Choosing a Vehicle Graphics Company
Every town and city has sign makers who can supply and install vehicle graphics. From small independent providers to large franchise operations with several local branches, there is a wide choice of vehicle graphics companies. Below are important factors to consider when selecting a company for vinyl graphics and decals.
You don’t want to waste time driving across town to get your vehicle decorated. Time is money, so you should try to find a local company to sign write your car, van or truck. As well as reducing travelling time, supporting local businesses has its own benefits – businesses you patronise may in turn become customers of yours.
Sign writing used to be a highly skilled trade, however with the advent of modern inkjet and plotter technology, the barriers to entry into the business have been reduced such that almost anyone can set themselves up a sign writer. Check how long your local sign writing companies have been in business. Those firms that are experienced in traditional methods will not only understand the intricacies of applying vehicle graphics, they will also know the optimum design and layout to help you achieve your business goals.
An experienced sign maker will know what legal requirements you must meet with vehicle graphics, for example if you are carrying a hazardous load. Appropriate vehicle graphics will then be created to ensure that all required information is displayed on your car, van or truck.
If your business requires you to be accredited, for example as a bonded tradesman or as a member of a trade body like “Gas Safe”, then you will need appropriate decals and logos to advertise this fact. An experienced vehicle graphics provider will have the necessary stock artwork for the many different trade bodies, removing the need for you to hunt down logos to use in your design.
Any artwork you submit to your sign writer should be high resolution, typically 300 DPI. This ensures that pictures and logos have smooth instead of jagged edges, eliminating any blockiness that a poor resolution image would create. Low resolution images work at a distance, however if someone is standing next to your vehicle, a high-res image will look as it should. Your graphics are a quick flash of your company identity, so make sure that they do justice to your reputation.
If your business works in construction, road maintenance or security, the chances are that you’ll need some type of reflective graphics on your vehicle. These enable your fleet to be easily seen at night by reflecting headlights or street lights. An experienced sign maker will be able to incorporate reflective chevrons or lettering in the design with a high quality finish, whilst keeping your expenditure to a minimum.
Look for a company which guarantees its work and ensures customer satisfaction. You should only need to call on a guarantee if the workmanship was poor or if inferior materials were used. When the correct materials have been used by an experienced sign fitter, vehicle graphics should last 5 years or more once installed.
This is rarely mentioned by sign writers. Look for a sign writing company that you can develop an ongoing relationship with, to help both companies grow. It is much more beneficial to your company if you can work with someone who is interested in what your company does and will help you achieve it. In turn, recommending others to use your preferred signwriter will maintain that positive relationship.
