GETTING signwriting for your van can be good for business.
It’s reckoned that, typically, about 3000 people an hour will see it. So it’s useful advertising. It may also help clinch deals. How? If you are looking to rebrand with a complete new image, or just after a single banner, then give us a call or pop us an email request and our signwriters Sydney are happy to assist you.
In a survey by van leasing firm Vanarama, 59 per cent of respondents said that seeing a company logo on the van gave them confidence in the quality of work to be done – and the younger the customer, the more emphasis they put on this. Among 18- to 24-year-olds, this rose to virtually three-quarters (74%).
Scan trade forums for views on getting signwriting for your van and most people say: do it. Typical comments are: “I got it done and the reaction has been really positive” and “I’ve had work because of it”.
So what are the options for getting signwriting for your van? And what will it cost?
Most people go for vinyl signwriting. This ranges from basic one-colour lettering on the bonnet or doors to a full ‘wrap’, which means encasing the van’s bodywork in vinyl. In between there are partial wraps and large vinyl panels on the side, back and bonnet.
Signwriters can put the vinyl signwriting on the van for you or, with smaller signage, you can fit it yourself.
An alternative to vinyl is metallic signage. We take you through the pros and cons of that below, as well as cost. But first, the most popular option: vinyl.
Vinyl signwriting – pro fit
Get the signwriters to design, manufacture and fit your vinyl signwriting and you’re looking at between £175 and £600 plus VAT.
Why the wide discrepancy?
Because it depends how complex and extensive your design is. But the average cost is about £250-£350 plus VAT for medium vans and £300-£600 plus VAT for large ones. That’s for basic to medium coverage.
For medium to high coverage, reckon on upto about £450 plus VAT for medium vans and up to about £800 plus VAT for large ones.
For wraps, as opposed to signage, the price rises.
A partial wrap of a medium van is typically £650 to £1000 plus VAT and for a large van it’s £800 to £1350 plus VAT.
For a full wrap, you’re looking at roughly £1150-£1750 plus VAT for a medium van and £1350-£2500 plus VAT for a large van.
The pros will fit vinyl signage to your van in about two to three hours. Most signwriters will travel to where your van is to fit signage but it’s often a bit cheaper to get it fitted at the signwriter’s workshop. For a full wrap, they’ll need your van in the workshop for one or two days.
Vinyl signwriting – DIY fitting
Typical prices for basic signwriting are £75 for a small van, £95 for a medium van and £115 for a large van. This price will include a fitting kit and full DIY instructions.
Don’t be surprised to see higher prices than that. For a MWB Transit, two sides, front and rear can be £110 plus VAT, or £90 plus VAT for two sides. Signwriting on the back can be typically £40 plus VAT and £30 plus VAT for the bonnet.
A LWB Transit will cost the same for the bonnet and doors, but the longer sides need more coverage. Budget on about £100 plus VAT for two sides and £125 plus VAT for both sides, back and bonnet.
In planning your design, try to ensure that the vinyl doesn’t straddle panel gaps, mouldings or feature lines. That would make it harder for you to fit. Pros will be able to leave a seamless finish over such irregularities but amateurs will struggle. A good signwriter will confine the vinyl signage to the van’s flat panels for a DIY fitting.
You can also buy small, basic vinyl signwriting on eBay.
For a two-colour design on both sides, the front and rear, reckon on paying about £35 for a small van, £45 for a medium one and £55 for a large van. You can get simple signage for the bonnet or back window for about £10.
These will be three or four lines of brief text – company name, phone number and website. We’ve no direct experience of the quality of eBay suppliers, so check the seller’s feedback before buying.
Magnetic signs
A magnetic sign can be left on a van or swapped between vehicles. This can be handy if the same van is used for different brands – just swap the brand panels over.
Or if you rent a van for occasional work, you can instantly stamp your identity on it. Clients will be none the wiser.
Avoid using magnetic panels on the bonnet – they don’t like the wind turbulence or the heat from the engine. But using them on the sides and back is fine. If you’re going to swap signs between vehicles, smaller signs give you a wider choice of potential vehicles.
Avoid sticking them on panels that have curves or features lines. They won’t sit properly. Instead, go for a flat panel. Measure up the panel before ordering and leave a border of about 50mm/2in or so. This will look smart and ensure that the metallic signage doesn’t unintentionally overspill the flat panel.
Prices start at about £15 for a magnetic panel 150mm tall by 100mm wide. Expect to pay about £30 for one that’s 400mm tall and 1.0m wide, and £50 for 200mm tall by 2.0m wide.
For a magnetic sign that’s 500mm tall and 3.0m wide, budget on about £100. For truly massive ones, say 600mm tall by 6.0 wide, you can be looking at the wrong side of £200. You’ll need to add VAT on top of all those prices.
But expect the price to include full colour digital printing, a laminated front that is resistant to UV, scratches and weather, and the option of using your own graphics.
Go for magnetic panels that are at least 0.8mm thick to ensure they don’t slip down on the van – or, worse, blow off at motorway speeds.
Not just the price
Don’t just go for the cheapest quote.
Shoddy-looking signwriting is worse than no signwriting. It projects a bad image about your company to prospective customers.
You want signwriting to look professional from day one and remain looking that way on day 1000 and beyond. So keep one eye on cost and the other on quality.
The signwriting industry is unregulated so ensure that you’re happy with the quality of the firm’s work before giving them your business.
Go on personal recommendations where possible. Failing that, tell the firm you want to contact some of their recent customers. If they aren’t instantly forthcoming, look elsewhere. You’ll find plenty online.