Car Sign Writing / Vinyl Wraps

Hi everyone...

I've been running my own business from home now for the last couple of years, and I am really at the point where I need to start getting the name out more.

However locally the advertising options are slim, the best option is the weekly newspaper, but it is way overpriced, and most other businesses (and individuals) I have spoken to admit that they only buy it to see who's died, who's married who, and see the other local gossip. Local radio I have been told has worked better for others, but is even more expensive.

I have my first Yellow pages ad this year, I joined the Chamber of Commerce last month, and I have been working on SEO and also Google Adwords, all of which are helping.

With that in mind, I wondered about getting my car wrapped, and wanted to know your opinions on this.

Have you done it, did it work for you?

I reckon it probably wouldn't cost much more than putting a decent sized ad in the paper for one week, and that it would get seen a lot more, especially as I do drive abotu a lot locally and to from Glasgow etc.

Also does it matter what type of car, or do you think that doesn't matter too much these days?

For example I happen to drive a Silver Mercedes C220, now I'm not a flash person, and I actually inherited it, but I do worry what people would think if that was sign written.

Does it make me look more successful than I am, and is that a good or a bad thing?

Any opinions on this would be great.

Iain.
 
Forget the car wrap, just spend £30 on some self clinging vinyll lettering of your web address etc for the inside of your rear window. I have it on mine and it works.
 
I used to work in the signage trade, I would think that a full car wrap would be very expensive, we didn't do them where I worked, but knew a few other companies that did. As Berry say's a simple vinyl graphic would be much cheaper! As you have a silver vehicle, black would stand out quite well with your logo cutout and the name or web address or both. Most vinyl cutting software will import an EPS file so you could quite easily supply the graphic which they could cut and apply.

As for perception of it, I think if you keep it quite subtle then there's no reason why it would look like you're more successful, to quote David Brent "a struggling salesman doesn't turn up on a bicycle, he turns up in a newer car" :)
 
Thanks guys...

Not sure the lettering on the back window would work because it is slightly tinted. So if the vinyl had to go inside then, that wouldn't be great. (The car dealer sticker is barely visible from the outside)

I like the idea of getting the name and logo cut out with the web address, and as you say the black would stand out well (that part had crossed my mind). I may need to look into getting that done for the doors or something.

I had a quick Google and there is definitely plenty of options for places to send my own artwork to and it looks pretty cheap if applying myself.

I don't want to go over the top anyways, but you do make a good point Greg, on the Brent quote.
Besides it's the car I have, so I don't really have any other option!
 
Hi Iain, we do car vinyls and I'd agree with Berry and Greg, for a decent quality car wrap, not shabby like a London Cab, you're talking big bucks and unless it's a really clear message these can just cloud the brand. You could get a print onto contravision which goes on the outside of the glass on the back window. It's the same stuff you see on the back of buses. It's covered in holes so you can still see out of the back window. This would need to be installed professionally. Do you have a rear wiper? If not you can stick vinyl on the outside of the glass, just go easy with the jet wash.

If you have an idea of what you want email it over and the sizes and I'll do you a special DF discounted price. Files need to be set up in illustrator as vector artwork as it cuts the outline of each section so outline your fonts, paths etc. In fact, if you PM me your email address I might have a scaled template in illustrator to do your layouts. If you're putting stuff down the side of the car, best not to have small text across the door shuts or swage lines. Standard vinyl is flat colour but we can print and cut so if you have rastered images thats cool too, they just need a cutter guide around the outside to cut to.

For the price of a wrap you could get a nice set of rims, subtle lowering job and some simple vinyl, much better value for money imho :D

Email me at [email protected]

Happy to help too if you decide to get it done locally

Tom
 
If you do go ahead and get it done, and in a few months time you're not keen on it, you can always remove it, best tip I can give is using a hairdryer to warm up the vinyl then with a flat blade very carefully lift the corners and you should be able to peal it off quite easily. After a few months it shouldn't leave much glue residue and if it does a light cleaning fluid will get it off.

And yeah there's quite a few online vinyl cutting services, if you can try and get Metamark vinyl, it's the best in the industry (IMO) and is guaranteed for 7 years on external use. If you need any tips on applying once you've got it let me know, I did it soo many times! If I lived a little closer to you I'd offer to come and help you with it :)

EDIT: There we go! didn't know Tom could do vinyl cutting
 
Good advice about the hairdryer Greg, not a hot air gun as someone I know used. Had to get his door repainted, never quite matched the rest of the car after that :D
 
Ouch! Yeah I heard a few horror stories along the same lines back in my signage days!
Out of interest which vinyl do you/does your supplier use Tom?
 
Hi Tom, thanks for the info.

I don't have a rear wiper, which is a pain in the arse, but good in this situation!

No real idea yet of what I want to do, just messing about with ideas. I would love to get a proper wrap done but as you say the money may be a factor and I do need to get new tyres and refurb the alloys before I do anything else.

That said once it is done I think it will definitely be worth doing something...

I do have it in my head at the moment to keep it simple, and all flat black cut out, as that would match all my stationery etc.

As Greg mentioned if I keep it basic and don't like it I can remove it. Equally if I find it is working I can look into something a bit more substantial down the line.

I think I will take a few pics once it drys up and take some measurements and play about with some ideas.


p.s. Greg...yeah I think Kent to Ayr is a bit of a trek. I appreciate the thought!

EDIT: I will avoid Air Guns!
 
Greg - We used a mix of metamark, hexis and mactac, depending on the colour mainly, Mactac is the best all round option of quality and price, cuts the nicest and seems to apply the nicest too. Each range has a different set of colours so sometimes the customers logo colour can only be matched (or close to) by one range.

There's a load of speciality single colour vinyls coming out now, purely for wrapping a car and chaging the colour. Lots of supercars being wrapped in matt black for that stealth bomber look, saw a cayenne at a car meet a couple of months ago, looked tough. Theres a few examples on youtube, much cheaper than a respray and you can change it back afterwards.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SZVtXLGWn4[/YOUTUBE]


Iain - no worries mate, I'll have a look for that template tomorrow, a lot of the cost is the application, so if you do keep it simple, and take your time on a non windy day, you can do it yourself :D
 
Thanks Tom, I've PM'd my email.

I'm sure I saw something online a few weeks ago about someone wrapping a whole car in chrome. Pretty sure it was for a footballer. No surprise there!
 
iain_darkflare said:
Thanks Tom, I've PM'd my email.

I'm sure I saw something online a few weeks ago about someone wrapping a whole car in chrome. Pretty sure it was for a footballer. No surprise there!


Sounds pretty cool, seen a couple of bikes actually chromed as they can get the fairings in the tank to chrome them for real, like this hayabusa

1999_suzuki_hayabusa_jon.jpg


I'll mail you tomorrow :D
 
I do a bit of vinyl/cutting application too. Not much to add to what the guys have said really.

Only suggestion I would make to keep it really subtle is to use an off black vinyl on silver. We always recommend a graphite shade that looks pretty classy on silver. It's been shifting a lot for us recently and the customers are always really happy with the finish.

I find metamark really good too Greg, especially their range of digital inkjet vinyls, they completely blow mactac out of the water (in my experience).
 
Krey20 said:
We always recommend a graphite shade that looks pretty classy on silver.

I find metamark really good too Greg, they completely blow mactac out of the water (in my experience).

That sounds good Ken, and yes I found the same with Metamark Vs Mactac :up:
 
Krey20 said:
I find metamark really good too Greg, especially their range of digital inkjet vinyls, they completely blow mactac out of the water (in my experience).


Interesting, for digital vinyls I agree Metamark is the better :D Have you seen the Aslan metallics, just did a job in their goldleaf vinyl, looks just like the real thing
 
Nope sorry, just got the estate and saloon as well. Should be able to get rough dimensions from the saloon outline I would have thought.
 
Berry said:
Forget the car wrap, just spend £30 on some self clinging vinyll lettering of your web address etc for the inside of your rear window. I have it on mine and it works.

Berry,

I'm happy you posted this, I'm in the fortunate position that my car gets a lot of attention (ex show-car), and such have considered using to my advantage, however without being able to find any stats on such marketing activities its put me off till now, by any chance can you quantify how much having your web address in your car window or body work has helped? is it a case of a small percentage of enquires are off the back of what people have seen on your car?

Cheers

Chap.
 
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