000 and 40,000 kilometres a year. Every one of those kilometres is seen. That makes the company van the cheapest permanent advertising there is – measured by contact opportunity, it lies well below any other form.
Partial or full wrap
A partial wrap puts logo, service and contact on the doors and rear. Depending on the vehicle it is done in a day; we calculate the effort in advance on the specific model. A full wrap covers the entire body, changes the vehicle colour and sits considerably higher – but it works like a rolling poster.
What matters with the film
For curves, ribs and edges you need cast film. It is more expensive, but does not pull back and does not tear at the edges. Renowned manufacturers such as 3M, Avery Dennison and Orafol quote service lives of five to ten years – provided the application was clean and the vehicle is cared for.
What shortens the service life
- Pressure washers at close range on the edges.
- Brush car washes with hard bristles.
- Permanent parking in blazing sun without protection.
- Film on freshly painted surfaces that are still outgassing.
And the return at the end of the lease?
A professionally applied film can be removed without residue – the paint surface beneath is often in better condition afterwards than the rest. The important thing is to plan it in time: after ten years of sun, removal becomes laborious. On request we cost the removal right away.
How it works with us
First the vehicle comes into the hall, or we come to the vehicle. We measure the surfaces, photograph and set up the template. Then the design is created as a view from all four sides – so you see in advance how the logo runs across the sliding door.
After approval it is printed, laminated and cut. The application itself takes half a day for partial lettering, two to three days for a full wrap. The vehicle must be clean and dry, the hall tempered – in the cold the adhesive does not bond properly.
What must not be missing under any circumstances
- Company name and service in one sentence, legible from ten metres.
- Telephone number large, web address beneath.
- No e-mail address: nobody types it out while driving past.
- Leave free areas. A crammed vehicle looks cheap.
Special cases
On electric vehicles we watch out for charging flaps and sensors. On vehicles with driver assistance, cameras and radar surfaces must not be covered. And on leased vehicles we record in writing beforehand what is agreed for the removal – that saves discussions after three years.
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