The Changing Face of Vehicle Graphics

Only 20 years ago, when I started in the signs & graphics business, vehicle graphics were very very different from what they are today.

Traditional signwriters were still earning a good living with brush and paint - mostly highly trained artists with years of training. But, the revolution in vinyl cut graphics was already well under way.

Vinyl graphics lasted longer and were easily removed once the vehicle was sold. Vinyl cut lettering and logos could also be produced by almost anybody with the right equipment. Traditional signwriters almost all moved with the times and invested in computers and vinyl cutting plotters.

Over the last 20 years the market for vinyl cut vehicle lettering and logos has become saturated - set-up equipment can now be purchased for under £1000. In many areas of the UK sign companies are competing intensively, often quoting as little as £100 or less for producing and fitting vehicle graphics.

Over the last 10 years a new revolution in 'vehicle wrapping' has hit the market. A 'wrap' usually covers the entire vehicle and is made from very high performance cast printed vinyl. The effects are stunning, head-turning and eye-catching.

Successful wraps require clever graphic design, high quality consumables, high quality vinyl printing equipment and  - most importantly - experience, skill and expertise in fitting.

In a way, the industry has come full circle. What was once the domain of qualified, experienced and trained craftsmen - traditional signwriters - is now returning to a domain of qualified, experienced and trained craftsmen - wrap printers and fitters.

Years ago fleet managers would purchase vehicles already sprayed in a corporate colour (think yellow British Telecom vans or red Post Office vans), and then have them signwritten or have vinyl lettering and logos applied.

Resale value after several years would suffer from two reasons, 1) Scratches and stone chips on the bodywork and 2) Vehicles were often a non-standard colour.

Wrapping a vehicle changes this completely. Vehicles can now be purchased as white, then fully wrapped in corporate livery. A good quality wrap will resist scratches, scrapes and chips and moreover can be completely removed prior to resale - leaving pristine 'fresh from the factory' bodywork to impress potential buyers.

For more information on Vehicle Graphics and Vehicle Wrapping, give the experts a visit at:

www.blackpoolsignsandgraphics.co.uk

Call now, 01253 851 106