Are you searching for ways to give your vehicle a personalized touch or looking for a mobile advertising solution for your company? Car lettering is an excellent option to achieve both. With the ability to make your message visible to anyone in the vicinity, you can make a powerful impact. However, to ensure that your message is effective, it needs to be easily legible. To create clear and impactful car lettering, our expert tips can help you get started.
WHAT IS CAR LETTERING?
Car lettering is a type of custom vehicle graphics. These letters are printed on vinyl substrates with an adhesive backing. Once installed, the custom-printed text has a smooth, paint-like finish on your vehicle.
Car wraps are a popular choice for vehicle customization, as they cover large areas of the car and often incorporate customized graphics and text. However, car lettering is a simpler and more affordable option that is purely focused on text, without the addition of graphics. Despite its minimalistic approach, car lettering can be a highly effective marketing tool if executed correctly. By following our expert tips, you can create attention-grabbing and easily readable car lettering that will make a lasting impression on anyone who sees it.
OUR TIPS FOR READABLE CAR LETTERING
While custom car lettering can help you achieve personalization and advertise your company on the go, its effectiveness depends on how clearly and easily the text can be read by those who see your vehicle. To ensure that your car lettering is legible and impactful, it’s essential to follow certain guidelines. By doing so, you can create car lettering that is eye-catching, memorable and communicates your message effectively. Here are some important guidelines to follow:
1. USE LEGIBLE FONTS
With hundreds of thousands of fonts out there, choosing the right font can seem overwhelming. You can narrow your choices down significantly by prioritizing fonts that are in line with your current branding. More importantly, however, the font you use for your lettering should be easily legible.
This means you should avoid using ornate or decorative fonts that imitate calligraphy or script. Although they may look visually appealing, they are not always easy to read and can take longer to decipher. Instead, opt for simple serif or sans-serif fonts that can be easily read with just a glance. However, ensure that the font you choose does not distract from the message you are trying to convey.
In case your logo features a more artistic font that is not easily legible, you may want to consider including your logo alongside your contact information or web address in a clear and simple font just below the logo. This will ensure that the vital information is easily readable and understandable, even from a distance. By following these guidelines, you can create clear and effective car lettering that conveys your message and is easy to read by your target audience.
2. CHOOSE CONTRASTING COLORS
To make your car lettering easily readable, it’s crucial to choose your colors wisely. This will prevent your lettering from blending in with the color of your vehicle, making it hard to read. When placing your lettering on the body of your vehicle, it’s essential to select a color that contrasts with your vehicle’s paint job.
Black and white are the most popular colors for vehicles. If your vehicle is one of these colors, choosing a contrasting color for your car lettering is relatively simple. In general, the black text creates high contrast with light-colored vehicles, such as white, gray, or silver cars. Similarly, white text is ideal for dark-colored vehicles, such as brown, navy, and black ones.
However, if you’re looking to place your car lettering on a window instead of the vehicle’s body, white or other light colors are an excellent option for lettering on tinted windows. The light-colored lettering will stand out against the darker tinted glass, making it more visible to passersby.
Regardless of the location of your car lettering, it’s essential to choose colors that are visually appealing, and legible, and create high contrast for maximum impact. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your car lettering stands out and delivers your message effectively.
If your vehicle is neither dark nor light but more of a vibrant color like red, blue, yellow, or green, you may want to choose a color on the opposite side of the color wheel, known as a complementary color. For example, orange lettering is sure to pop against a blue background.
3. FOLLOW THE 10-BY-1 RULE FOR TEXT SIZE
The size, or “pitch,” of your lettering is also critical for legibility. The governing principle here, simply put, is that the larger the text, the more visible and impactful it will be. However, not everyone has the desire or the budget to create lettering large enough to cover the whole side of their vehicle, for instance. Most people choose car lettering over vehicle wraps because they have a more subtle appearance and are more affordable.
The legibility of your car lettering largely depends on its size. A common rule of thumb used in the sign industry is the 10-by-1 rule. This guideline suggests that letters that are 1 inch tall are legible up to 10 feet away. For every additional inch you add to the lettering’s height, you gain another 10 feet of readability.
While a car stopped behind your vehicle at a red light or driving past in the next lane over may not be far, if you want to increase exposure from people walking or driving past from a greater distance, you should adjust the size of your lettering accordingly. Increasing the pitch of your lettering can help make it more visible and legible from a greater distance, resulting in more effective advertising.
4. KEEP THE MESSAGE SIMPLE
When it comes to effective car lettering, less is often more. Like billboards on the side of highways, where experts recommend using a message limited to seven words, you should also limit your car lettering message. For branding purposes, all you need is your logo and a slogan. However, many business owners include a clear call to action, such as “Call for a free estimate” with a phone number.
Make sure to keep your message straightforward and focused, using the fewest words necessary to get the message across. Condensing your message allows you to print it larger and helps people quickly digest the information, even if they only glance at your vehicle for a moment. This will increase the effectiveness of your car lettering as an advertising tool.
5. PLACE YOUR LETTERING STRATEGICALLY
When installing the lettering, make sure the surface is clean and dry. Avoid applying the lettering on a windy day, and use a tape measure and level to ensure the lettering is straight. If you’re not confident in your ability to apply the lettering correctly, it’s best to hire a professional. With these tips in mind, you can create effective and eye-catching car lettering that will help you advertise your business or personalize your vehicle.
Unlike most advertising surfaces, vehicles have moving parts that can impact your advertisement. Consider how your text will look with your vehicle’s doors open, for instance, or the windows rolled down slightly. An installation professional can help you choose the ideal location for your car lettering.
We hope our guide can help you choose the best design that suits your taste. Don’t forget we always support you create your own design with little to no additional fee. Contact us through email and we will answer your questions: [email protected]
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