More Vehicle Templates Added!

One of the top requests we’ve had for a while now was for more templates. Well, thanks to our new fleet graphics partner, your requests have been answered!

New Vehicle Wrap Templates

We’ve added some of the most widely requested vehicle wrap models to the site. These include:

  • 4 Door Sedan Wrap
  • Transit Van Wrap
  • Transit Connect Van Wrap
  • Pickup Truck Wrap
  • Traditional Cargo Van Wrap
  • Box Truck Wrap

More Vehicle Wrap Templates On The Way

We have more wrap templates in the works, and want to know your feedback! Let us know what wrap templates your shop or business would like to see next on the site, and we’ll do our best to add them! Thanks to everyone that provided feedback on what templates they wanted to see leading up to this addition, and we hope that we were able to put up most of the main vehicle models that you needed. What would be next for you? Tractor Trailers? Exotic Sports Cars? Trains? Lets us know!

Fleet Graphics Templates

Many of the new templates are great for fleet graphics for commercial fleets, covering many of the most common types of fleet vehicles that are out there on the roads today. If there are more fleet vehicle models that are not covered by one of the categories of vehicle graphics templates we have, please let us know!

Vinyl Wraps for Boats

Vinyl Wraps for Boats

So, we know about wrapping your car, now the same technology is being used to customize your boat as well. It doesn’t matter if you simply want a great design, change the color, wish to use your boat as an advertising tool or as in my case; get rid of the faded colors on the side of the boat.  The process of custom boat graphics is easier than you might imagine. The first step has you working with a design team to figure out exactly what you wish to accomplish with your boat. If you have a new business and wish to do a little advertising while out on the water then your business logo can easily be designed to fit your boat. If you want colors or images, just convey your thoughts to create the custom boat graphic you desire.

side wrap on boat hull

Side Wrap on Boat Hull

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost Effective and Endless Possibilities

Once you decide on what type of graphic you want the design is then printed and installed within days. Why waste money on having professional artists or painters come in and try to accomplish such a job that will take them days, weeks, or even months to complete. And they are removable, boat wraps have been applied on Bass Pro fishing boats for years and they change them often to reflect a tournament, display the current sponsor or advertise for a sponsor. If your boat already has existing detailing or lettering, it is best to have this professionally removed by the installer, boat wraps are exposed to harsh conditions both in salt water as well as fresh water.

Great Looking Boat

Be “Outstanding” on the water

 

 

 

 

 

Choose your wrap shop on custom-car-wraps.com

Once you’re ready and have made your plan, go to custom-car-wraps and find a wrap shop in your area. Most of the shops listed will be able to help you or at least refer you to a local expert for boat wraps. They will know how to professionally design, print and install your new look for your boat. Specific vinyl will need to be used and all major manufacturers (3M, Avery, Oracal, etc.) have marine grade vinyl and laminates available. Go ahead, it’s quick, easy, fun and affordable!

Full Boat Wrap

Custom Design for Your Wake-Board Boat

 

Why Wrap a Vehicle; Why not Paint it

Why Wrap a Vehicle; Why not Paint it

It is common practice for our customers to request quotes for the price of wrapping a vehicle from local wrap shops.  What is unusual is that when the quotes come in, the customer reacts something like , ‘Maaco  was only a few hundred dollars for a paint job’ or ‘That’s a lot less than painting!’  So we became curious, why do some of our customer think a vehicle wrap pricing is reasonable, while others scream bloody murder over the cost compared to painting?  We found the simple answer to be that painting varies just as the quality of a wrapped vehicle varies.

We are no expert on vehicle painting but it is our understanding a vehicle should be sanded, painted and primed before it is actually painted.  Just like other processes, the quality of the paint can make a huge difference.  The vehicle is usually out of commission for two weeks.  That being said, we have recently learned you can skip the first steps and go right to the painting to decrease the cost.  So, a $500 Maaco paint job can seem like a great deal, but not include all the extras and look awful in a few years when it needs to be redone. And, how are you going to paint your logo and artwork?

If you have been considering a vehicle wrap in lieu of a paint job, consider why you might choose a wrap.  A car wrap is removable.  Wrapping a vehicle means you can include various visual tricks you can’t achieve with paint. This might mean logo vehicle branding or digital logo images.  Wraps last about 5-7 years and are completed in just two days.  The box truck wrap can go over rivets, too.  Wrapping, once removed, does not lower the value of your car. So go ahead and design that wrap on custom-car-wraps and get the quotes from your local wrap shops.

Full van wrap

Design a Car Wrap On Line

Go on line and design your car wrap!

Advertising through time has become more innovative. Technology has made ads more available to many people with the use of TV ads, radio, and the internet. All these methods produce positive results but they often cost more and can be quite heavy to small businesses. Vehicle wraps however is a unique way of promoting your products by using vehicles as mobile billboards. It is quite easy, custom-car-wraps.com lets you design a car wrap on line, make a choice out of a bunch of wrap shops in your area, have it printed and laminated on any type of car. This method is becoming more popular these days because it is less expensive than any other forms of advertising.

The design of your mobile billboard should be attractive in order to be noticed by people. Through the design your car wrap on line with custom-car-wraps.com you have to determine what type of vehicle you would want to use so you can create a design that would fit the shape of the car, truck or trailer. The design can either be fully covered or partial depending on your preference. Choose from a list of wrap shops in your area and ask for bids based on what you have designed. Once you have the best bid, ask the wrap shop to assign it over to an artist so it can be enhanced graphically and per the contours of your exact vehicle. During your design of the car wrap on-line, make sure to use bold and brilliant colors so you will stand out among many vehicles moving around. Use simple fonts as much as possible so your logo can easily be understood even with a slight glance. Remember that the vehicle will be moving most of the time so make sure it is clear, attractive and luminous so it can also be seen at night.

 

New Paint Job? Replace your Color with a Wrap

Vinyl Wrap instead of Paint

A brand-new Porsche Cayman is being turned from classic silver to bright green with a matte black hood . Just steps away, a 1972 Chevy Impala convertible is being covered in mirror-like chrome. There’s no paint involved, the cars are being wrapped in big sheets of vinyl. And on the wall above where the wrapping is being done is a sign that says this: “Paint is dead.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commercial vehicles wrapped in vinyl to become rolling billboards are fairly common these days. But this year has seen a boom in private cars getting wrapped in vinyl. No splashy logos, often no graphics at all. Just color and special effects such as carbon, matte black or anything that makes the car stand out. A BMW is wrapped in matte orange, an Audi wrapped in a gray metallic vinyl, expensive cars are not being re-painted but wrapped. “The finish is flawless,” said Smith, an expert at a local wrap shop. “You don’t have to worry about the paint running, about it being wet-sanded badly.” Like most others that are in the wrapping vehicles, the bulk of their work is wrapping commercial vehicles, turning them into moving billboards. But more and more, wrap shops are wrapping private vehicles in vinyl. Sometimes it’s for a look you can’t get with paint — consider a chrome Mercedes or a Saab covered with white alligator vinyl. Other times, it’s to preserve the original paint’s integrity; “You can’t take a Ferrari off the lot and paint it green,” said one installer, you’ll knock a lot of dollars off its value.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anything is Possible!

The owner of the Porsche wanted a green one, Smith said, but that would take close to a year to get. So he bought a silver one and is having it wrapped in green. The key is that the silver paint is still intact, underneath. 3M, one of the largest makers of vinyl wrap, guarantees that it won’t leave any glue or residue during the first five years.  After that,” Smith said, “it starts to get a bit permanent.” The price is dependent on the square feet being covered, but vehicles are in the $3,000 range. That’s more than some paint jobs, less than others.

“We haven’t scratched the surface,” Smith said, using a questionable phrase for someone in his business. “We can do refrigerators, boats, bikes, jet skis …”. He actually put one on a refrigerator — his own. Smith covered his refrigerator with a black matte finish because his wife was tired of the kids’ fingerprints on the shiny surface. “Within three to five years,” Smith said, “wrapping a car will roll off everyone’s tongue as often as painting.”

Soni had a couple of reasons to have his leased BMW 135i covered with matte orange. He owns The Party Shop and when he opens up a few temporary Halloween stores this fall, he’ll have the phone numbers put on his rolling pumpkin.

 

 

 

Some Great Advertising through Vehicle Wraps!

On a recent business trip, we came across some great wraps on larger vehicles, the tour bus in Manhattan’s Soho district and the Mercedes Sprinter on the streets of San Francisco. These wraps work!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Reasons to Wrap your Vehicle Instead of Painting

Earlier this year, TKO Graphix wrapped a Toyota Hybrid for Indy School on Wheels. The vehicle was a raffle prize, which was driven to events and publicly displayed for several months. There was ample opportunity for the finish to be damaged, but when the winner took possession of the vehicle, they had a brand new bright and shiny prize. When the wrap — promoting School on Wheels — was removed, the vehicle’s unblemished finish remained intact.

Why Wrap, not Paint?

Cost – If we eliminate discount paint jobs, which often reduce pricing by eliminating proper preparation, wraps or decals may be more cost effective. In this HowMuchDoes.com article, painting a car may range from under $1000 to $8000. Decaling or wrapping a car can run $500 to $3000+.

Resale Value – Protecting the manufacturer’s original finish maintains the resale value of the vehicle, and the saleability of basic colors is much higher than exotic colors. Do you love bright chrome yellow? Does your company use pink vehicles? Vivid colors may limit potential buyers in the resale market. Buy a white vehicle, wrap it to your heart’s desire, and have a white vehicle, again, when it’s time to resell. As Listverse explains—

“Ever drive’ down the road and notice most of the cars you see are colored in four colors (mostly black, white, silver, or gray)? Part of the reason why is resale value — people who want to resell their car later know they are far more likely to find a buyer if the car is one of these common colors.”

Options — Tired of the bright chrome yellow? Remove the wrap and re-wrap it. Let’s try a matte black finish, or maybe camouflage?

Time — Especially if you have a complicated multi-vector design — a wrap can be done in days; paint may take much longer.

Coverage — Using paint limits vehicle advertising to the painted surfaces. By incorporating window film in a wrap, the entire surface of the vehicle may be used for promotion.

Vehicle graphics don’t replace the need for paint, and aren’t always the best option. However, vehicle graphics should be considered. Research the options and make the best decision based on use and needs. Before painting a vehicle, compare vehicle graphics to painting – you may be pleasantly surprised. We’d be happy to share ideas.

Some Facts About Vehicle Wraps

Car wraps market your business 24/7. According to a recent national transportation association report, a car wrap can easily be seen by as many as 50,000 people each and every day. Over the life of the car wrap, the cost per impression in relation to the original cost of the wrap simply cannot be bested by any other form of advertising media.

Does the wrap damage the paint job?

No, the vinyl used these days will come off just fine, even after a couple of years and will actually protect your factory paint job. UV rays will fade your paint but your vinyl wrap will protect your paint from fading. Take caution, however, if you’ve had a custom paint job or a back-yard, brother-in-law touch-up because the adhesive that holds the vinyl will tend to grab that paint and pull it off in spots. Factory paint will actualy benefit from the wrap vinyl in that your vehicle’s resale value will be higher since your paint will remain bright and sharp!

What about my design?

Many industry leading wrap shops use templated artwork, making simple modifications in order to move the production process out of the design phase as quickly as possible. You can have any design you want as long as it’s one of those templates with only very minor modifications allowed. Doing so helps them keep their costs down and make more money. All businesses should have an eye, both eyes, on maximizing their bottom line, just recognize that it may come at the expense of creative options when it comes to getting what you want. That’s what makes it so effective to use Custom Car Wraps, you decide what you want the wrap to look like and the shop(s) you choose from the list in your area will have to work out the details with you and be competitive in price.

Before you sign anything, look at what some competitors have to offer. A designer’s overal portfolio will give you a really good preview of how good these guys are. One of the “bad wraps” the designer world has working against it is the fact that they are known to promise what you’ve asked for, but design what they really like. Most wrap shops are reputable but if you talk to a few of the shop’s past clientele, that’ll go a long way towards helping you make a right decision. Your vision of what it should be, you provided them with the overall design you want, it is their job to make it work on your vehicle.

Is the vinyl really that good?

Yes, it is. A wide variety of everyday vinyls have been developed for car wraps, in the past twenty years. There is variety of specialty vinyls available for different types of vehicles, applications and surfaces. There was a time when “3M” was King because of their quality and they deserved it. Vinyl competitors such as Oracal, Avery and some others have managed to match or beat 3M quality in many instances. Now they’re King because of 15 years of good marketing and branding. Car wrap prospects know the 3M name from years of good marketing and assume that it must be good. The market is now offering equivalent or even better quality vinyls than 3M and, the icing on the cake, better warranties and lower overall costs. There’s more than one brand of vinyl and we suggest you find a shop that can help you select the right vinyl as opposed to selecting just a brand. Check the about warp materials page on Custom Car Wraps for more information about the various vinyls and manufacturers.

 

Alpha is On the Way!

We’re quickly approaching our ALPHA release of Custom-Car-Wraps.com.

Invitations are being made to join a small group of Wrap Shops in the Southern California and San Francisco areas.  Customers will be able to design their own car wraps, send the mockups to wrap shops (CCW affiliates) for quotes, access their profile to reload or share designs.  CCW Affiliate wrap shops will receive notification emails for any designs being sent to their shop(s), and be able to log in to their affiliate account inboxes and retrieve any designs that customers have sent.

We hope to get feedback from both sides, from customers and affiliates, over the next month or so before releasing our BETA site to the rest of the world.  So, feel free to contact us with any comments, questions, suggestions, or requests during this exciting test period!

We’re excited to start connecting people’s designs with wrap shops in a whole new way this summer!

Stay tuned 😀