Vehicle Graphics Installation
We need your help to ensure your vehicle graphics installation goes smoothly. Please use this handy guide explaining the best way to prepare your vehicle for your graphics, and what our requirements are.
- Cleaning - Although we undertake a vehicle preparation process before applying your graphics, we need you to make sure that your vehicle is as clean as possible when it arrives. Give your vehicle a good wash with hot, soapy water the day before, and do not use any waxes, polishes, or coatings as it will cause issues with your graphics adhering to the vehicle. We appreciate you will have to travel to us, so a little road grime isn’t an issue. If your vehicle isn’t clean when it arrives, we may need to charge for the time & materials to clean it, and this is very likely to delay the installation of your vehicle graphics.
- Drop off & Collection - We would like to get your vehicle in the workshop as close to the agreed drop-off time as possible. You are more than welcome to drop your vehicle off the afternoon before your installation if that helps you. This can be helpful if we are anticipating rain, as it enables us to get your vehicle into the workshop overnight and dried off ready for installation. In most cases your vehicle will be ready to collect later the same day, depending on the design but our team will advise you on this. There is onsite parking to facilitate leaving your vehicle overnight, but this is at your own risk.
- Bodywork & Paintwork - We are always happy to offer advice on the condition of your vehicle’s body & paintwork where we have seen the vehicle before installation, however, you are wholly responsible for the suitability of your vehicle to receive the graphics. We will not be able to offer any warranty where the paintwork or surface is not in a suitable condition.
- New Paint - Newly painted vehicles, or vehicles that have had a recent respray or repair, must be allowed time for the paints to fully harden and cure before installation of vehicle graphics – Seek advice from your painter/bodyshop about this.
- Old Paint - For older vehicles, the existing paintwork may have become damaged or weathered. Always check the areas where the graphics are being installed for damage, it is advisable to get any defective paint repaired before installation. Damaged or weathered paint surfaces can reduce the adhesion of your graphics.
- Bodywork - Vinyl is a thin, self-adhesive film, so dents, dips, scratches and scuffs in bodywork can be covered, but please remember it is not an invisibility cloak, and this damage will be visible through the film, some colours and finishes can exaggerate it. Areas where water can ingress behind the vinyl, are prone to failure and can vastly reduce the service life of your vehicle graphics.
- Rust - Self-adhesive vinyl will not stick to rust. It won’t adhere particularly well to unfinished primer, and its bond is only as good as the underlying paint, so flaky paintwork is a no-no. We advise getting areas of rust professionally repaired before installation to give your vehicle graphics half a chance of staying in place.
If you need any more advice, just give us a call, or drop into one of our offices.