A vehicle wrap is a great marketing investment. You can get more bang for your buck from a professionally designed advertising wrap than from almost any other form of advertising. In this article, we explain the vehicle wrap design process. These steps will help move your ideas from concept, to design, to installation quickly and efficiently!

When designing a custom wrap (for either business or personal use), we charge the initial design fee separate from printing and installation. The design fee includes a consultation with our designer, the creation of concept art (in the form of a proof), and up to two revisions. Additional revisions are charged at a prorated hourly rate. To learn more about vehicle wrap pricing, read this blog article.

Before talking with our designer, it really helps to be as prepared as possible for a design consultation. Being prepared will ultimately reduce the design time and ensure that additional design fees are not incurred. Clients should provide the following elements to our designer prior to (or during) the consultation phase:

• Vehicle’s Year, Make, Model, & Trim Package
• Photos of the Vehicle - Photos allow us to detect any obstacles that we may encounter before the installation process begins, (i.e. paint integrity issues, chips, rust, missing or custom hardware.) Here are the tips we suggest when taking photos to send to our designer:
  • Photos should be taken from 4 different angles: front, back, and both sides.
  • Camera level should be at the bottom of the windows.
  • Images should have all edges visible (from bumper to bumper, and from the roof to the bottom of the wheel.)

When taking photos of your vehicle for our designer, we suggest you take photos like these. Notice that these images were taken facing each side of the van straight on.

• Company logo and other branding art - This should be vector art for best results. Recreating logos or images from bitmapped art can incur an additional fee. Click here for more information about the difference between vector and bitmapped files, as well as the types of file formats we can accept for wrap projects.
• Brand colors (We prefer the exact pantone colors when possible.)
• Company Style Guide and fonts package - if available (or logo usage guidelines)
• High resolution images, if needed - or ideas for desired images. We can also purchase stock images for you.
• Company contact information - typically phone number, web address, and social media information
• Any additional wording - taglines, key messages, brief descriptions of products and/or services
• Examples of other vehicle wraps that appeal to you
• Your creative IDEAS! - Even a rough sketch can be helpful! :-)

Here are the steps we follow for our vehicle wrap design process:

1. Consultation

After our designer receives most of the items listed above, he will contact you to begin your consultation. He will ask several questions to understand what you’re trying to accomplish with the vehicle wrap. This will be an opportunity to share ideas and come up with the initial design concept.

The wrap price will also be discussed during this time. However, the price for production and installation will not be finalized until the design process is complete and the final proof has been approved. (We mention this, because sometimes clients change their mind about coverage during the design phase.) We enjoy conducting these meetings in person when possible, but consultations can also be accomplished via phone and email.

2. Proofing Process

This is when the magic happens! Our designer will take all the elements and suggestions you’ve provided and will come up with an initial proof. This is an exciting phase, because this will be your opportunity to see what your vehicle might look like for the first time!

Our designer will provide you with a proof of your vehicle wrap, like this one that we created for Blake Shelton Landscaping. It's always exciting to see the proposed artwork for the first time!

You will need to let us know your initial reaction. What specifically do you like about the design? What specifically do you NOT like about the design? No need to worry about hurting our feelings. We want to make sure you’re happy!

At this phase, it’s important to thoroughly review every aspect of the initial design. You will need to check for correct color choices, wording, spelling, sizing, and artwork placement. You will then provide a detailed list of changes to our designer. After discussing your proposed changes and any additional needs, our designer will begin working on the final proof.

3. Final Approval 

This is when it all comes together! The final proof will include all of your requested changes. At this point, you should feel confident with the look and function of the wrap design. As a matter of fact, you should be excited and ready to see the new wrap on your vehicle! Once you sign off on the final proof, the design process is complete and your artwork will be sent to production. Any revisions after final approval will incur additional charges.

When the artwork is sent to production, our designer will contact you to schedule a time to bring your vehicle in for the wrap installation. We will print your custom wrap on high quality vinyl with a protective laminate finish. Our team of talented installers will apply your vehicle wrap within a few days. We’re certain you will be amazed with the final product! The vehicle you bring to our shop will look and feel completely different when you drive away!

Check out these beautiful custom designed vehicle wraps! Hard to imagine these were just plain white or black vehicles before our team worked their magic! 

Now that you’ve learned about our vehicle wrap design process, why not stop by our shop to meet our talented team? You will find that our staff is a pleasure to work with, and our climate-controlled facility is the perfect place to install your beautiful new custom wrap.

In addition to vehicle wraps, we also offer environmental branding, custom signage, architectural displays, wall murals, and custom projects. We are proud to serve the Middle Tennessee area, including Nashville, Hendersonville, Brentwood, Franklin, Spring Hill, Smyrna, and Murfreesboro. Give us a call at (615) 595-6564 or click on the button below to get your project started. We look forward to working with you!