5 Tips for Outstanding Vehicle Graphics from Matt Richart of Digital EFX Wraps

Vehicle graphics are one of the most popular applications for digital printing. And for good reason. Research shows that vehicle marketing results in a 97% message recall, versus a 19% retention for stationary signs.(1) Companies love these mobile billboards, and many sign and graphics shops have made their name from adding colorful logos and graphics to vehicles ranging from cars and vans to boats,  jet skis, and semi-trailers.

We talked with one of the best in the business, Matt Richart, co-owner of Digital EFX Wraps in Louisville, Kentucky, about how he and his team view the vehicle graphics market overall, what tips they recommend to other wrap shop owners, and what they see ahead for this lucrative industry.

You’ve been in the vehicle graphics industry a long time. How would you say the industry is doing overall?

Matt Richart: The vehicle graphics industry overall is still going strong – and, believe it or not, I think it still has room to grow. The commercial side of vehicle wraps is becoming more popular than ever.
We have been in the wrap business for 20 years now and it’s exciting to watch this industry go to another level. We are seeing more small and large companies spend revenue on new branding or even rebranding their company which comes with graphics, wall wraps, and fleet graphic kits. This has kept us and other graphics shops very busy.

The public is aware of how powerful and effective vehicle wraps are. All our clients who are business owners are reaping the benefits of branding their vehicles and continue to bring us more vehicles to brand. If you ask me this same question in two years, I think I will give the same answer: the industry is still growing and has even more exciting things coming our way.

Also, with new technology in printers like Roland DG’s TrueVIS XP-640 printer and XG-640 printer/cutter, we can print more film in less time, allowing Digital EFX Wraps to make even more revenue.

What are some tips for shop owners who want to offer vehicle wraps or expand their existing wraps business?

Here are my top five tips for those who want to offer vehicle wraps or existing wrap operations seeking to grow their businesses.

Tip 1: Help your clients determine what they are looking for in a wrap.

1. We find the best way to help our clients narrow down what they are looking for is to follow a process:
   Meet them in person. Shake the hand of each and every client and welcome them into your facility with open arms. It’s paramount to create that special relationship right off the bat.
2. The next step is to do a brief interview to see what they are after.
3. Then, set their expectations and give them some pricing options – or what I like to call “different highways that we can travel on” – to see what fits your client’s needs best.
4. Don’t be afraid to give your opinion and steer your clients in the right direction regarding design and coverage area. Create that trust from the beginning!

 

Tip 2: Consider all elements of the wrap process in your pricing.

We tell our clients that we are essentially designing, producing, and installing a ‘custom-tailored suit’ for your vehicle. Therefore, when developing a quote, our company divides it into three components: Design, print, and installation. Our pricing is based on the square footage of the media for the project, the complexity of the design, and the complexity of the installation, including any parts reassembly that may be needed.

Why? Because a $750 die-cut kit printed and installed could cost $800 to design, depending on the complexity of the artwork. A $6,500 full wrap on a van could run $400 on design time, depending on what the client wants or needs.

Some areas of vehicles can take twice as long to install, so don’t blanket-price everything at the same rate per square foot. I also recommend that you always give your clients three options:

1. A full wrap price with artwork charges.
2. A partial wrap price with artwork charges.
3. A die-cut kit price with artwork charges.

That way they can see the range of options and make the choice that’s best for their business.

Tip 3: Get design information up front

For us, designing a wrap is a multiple-step process:

1. We set up a face-to-face design consultation meeting, so we can learn more about them, their company, their mission, and the vision they have for their branding.
2. From there we take pictures, measurements, and inspect the vehicle to set expectations.

3. We then interview them to see if they have clean, vectorized logos, access to the high-resolution images they want to use, and if they have a branding guide we can follow.

   1. If a company has these items available, it helps reduce the cost of the design, saves our time, and allows us to start the design process quicker.
   2. If the client does not have these items, the pricing of our design services increases to incorporate the time needed to clean up artwork and locate usable high-resolution images for their project.
4. We also try to find some areas of resistance. What colors don’t they like? Have they ever had a vehicle wrapped before along with a design process? Was it a good experience? What did they dislike about any past experience? Do they have examples of other work they liked?

These important questions should lead to informative responses that help ensure your design team knows how to attack each job properly.

 

Tip 4: Use a high-quality, reliable printer

We’ve used Roland DG devices for 20 years now and they have been a big part of our success. Digital EFX Wraps started out with Roland DG’s SOLJET series, then the TrueVIS VG series, and now we’re waiting for our new TrueVIS XP-640 printer. This printer is unbelievable, and we can’t wait to get it installed and printing.

We use Roland DG devices because of the consistency of the prints, the color vibrancy, and most importantly, their reliability. When selecting a printer, I highly recommend considering these points:

1. Make sure you have great support from the dealer you are purchasing from. Having a company that can provide service when you need it is the first important thing.
2. The next important consideration is print quality.
3. Ensure you have powerful RIP software that integrates with your machine. We love using VersaWorks – the RIP software that’s included with every Roland DG printer – it’s a powerful yet easy-to-use software for streamlined workflows.
4. Be sure your printer’s production speed keeps up with your installation timing. Touch time – or the amount of time spent per installation – is very important in this industry.
5. Know how to clean and maintain your printer on a daily or weekly basis. Your printer is your lifeline that generates revenue every day. Believe it or not, the more you print, the better quality you’ll get… and the fewer problems you will have.

Tip 5: Stay up to date on the latest techniques

We highly recommend signing up for one of our ‘Inside the Wrap Shop’ classes, which are held five times a year at our facility in Louisville, Kentucky. We are starting online courses for our Business/Pricing class and our Design/Production class that teach tips and tricks on resolution, how to RIP files, how to add bleed to prints, and provide additional information wrap professionals need to know.

Also, Roland DGA has a great online education platform called Roland DGA Academy that can help with color and printing tips as well as specific techniques and procedures.

What made the TrueVelocity XG-640 printer/cutter launch event special for you and your team?

We were honored and privileged to be invited to such an important and memorable event. The day was packed full of great demonstrations, explanations of the newest Roland DG inkjets available including the TrueVIS XP-640 printer and XG-640 printer/cutter, tours of RCR, driving simulators, and delicious food – plus, we got to watch the actual RCR pit crew do timed pit stops, live!

It was also great to meet the leaders and team members of Roland DG who attended the event, along with the Roland DG dealers who sell and service these printers. We value being a part of a great company that prides itself on communication, new technology, support, reliability, and most importantly the customer relationship.

Learn more about the TrueVelocity event here.

(1) https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/1769575O/power-of-graphics-infographic-pdf.pdf