Archive for March, 2022
5 Pro Tips for Effective Commercial Wall Wrap Design
Are you looking to transform your workspace and showcase the true strength of your brand? Whether you’re looking to enhance a single window or an entire arena, professionally installed wall wraps for offices and businesses are one of the best ways to create a visually engaging environment your customers—and the world—will love.
That doesn’t guarantee your designs will be a success, however. To best represent your company and get the greatest ROI on your branding investment, read our five pro tips for effective commercial wall wrap design.
PRO TIP #1: ALWAYS CONSIDER THE PURPOSE OF YOUR WALL WRAP
What is the primary goal of your design? Is it to promote your brand, improve navigation, or simply give your customers something nice to look at while they’re spending time in your establishment? Whatever the purpose, make sure you don’t lose track of that as you’re fleshing out your design.
For instance, an elaborate design is great for a wall mural in the lobby of your building. That same level of detail, however, would be way too distracting on a navigational sign and could spell frustration for your visitors.
PRO TIP #2: CREATE DESIGNS THAT ARE TIMELESS AND ON-BRAND
When it comes to architectural wall wraps, there are two main types to choose from: temporary campaigns and evergreen artwork that will last for years to come. Only one of those options is going to make the most of your marketing dollars, and we bet you can guess which one.
If your company is launching an updated logo, a new style guide, or some other form of branding initiative, that’s a perfect opportunity to refresh your workspace with matching wall graphics. While these new designs won’t last forever, it’s a much safer bet than going all-in on creative elements your company hasn’t touched in well over a decade.
PRO TIP #3: MAKE ANY TEXT EASY TO READ FROM A DISTANCE
Whether your wall wrap is meant to be viewed from across the room or across the street, you need to make sure any text you include is fully legible at that distance. This, of course, includes your business name, logo, and any other intricate elements you plan to include.
While interior wall wraps and signage are allowed a bit more leeway in this department, if your visitors need to get so close they could reach out and touch the wall, you should probably consider enlarging your design.
PRO TIP #4: EXTEND YOUR DESIGN BEYOND A SINGLE WALL
While you might have the perfect wall picked out for your wrap, don’t feel like you need to be limited to just one blank canvas. If you’re going to spend the money to wrap your property, consider making the most of the entire space to fully maximize your ROI.
If your design allows for it, you can really catch (and keep) the attention of your guests by extending your visuals around corners, onto the ceiling, and even along the length of the floor. Just be sure you plan your design around any interruptions such as doors, windows, trim, and large furniture.
PRO TIP #5: GET YOUR LANDLORD’S PERMISSION FIRST
We’re well aware of the old adage, “Ask forgiveness, not permission.” The thing is, when it comes to altering the appearance of your rented place of business, we highly encourage the opposite wisdom. Unless you own your property outright, we recommend you reach out to your building’s landlord before moving forward with any work.
Even though professionally installed wall wraps can be easily removed without causing any damage, your landlord may have a clause in your lease that restricts graphics of a certain size or in a particular area of the building. And when it comes to large, exterior signs and wraps, you may even need to get a local authority permit, so be sure to contact your local zoning office just in case.
TAKE YOUR BRAND TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH BRAND INK
Even an award-winning recipe can be ruined by an inexperienced chef. If you’ve spent the time and energy to create the perfect wall wrap for your office—don’t throw it all away by hiring the cheapest installer in town. And if you’re looking for professional assistance with your design, all the more reason to choose a company that knows all the rules of architectural graphic design—and when to break them.
Whether you’re looking to breathe life into a new brand or take your growing business to the next level, our team of professional designers, manufacturers, and installers has the expertise and experience to get the job done right—the first time. With our in-house design, quick turnarounds, and 3M-certified quality, wrapping your workspace with Brand Ink is the best way to elevate your brand in the eyes of your customers.
Contact us today to request a FREE wall wrap quote for your business.
5 Commercial Vehicle Wrap Fails (and What Your Business Can Learn From Them)
Creating the perfect vehicle wrap advertisement is hard. There are so many things that need to be considered (doors, windows, handles, etc.) that print and digital designers simply don’t have to worry about.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be really easy to make a mistake. Sure, many of those errors are so small, the vast majority of people will never notice them as they go about their days. Fortunately, there are a handful of vehicle wrap fails so epic, we had to include them here for you to appreciate.
And of course, with all mistakes comes the opportunity to learn. So, we’ve also included some helpful car wrap design tips so you never fall victim to one of these five embarrassing blunders.
Enjoy!
FAIL #1: FORGETTING YOUR VEHICLE DOORS OPEN
Unless you actually want your design to create a hidden image—like a Mad Magazine back cover fold-in—we recommend you take all doors and other moving vehicle parts into consideration. If your company name or tagline is too large to fit within the confines of the door, you may want to rethink its placement.
While sliding van doors are the biggest culprits here, back doors, tailgates, and regular car doors can all temporarily obstruct your message as well. Be sure to open all doors and windows and inspect your vehicle from multiple angles before you hit the road.
FAIL #2: PLASTERING YOUR FACE IN THE WORST LOCATIONS
There’d be nothing more frustrating than paying thousands of dollars to have your vehicle professionally wrapped, only to have a door handle covering two-thirds of your face. Because it still needs to function as a road-worthy vehicle, things like rearview mirrors, door handles, and—in many cases—windows need to be designed around.
While your logos, images, and text should all steer clear, a creative design can still move “through” these features to great effect. Just make sure to double-check the placement of each image before it the vinyl wrap gets applied to the vehicle.
FAIL #3: TRYING TO SQUEEZE TOO MUCH IN
The key thing to remember here is that you’re designing a moving vehicle—not a stationary object. Unless you’re stuck in the world’s worst traffic jam, your potential customers only have about 5–10 seconds to digest your message.
Don’t waste that time by shoving 18 bullet points and every service award you’ve ever won down their throats. Try to keep your design as simple and memorable as possible. Remember, if you highlight everything, you highlight nothing.
FAIL #4: USING AN OVERLY FLOWERY FONT
We get it—Palace Script looks super fancy and can make your brand look sophisticated in the eyes of your customer. With that said, it doesn’t matter how sophisticated you appear if nobody can actually read the name of your business.
Now, we know what you might be thinking, “But that’s our brand font! Don’t we need to be consistent?” In almost every other case, yes, but if your brand font is this illegible, you should probably fire your marketing agency.
FAIL #5: SETTLING FOR POOR QUALITY PHOTOS
While that grainy cellphone picture might look good on your two-inch screen, that’s not likely to be the case on your larger-than-life trailer wrap. Even on the tiniest smart car, your photo is going to be enlarged so much that the lack of quality will have nowhere to hide and will stand out in your design like a sore thumb.
Only use the most high-resolution photos or hire a professional photographer who can provide you with the level of quality you need. When it comes to acceptable photo formats, we recommend .EPS vectors, non-compressed .PDF, high-resolution .JPG, or unflattened .PSDs.
NEED HELP WITH YOUR COMMERCIAL VEHICLE WRAP ARTWORK?
Brand Ink’s in-house design team will work with you one-on-one to create the perfect look for your vehicle wrap. Whether your fleet consists of two vehicles or 200, our custom graphic team will provide you with the responsive service and consistent quality you need to make your brand look great wherever it goes. Contact us today for a free quote.