Vehicle graphics and vehicle wraps explained!
Vehicles are one of the greatest advertising mediums for modern-day business promotion and awareness. They literally work for you, for practically nothing, and can bring you new business when outfitted with either a vehicle wrap or vehicle graphics. So what's the difference between vehicle wraps and vehicle graphics? Technically they can be considered one-and-the-same most all of the time, but then again, there are subtle differences that set them apart from each other looks-wise and price-wise. When contemplating branding your vehicle for business, you'll need to understand these differences to help you arrive at the best decision for your needs and your budget.
Okay, so vehicle graphics and vehicle wraps are commonly referenced as somewhat equivalent, which leaves people wondering what the difference is? Any vehicle that has printed digital decals adhered to it, with or without vinyl lettering, is sporting some form of vehicle graphics. But where the difference between vehicle graphics and vehicle wraps lies is in coverage...I'll explain below:
VEHICLE GRAPHICS
The box truck pictured to the left has been suited up with cut vinyl lettering and a cut vinyl logo, all of which have been cut to shape, so that the siding of the vehicle is the actual background.
Vehicle graphics, which can be termed a vehicle wrap as well, tend to include a combination of vinyl lettering and vinyl decals that are digitally printed or cut out of colored vinyl. Vehicle graphics can cover large areas on any given vehicle but typically are broken up into pieces so as not to be one large digital print.
Vehicle graphics tend to be on the cheaper side of mobile advertising in comparison to a full vehicle wrap or even a partial vehicle wrap. Digital decals and lettering combinations for vehicle graphics can also be installed easily for the do-it-yourself types which also cuts out the cost of professional installation, which is commonly requested and recommended, when it comes to vehicle wraps.
VEHICLE WRAPS (Full or Partial)
This tailgate is an example of a full vehicle wrap that conforms to the whole tailgate area.
Vehicle graphics morph into vehicle wraps when large portions of a car, truck, van, boat, box truck, etc. are covered with digitally printed decals that are intended to cover up the underlying vehicle with large scale images. Full vehicle wraps tend to cover most all of the vehicle, while partial vehicle wraps only partially cover the vehicle.
The overall look of a full car wrap is meant to create a seamless image that conforms to every nook and cranny of the vehicle. Whereas a partial car wrap still covers good portions of the vehicle, without fully engulfing it, exposing parts of the vehicle's exterior color (see photo below). Both types of vehicle wraps are achieved by digitally printing large adhesive decal prints or "panels" (kinda akin to wallpaper) on our high-performance vinyl material, that is thinner than our standard vinyl material, allowing the material to literally wrap around your vehicle.
Now with that being said, vehicle wraps, are a bit trickier for self-installations and technically should be applied by a professional installer. Vehicle wraps require special attention to detail when being applied to the car because the vinyl prints need to wrap around door jams, handles, wheel wells, and the like, to properly achieve a fully wrapped or partially wrapped look. And that is primarily why vehicle wraps can be much more expensive than purchasing vehicle graphics.
So the question you'll need to ask yourself when branding your vehicle for mobile advertising is just how much of the vehicle needs to be covered to achieve the look you are going for and what kind of budget are you working with. If the sky is the limit and your artwork permits, going big with a full vehicle wrap will create a visually stunning mobile advertisement; but if you have a budget and don't necessarily want to cover the vehicle completely, then purchasing vehicle decals and lettering (graphics) is a better choice especially when you consider that self-installation is fairly easy. Either way, investing in your mobile presence definitely pays off by getting you noticed while on the road.
Give us a call at (714) 573-9313 and let us help you get your car road ready with vehicle graphics or a full or partial vehicle wrap!