A trades vehicle has about three seconds to be understood by someone driving past. In that time a stranger should catch your name, your trade and a way to reach you. Everything else is decoration. We design wraps and partial graphics around that test, adapt them to every vehicle in your fleet, and deliver print-ready files with a brief your installer can work from.
What we design, and what we don't
We are a design studio, not a wrap shop and not a contractor. Our part is the layout, the artwork and the files. The vinyl, printing, lamination, installation and any warranty are handled by the local installer you choose. We help you get quotes on equal terms by giving every shop the same specification.
A typical vehicle project includes:
- Measured templates for each make, model and wheelbase, sourced from the installer or a template service.
- Layouts for every side: driver, passenger, rear doors, hood and roof if it will be seen from above, such as by apartment windows or a bucket truck.
- A fleet master: the rules for name size, colour, number placement and services list, so new vehicles match.
- Print-ready files prepared to your installer's preferred format and bleed.
- An installer brief: colour references, what must not fall on door seams or handles, and a proof checklist.
Who it suits
Wrap design pays back fastest for:
- Service trades that park on residential streets: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, pest control, appliance repair.
- Fleets of three or more, where a consistent look makes a small company appear established.
- Owners replacing or leasing vehicles in the next six months, because designing before the vehicle arrives avoids paying twice.
- Project trades whose trucks sit at one job site for days, such as roofers, landscapers and renovators.
The three-second layout rules
These come from watching how people actually read moving vehicles:
- Name first, big and high. It should be the largest text on the side, above the beltline where cars and fences won't hide it.
- Say the trade in plain words. "Plumbing and drain" beats a clever slogan every time.
- One phone number, one web address. Two numbers split attention; email addresses are rarely read.
- High contrast. Dark on light or light on dark. Mid-tone on mid-tone disappears in rain, dusk and snow-dusted panels.
- Back doors are for people stuck behind you. Put the number and web address there at the largest size you can.
- Fewer services, not more. List three, not twelve. A long list can't be read and makes you look like a generalist.
The wrap brief guide expands each rule with examples and a checklist you can give any shop.
Timeline
Most single-vehicle designs take two to four weeks including templates and revisions. A fleet master with adaptations for several models takes longer, and rollout is usually timed to lease turnovers or the slow season so vehicles aren't off the road in your busiest weeks.
How results are measured
The honest answer is that wraps are hard to measure unless you plan for it. We set up three things:
- A fleet-only tracking number on the vehicle design, so calls from it can be counted.
- A "how did you hear about us" question your office asks every new caller, with "saw your truck" as a named option.
- Before-and-after comparison of branded search: people searching your business name tends to rise when more people have seen it.
Say your average job is $1,500 and one van brings in three tracked calls a month, of which one becomes work. That is roughly $18,000 a year from that vehicle. Run your own figures; the method matters more than our example.
Mistakes to avoid
- Designing on a flat rectangle. Doors, handles, fuel caps, ribbing and windows ruin text that looked fine on screen.
- Photographic backgrounds behind text. Pretty up close, unreadable at 20 metres.
- Tiny services lists and social icons. Nobody reads them from another lane.
- Letting each shop design its own version. That's how fleets end up looking like four companies.
- Forgetting lease terms. Check what your lease allows before any vinyl goes on.
Our print and signage work uses the same rules, so trucks and yard signs match. If you want to talk through your fleet, call, text or email with photos of each vehicle. You can also start from the services overview.
Frequently asked questions
Do you install the wrap?
No. We design and prepare the files, then help you brief and check the wrap shop you choose. Installation, vinyl selection and warranty are between you and the installer.
Full wrap or partial graphics?
It depends on the vehicle colour, your budget and whether the van is leased. A well-designed partial on a white van often reads better than a busy full wrap, and it costs less to replace.
Can you work with different vehicle models in one fleet?
Yes. We design a master layout and adapt it to each body, so a pickup, a cargo van and a box truck clearly belong to the same company even though the panels differ.
Should the phone number be a tracking number?
If you want to know what the vehicles produce, yes. A dedicated number used only on the fleet lets you count those calls separately, and it can forward to your main line.
What about my licence number?
Some regulators and customers expect to see one, and some trades in some provinces have rules about advertising licensed work. Check your provincial regulator's guidance; we'll design space for whatever you're required or choose to show.