I sat down with TKO Graphix national sales manager, Glenn Burris and asked how customers could save money on vehicle graphics. Glenn has more than twenty years with TKO Graphix and has worked his way up through our print shop and installation. He knows what he’s talking about. One of our outstanding CSR’s, Tenneva, overheard the conversation and added her input as well. So, would you like to know how to save money on vehicle graphics?

  1. You Have Options Other Than a Full Wrap

Every vehicle graphic doesn’t need to be a full wrap. Partial wraps and plotter cut decals are often just as effective as a full wrap, and they’re less expensive. Decals use less materials, print quicker, and take less time to install than a full wrap. Time and material cost dollars.

  1. Order the Optimum Color of Vehicle

If you’re wrapping a new vehicle be sure to order the best color. The other day while strolling through our installation bay I watched as a team completed a full wrap on a work truck. The design was a white background with a blue logo, an image, tagline, and contact information. The truck was blue. Had it been white it wouldn’t have required a full wrap. A few decals would have accomplished the same at a lot less money.

  1. Use the Right Material for the Job

There are many types and grades of adhesive vinyl graphics. Some are made to last longer than others. If you’re wrapping a vehicle that’s lease is up in a year you might not need a long-term adhesive vinyl. However, be careful – some cheap adhesive vinyls can cause problems. Which leads me to …

  1. Don’t Go Too Cheap

A cut-rate vinyl may use cheap adhesive which has not been designed for efficient removal from a vehicle. This is something we see more often than we’d like. I remember a business who thought our bid was too high coming back to us to de-identify (remove the vinyl graphics from the vehicles). The company had accepted a lower bid. Unfortunately, the reason the bid was lower was the material the provider used was of poor quality. We turned down the job and told them the removal would damage the finish, and the vehicles would most likely require paint. Ouch.

  1. Know What You Want

Time and money can be saved if you come to a designer knowing what you want. You don’t have to know the exact design you want, but you do need to understand what you want to accomplish. When you’re uncertain as to your priorities, it can be a process that drags on with the time clock ticking.

  1. Hire Professionals

Hiring professionals includes designers, printers, and installers. Vehicle graphics is not a DYI project. For example, even experienced graphics designers often don’t understand the nuances of designing a three-dimensional graphic. Vehicle graphics can look a heck of a lot different on a car or truck then they do on a screen.

  1. Thoroughly Proof the Design Layout

“When a vehicle graphics provider sends a layout to a customer for approval, the sales and design team are asking, ‘Does this meet your expectations?’ When a layout is signed and approved, the design goes into production. Changes after a layout is in production can be costly and time-consuming. When clients don’t take the time to thoroughly check and double check the layout, mistakes can happen. Before signing off on a layout, take enough time to check and recheck it, and then get the okay from everyone on your team who is involved.” —  How to Proof Your Vehicle Graphics Layout.

7 Steps to Save Money on Vehicle Graphics

There you have it, seven steps to saving money on vehicle graphics. If you consider your options, order the best color, hire professionals, and know what you want, you can save money two ways. First, by not spending more than you need to on the initial project, and secondly by not spending money to fix what you started. Let us help you save money on vehicle graphics, Contact Us today!

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash