Saturday 27 August 2011

Friday 26 August 2011

Cut Vinyl Decals

Cut vinyl decals are custom silhouette cut around the decal logo or lettering. The waste material outside of the cut-line is removed and often the decals are masked with a light adhesive sheet tape that holds all of the individual pieces in alignment during application.
Cut vinyl decals can be printed and cut, in the case of a multiple color design - or simply cut from colored vinyl stock if the design is one color. Vinyl comes in a wide variety of colors to choose from and in the event that your color is not available, it can be printed to match almost any Pantone number you require.
As well, vinyl is available in a variety of metallic and other special finishes, such as brushed aluminum, reflective, chrome silver and metallic gold.
Cut vinyl decals are especially effective with lettering and logos. The individual components can even be domed for a premium look and extra durable finish. Doming works best on shapes that have rounded, gradual curves rather than acute angles as the liquid doming material can otherwise tend to overflow the material.

Domed Decals for Dealerships

We have mentioned the polyurethane doming process as an additional step in making dealership decals. Domed decals require a lab like environment, free of dust and particulate that is equipped with precision level drying cases for the liquid doming material to cure in overnight. Polyurethane can be quite a toxic substance to work with, however there are polyurethanes that are eco-friendly and much safer for technicians to work with and healthier for the planet.
These high quality resins cure into a flexible, crystal clear bubble coat over the top of the decal. It will not fade, yellow or become brittle over time. It is also scratch resistant and will dent and rebound instead of chipping on impact. Needless to say it is weatherproof and capable of withstanding both high and low extreme temperatures.
Domed decals can be seen on millions of household products, computers, industrial equipment and vehicles and offer a cost effective alternative to molded plastic or die cast badges.

Thursday 25 August 2011

Service Stickers

Service stickers are most often seen on the top left corner of the interior windshield. They act as a reminder to the driver for important maintenance and service dates and appointments. Most important though is that they do not obstruct driver visibility - so they are most often printed on a clear or translucent white substrate.
Another important function of a service sticker is that it can be easily removed and even replaced - such as oil change stickers that are updated with your next suggested oil change mileage. This function is best performed by static cling vinyl or polyester. Service stickers also often have areas blocked out (sometimes in white ink) so that these dates are easily read if the decal is printed on a clear background.
Service stickers are never very large and are most often in a rounded corner rectangle shape. Rounded corners are better for static cling decals as squared corners can tend to lift off the windshield.
Service stickers are used primarily by the maintenance division of the dealership or independent service stations and oil change facilities.

One Piece Decals

"One piece" refers simply to a decal that is finished as a single piece - rather than a custom silhouette cut around individual components of the design that would turn each decal into multiple pieces.
One piece decals are sometimes larger in size involving more complex graphics or custom shapes. Decals on RV's or add on equipment such as canopies, trailers and spare tire cases are sometimes referred to as one piece decals. They act as a dominant branding tool for any add on or aftermarket equipment.
One piece decals can be domed for a more durable and premium finish. Custom doming on large decals makes them more substantial than flat vinyl decals making domed decals suitable for even the toughest marine applications. Doming also provides the decal with a glossy, 3d appearance.
Whether your design calls for a large or small decal, one piece decals are often the most cost effective often in the dealership decal line up.

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Dealership Decals

Dealership decals are common on most new and even used vehicles, such as cars, truck and RV's. They are a valuable branding tool for dealerships, providing brand recognition and service reminders for customers once their new vehicle is off the lot.
There are a variety of dealer decal options, ranging in sizes, shapes and substrates. Some are intended for placement on the exterior of the vehicle, such as the trunk or side quarter panel. Others are designed for placement on interior windows, with permanent or even removable adhesives such as static cling.
Dealer decals can be standard shapes, such as ovals, circles or rectangles or they can be custom cut or silhouette cut to follow the contours of the design or individual lettering. A secondary process called "doming" involves the application of a polyurethane bubble to the decals providing an extra durable coating and 3d appearance. Domed decals are also less expensive to produce than molded plastic or metallic badges - and they can be made to look almost identical.
Custom dealer decals are often produced using digital printing presses or screen printing methods. Digital printing can often allow for more colors and shape variations, while screen printing offers more durability and higher opacity to the inks. Every custom printing project has it's own unique requirements so choosing a printing professional than can provide you with the best options available is a must.
In this blog, we will go over several dealership decal options - providing information on the standard printing processes involved and sample images of decals produced in the past.








Auto Dealership Decals Video

This video shows a nice selection of samples and styles of dealership decals, including service stickers, one piece decals, cut vinyl decals and more.