Spreading the word is a huge challenge for start-up businesses.
Establishing a brand is key to success and survival in the short-term, placing great emphasis on marketing efforts right from the outset.
But of course, not all small businesses can afford to partner with a creative agency. This is even harder for one-man bands. That’s why many gravitate towards magnetic vehicle signs in the first instance, achieving big exposure for comparatively a small cost.
Evans Graphics specialise in printing magnetic vehicle signs and have great experience in helping companies spread their message far and wide.
In this blog we’ll share some important design tips to ensure your vehicle stands out from the crowd… or rather, the traffic.
1. Fonts
Magnetic vehicle signs allow SMEs to take their business on the road. They instantly transform an ordinary vehicle into a moving advertisement, one that can spread a message further afield, or at least as far as you’re willing to travel.
Easily printed onto high quality traffic grade magnetic vinyl, these elements are inter-changeable, meaning they can be switched out according to seasonality and periodic promotions.
Printed using high grade and vibrant UV cured ink, the finished article is durable, and able to withstand the harshest weather conditions without ever damaging your bodywork.
With all that in mind, you’d think it impossible to go too far wrong. You’d be wrong.
That’s because the impact of magnetic vehicle signs still depends on the design itself and its messaging in particular.
It’s important to remember you have a limited amount of space to work with, meaning you have to maximise your canvass. This is best done by embracing large and clear fonts that display the key information.
Rather than cram each and every service offering into the print, you should prioritise the most important elements – namely your company name, logo, telephone number and website. These will always be the key takeaways and should be clearly legible.
Readability is helped no end by an effective selection of font. Your brand guidelines may influence this, but it serves to adopt a clear typeface that can be read without much effort. In our experience the likes of Raleway, Futura and Helvetica hold up well. Don’t count on passers-by looking twice….
Be sure that any information is current. Memorable vehicle signage counts for nothing if it’s promoting something out of date. This equates to a poor user experience and will lead to customer dissatisfaction.
2. Colours
There are millions of branded company cars, vans and trucks on UK roads. All of those stand to acquire 70,000 impressions a day. So how do you stand out?
The answer lies in striking design, something guaranteed when using contrasting colours.
Pairing alternate shades draws attention and captures the imagination. It also helps with that all-important readability factor.
Adopting both black and white is an age-old but effective tactic. Combining the likes of blue with orange and purple with yellow more ambitious and, potentially, more fruitful.
Contrasting colours will make your vehicle signage easier to spot in moving traffic. This is true for logos but also for any imagery incorporated. This should be eye-catching and designed to leave an impression.
Do be wary though of the actual paintwork itself. If the colours in your sign resemble those on the bodywork the chances are it will get lost and have little to no impact, particularly when viewed from afar.
3. Positioning
The design of magnetic vehicle signage will be informed by placement.
Knowing exactly where you’re going to position your decal on the bodywork is important as this can impact sizing in particular. A bigger canvas allows for a bigger sign.
Anything adorning a standard car tends to be placed on either the driver or passenger side doors – or indeed both.
Those intended for a van are ordinarily added to the side or back of the vehicle. Some may even introduce theirs to a tailgate. This is particularly useful in built-up traffic. There is, after all, little else to look at in congestion.
Another key consideration when it comes to placement is the car surface itself. Be mindful that magnets will not stick to the likes of aluminium, fibre glass or plastic. A growing number of modern cars are manufactured with doors made from synthetic materials in particular.
Thankfully, the majority of cars are still fitted with doors made from ferrous metal, but it serves to double-check to avoid disappointment and a late re-think.
It’s also important to keep the signage clean and not just for presentation purposes. While vehicle signs are relatively fade resistant, they will, over time, collect dirt and condensation between their surface and that of the car. This can loosen the grip and lead to displacement and damage.
4. Personality
You encounter hundreds of branded vehicles during an average commute to work. How many, if any, stick in the memory?
Differentiating your magnetic vehicle signage from the crowd, never mind the competition, is difficult but injecting personality into the design can help.
Yes, bold and colourful artwork assists in this but good old-fashioned humour and/or irony is more likely to resonate. Clever word play leaves a lasting impression.
Real life examples include:
- Tree Wise Men (Maintenance Contractors)
- Iron Maiden (Professional Ironing Service)
- Pho King Way (Noodles and Grill)
- Dave’s Workshop – Where Everything Gets Done Eventually (Repairman)
- Jolly Plumbing – A Flush Beats A Full House (Plumbers)
We’re all familiar with bumper stickers intended to draw a laugh. This tactic is equally as effective when scaled up for professionally printed vehicle signage.
5. Print Partners
The final consideration for those looking to create magnetic vehicle signage is arguably the most important.
Teaming up with an experienced print provider is the best way to achieve the desired outcome.
The likes of Evans Graphics will reproduce your artwork exactly as intended, using high quality vibrant UV cured ink to do so. Intensive finishing and cutting options are also available to help accommodate bespoke shaping.
Professional printers can advise on all aspects of a design. This includes print markings and guidance on the likes of dots per inch. High-resolution images of at least 300dpi are required if detail is to be retained when blown up.
Printers will also attach the adhesive vinyl to the all-important magnetic sheet material and explain the do’s and don’t of adding this to a vehicle.
All of the above comes relatively cheaply, with small runs and small setup costs resulting in a cost-effective solution for start-up businesses in particular.
Magnetic vehicle signage is a quick and easy way to place your brand in front of thousands, without spending a penny on paid advertisement campaigns. When designed right, they can do wonders for brand awareness.
