Vehicle Wrap Design Guide: 12 Rules for Wraps That Make the Phone Ring

Quick answer: The best vehicle wrap designs can be read in about three seconds: one clear logo, what you do, a large phone number or website, and high-contrast colors laid out around the vehicle's doors, handles and body lines. Ardor Printing's in-house designers build every vehicle wrap on a template of your exact vehicle, then refine it with you through proofs before anything is printed. Design starts once your deposit is received.

Key takeaways

• Simple wins. A wrap is seen for seconds at a time, often at 30+ mph.
• Design for the vehicle, not a flat page. Doors, handles, windows and curves all change how a design reads.
• The rear of the vehicle is the most-read panel in stop-and-go Seattle traffic.
• Good files make good wraps. A vector logo and brand colors save time and money.

12 rules for a vehicle wrap that works

1. Pass the 3-second test. Someone driving past should know who you are and what you do almost instantly.
2. Lead with one message. Pick the one service or idea you most want people to remember.
3. Make the phone number or website big. After your logo, it should be the largest element on the sides and rear.
4. Use strong contrast. Dark text on light backgrounds, or the reverse. Low-contrast color combinations disappear on gray Northwest days.
5. Design around the vehicle. Keep key text off door seams, handles, fuel doors, wheel wells and deep body lines.
6. Treat the rear like a billboard. Logo, service and phone number, readable from a car length or two back.
7. Limit fonts. One or two clean fonts. Save scripts and thin fonts for decoration, not phone numbers.
8. Stay on brand. Match your logo colors, website and signs so the vehicle feels like part of your business.
9. Use photos sparingly. One large, high-resolution image beats a collage of small ones.
10. Be smart with QR codes. They only work when the vehicle is parked. Make them large and put them near the rear doors or at eye level.
11. Plan for equipment. Ladder racks, toolboxes and roof racks can cover graphics. We design around them, especially for upfitted vans and trucks.
12. Design the fleet as a system. Consistent placement across every vehicle makes a fleet instantly recognizable.

What files to send your wrap designer

• Vector logo: AI, EPS, SVG or a vector PDF. A JPG from your website usually isn't enough for a large print.
• Brand colors: Pantone, CMYK or hex values if you have them.
• Fonts: your brand fonts, or tell us which ones you use.
• Photos: the highest-resolution originals available.
• Your copy: services, phone number, website, license numbers and any required markings.
• Vehicle details: year, make, model, roof height and wheelbase, plus photos of each side.

How the design and proof process works

1. Deposit and kickoff: design begins once your deposit is received. We review your goals, brand and vehicle.
2. First proof: we lay out the design on a template of your exact vehicle, showing every side.
3. Revisions: we refine layout, colors and copy based on your feedback.
4. Final approval: you proofread every word and number before printing.
5. Print and install: graphics are printed, laminated and installed by our crew.

See the full timeline in what to expect when you get your vehicle wrapped.

Common vehicle wrap design mistakes

• Listing every service you offer in small type
• A phone number too small to read from another lane
• Busy photo backgrounds behind important text
• Social media icons without handles
• Designs that don't account for windows, handles or racks
• Colors that don't match the rest of your branding

Lettering, partial wrap or full wrap?

Great design works at any budget. Simple vehicle lettering can look sharp and professional, a partial wrap adds bold color at a lower cost, and a full wrap gives you the most visibility. For costs, see our truck wrap and van wrap guides.

Frequently asked questions about vehicle wrap design

Start your wrap design

Ardor Printing's in-house team designs wraps for businesses across Seattle, Everett, Bellevue and Snohomish County. Our in-house designers handle wrap design and logo design for local businesses, with wrap design from $650 for a partial wrap and from $1,000 for a full wrap. See examples on our Our Work gallery and fleet wraps page. Call (425) 629-0796 or request a wrap design quote.

About the author: Dayne Remlinger founded Ardor Printing in 2012. His design and install team has branded more than 7,000 vehicles from its shop at 12531 Old Snohomish Monroe Rd, Snohomish, WA 98290.