What questions should I ask about vehicle graphics is an excellent question, because a lot of folks wait until it’s too late to think about what they should have asked about vehicle graphics. Here are ten questions, or categories of questions, to ask before beginning any vehicle or fleet graphics projects.

What You Need to Know About Vehicle Graphics

Photo by Simone Secci on Unsplash

How will the old graphics be removed from my vehicles?

We use, heat, steam, and nontoxic citrus based cleaners but be careful some providers use toxic chemicals that can damage your vehicles, let alone what they do to the environment.

How long is the warranty and what’s covered?

We cover both the material and the work. The length of the warranty depends on the grade of material. Higher grade adhesive vinyl carries more extended warranties than lesser adhesive vinyl. Be sure to ask if the warranty covers labor and materials, because that’s not always the case.

How long will it take?

There are many variables that affect the time of installation including:

Is it a full wrap, partial, or plotter cut decals?
Type and size of the vehicle
The number of installers who will work on the application. A 53-foot full wrap being applied by two installers could take days, while six installers could complete the job in hours.
How many vehicles, where are they located, and how much preparation do the vehicles surfaces need?
What is the backlog of the provider? Quality providers are in demand.

This might help answer your question, FAQ: What’s the Fleet Graphics Process Start to Finish?

How do I properly maintain the vehicle graphics?

The best thing anyone can do to keep adhesive vinyl vehicle graphics looking bright and new is to keep them clean. Road contaminants, solvents, and dirt can damage the surface of any vehicle, paint or graphics. It’s important to remove these particles soon and often. Don’t allow harsh chemicals like road salt to build up and attack the surface of your vehicle. Wash bird droppings, tree sap, and other stains as soon as possible. The number one key to keeping your new vehicle graphic looking new is to keep it clean. Here’s more on caring for your vehicle graphics, Caring for Your New Vehicle Graphics

When the graphics are removed, how should I prepare the vehicle for resale?

No fleet manager ever wants to hear that the fleet vehicles need repainted. Using lesser-quality materials with permanent adhesives can lead to the scraping and scratching of your vehicle during the removal process. If the paint and surface are in good condition, and the right material and proper removal techniques are used, the surface will be undamaged at removal and it will have been protected. If you’d like to learn more read this, FAQ: Will Vehicle Graphics Removal Damage the Paint?

How long will my vehicles be out of service?

Time is money. The best case scenario is for the vehicle graphics installation team to work at your location during off-hours. Here’s an example, “The process was divided into 4 phases with 5 installation crews traveling North America. Individual company branch locations were able to access status information at any time. The fulfillment program integrated all phases of the process with TKO Graphix and the customer.” — 4,000 Vehicles at 200 Locations with Zero Down Time.

Do I have to wrap the entire vehicle?

Nope. Full wraps are a great way to brand your business, but it’s not the only option and not always the best. Here are the basic options:

Full wrap – Which simply means wrapping the entire vehicle. This can also include window film and wrapping the roof of the vehicle. The larger the wrap area, the more it will cost.
Partial Wrap – Wrapping portions of the vehicle, not the entire car, truck, or trailer. This can be a great option when the vehicle has been ordered in a color that works with the graphic. For example, placing a dark logo on a white vehicle can eliminate the need for a full wrap.
Decals – Plotter cut decals can be strategically placed to create a full wrap appearance when, once again, the vehicle is the appropriate color. If you’d like to learn more read this, FAQ: How Much Do Fleet Graphics Cost

What color is best?

When choosing colors for your vehicle graphics, it may not be what color, but how colors of both the vehicle and your graphics contrast. Using poorly contrasted colors reduces the impact of vehicle advertising. Poorly chosen hues, designs that hide the message, and colors that don’t match your brand waste your marketing dollars. One should first consider the brand, logo, and vehicle colors. If you want the background of your vehicle wrap to be blue, order a blue vehicle. Here’s more, FAQ: What Color Should I Wrap my Business Vehicle?

How can I check the installer’s credentials? What certifications should the installers possess?

There are two primary vehicle graphics installation certification programs. PDAA (Professional Decal Application Alliance), which is administered by SGIA (Specialty Graphics Imaging Association), and UASG (United Application Standards Group), through 3M. Both require extensive training and testing, and there are different levels of certification. For example, PDAA offers both basic and master certification. According to PDAA, “Basic certification accommodates companies that have absolutely no interest in doing vehicle wraps with complex curves.” So be sure you have an application team certified for the type of installation required.

Ask About Vehicle Graphics First

By preparing ahead of time and knowing what questions to ask about vehicle graphics before the project has begun rather than after a disappointment can save, time, money, and pain. If we can be of any service, Contact Us, we can answer any and all of your questions about vehicle graphics.

If you’d like a free estimate for your fleet or vehicle graphics; you can Request A Quote.

TKO Graphix is a national fleet and vehicle graphics company helping customers since 1985. We provide full-service graphic design, digital printing, screen printing, graphics installation, and removal of large format graphics.

We’re a fleet and vehicle graphics company and since 1985, we’ve been helping businesses, large and small, brand their fleet of tractor-trailers, service trucks and company vehicles. Whether you have a fleet of thousands or a few vehicles, we are here to lead you through the vehicle branding process.

TKO Graphix is a Certified 3M™ MCS™ Warranty graphics manufacturer. Our installation crews are 3M Certified and are employees of TKO Graphix, not sub-contractors.