Designing and Installing Signs

Adding signage to your personal vehicle, or to your company's fleet vehicles, can be a great way to advertise a local business or website. After all, depending on where you drive, that vehicle may be seen by dozens, if not even hundreds, of other drivers and passersby, every week or even every day. While vehicle signage can be a great means of advertising, you do want to avoid some common mistakes that vehicle owners often make when choosing vehicle signage, so you know your signs are easy to read and remember.

Mistake #1: Creating obstructions on the vehicle

Avoid the mistake of overlooking obstructions on a vehicle when planning your signage. You don't want a door handle to show up in the middle of a face that's painted on your vehicle, or to have the curve of wheel wells cut into those graphics and lettering. Instead, ensure that photos, numbers, and lettering will be placed on a part of the vehicle with no obstructions that would interfere with their appearance.

Mistake #2: Distorting images over doors and windows

If you're choosing signage that covers the entire vehicle and not just a panel, be sure you consider how that sign will look with doors or windows opened. Putting a picture of a face on a window may make it look rather odd and distracting when the window is open. Writing out the slogan "Create Your Own Books" across a sliding van door may make it simply say "Crooks" when that door is opened! As with obstructions, be careful of how pictures and lettering are placed across doors and windows when choosing and designing your vehicle signage.

Mistake #3: Clashing vehicle colouring

Even if the vehicle you'll be painting or adding signage to is plain white, you still want to keep that colour in mind when choosing graphics for that sign. Light lettering on a white vehicle will probably be invisible, especially in midday sun. Blue graphics on a blue or grey vehicle may also become invisible, and pastel colours may seem out of place on a black or red vehicle.

You also don't want to overlook how to use colours to make the vehicle itself stand out, so that your sign is more noticeable. For example, you might use a bold colour around the edge of a white vehicle. Add geometric shapes of different colours around the vehicle's trim, or paint the rims a coordinating shade so your car or truck gets noticed; in turn, your business sign will then be noticed as well!