Car decals are a fantastic way to personalize your vehicle, promote your business, or simply add a touch of flair to your ride. Whether you’re looking for a bold statement or a subtle accent, custom car decals offer endless possibilities. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about designing and ordering the perfect decals for your car.
Step 1 – Choosing the Right Size and Quantity for Your Car Decals
The first step in creating your custom car decals is determining the appropriate size and quantity. Consider where you plan to place your decal on your vehicle. Larger decals are ideal for windows or body panels, offering maximum visibility. Smaller decals are perfect for bumpers, mirrors, or smaller windows.
If you’re unsure about sizing or have specific quantity needs not listed, don’t hesitate to request a custom quote. Many providers offer tailored solutions to meet your exact requirements.
Step 2 – Selecting Add-Ons and Options for Your Car Decals
Once you have your size and quantity in mind, explore the various add-ons and options available to customize your decals further. These options can include:
- Material: Choose from different vinyl types, such as standard, permanent, or reflective, depending on your desired durability and visibility.
- Lamination: Opt for lamination to enhance the lifespan of your decals, providing extra protection against UV rays, scratches, and weather elements.
- Color Options: Select from a wide range of colors to match your car’s aesthetic or brand guidelines.
- Cut Options: Decide between die-cut, kiss-cut, or transfer-cut decals based on your design complexity and application preferences (more on cut options below).
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Step 3 – Design Your Custom Car Decal: Choose Your Method
With the specifics finalized, it’s time for the exciting part: designing your car decal! You generally have two main design methods to choose from:
Design from Scratch
For those with a creative vision, designing from scratch offers complete control. User-friendly online design tools make it easy to bring your ideas to life. You can upload your own images, logos, or artwork, and incorporate them with a vast library of clipart and fonts. This method is perfect for creating truly personalized and unique car decals.
Upload Your Own File
If you already have a design ready, uploading your file is the quickest route. For optimal print quality, especially for transfer-cut decals, it’s recommended to upload vector files in .eps format. This ensures crisp lines and clean cuts, regardless of size. After uploading, you’ll typically receive a proof for your approval before production begins, guaranteeing your decal looks exactly as intended.
Payment and Order Tracking
Most custom decal providers require upfront payment before production commences. Common payment methods include major credit cards like VISA, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. Checks are also sometimes accepted, but processing may take longer as production only begins upon receipt.
A significant advantage of ordering online is often live order tracking. This feature allows you to monitor your car decal order through every stage of production, from placement to shipping. Upon ordering, you’ll receive a unique tracking number, providing real-time updates on your decal’s journey to your doorstep.
Production Time Options
Production times for car decals can vary based on complexity and chosen speed. Typically, you can expect options ranging from 1 to 5 business days, allowing you to choose a timeline that suits your needs and budget.
Expedited Production Options
- 1 Business Day Priority: For urgent needs, priority production ensures your decals are ready in just one business day. Note that orders approved after 5:00 PM CST will be processed the following business day.
- 2 Business Days Express: A slightly less rushed option, express production delivers your decals in two business days, balancing speed and cost.
Standard and Saver Production
- 3 Business Days Standard: This is often the most popular choice, offering a fast turnaround at a standard price point, suitable for most custom decal orders.
- 5 Business Days Saver: If time is not a constraint, the saver option provides the most economical production, taking up to 5 business days.
Please note: Production time does not include shipping time. Turnaround time begins once your artwork file is finalized and approved.
Understanding Decal Cut Options: Die-Cut, Kiss-Cut, and Transfer-Cut
Choosing the right cut type is crucial for achieving the desired look and application ease for your car decals. The primary difference lies in how the vinyl and backing paper are cut.
Die-Cut Decals
Die-cut decals are cut precisely to the shape of your design, through both the vinyl and the backing paper. This results in individual decals with no background paper around the design. Imagine using a cookie cutter – each decal is cleanly separated. Die-cut decals are ideal for intricate designs and offer a professional, clean look.
Back Slit Note: Back slitting (crack and peel backing) is often available on standard and permanent materials, making application even easier.
Kiss-Cut Decals
Kiss-cut decals are only cut through the vinyl layer, leaving the paper backing intact. This creates a border of backing paper around your decal. Kiss-cut decals are excellent for designs with multiple elements close together and offer easy peeling from the sheet. They are often supplied on sheets, making them convenient for distribution or multiple applications.
Transfer-Cut Decals
Transfer-cut decals involve cutting your design from the vinyl and removing the excess vinyl, leaving only your design elements. Transfer tape is then applied over the top to hold all the individual pieces together. This method is ideal for lettering, logos, and designs with negative space. The transfer tape allows for precise and even application of multiple separate pieces at once.
Vector File Requirement: Transfer-cut decals typically require vector files (EPS or AI) to ensure clean and accurate cuts.
Transfer Cut/Pick Charge Considerations
For transfer-cut decals, be aware of potential “pick charges.” These charges relate to the manual labor involved in removing excess vinyl (“picking”) from intricate designs. Standard pricing usually includes a certain number of picks per square foot, with additional picks incurring a small fee. Highly complex designs may require custom quotes due to the extra time and difficulty in picking. Consult transfer cut guidelines for more detailed information and to optimize your design for cost-effectiveness.
Artwork Specifications for Custom Car Decals
Providing print-ready artwork ensures a smooth and efficient decal creation process. Here’s a guide to preferred and acceptable file formats and artwork tips:
Preferred File Formats
- Adobe Illustrator EPS (Encapsulated Post Script): Ideal for vector graphics, ensuring scalability and crisp lines.
- PDF (Adobe PDF): A versatile format that can handle both vector and raster graphics.
File Size Limit: The maximum acceptable file size is typically 100 MB.
Font Outlines: When submitting EPS or PDF files, always convert fonts to outlines or curves. This prevents font substitution and ensures your text prints correctly.
Additional Acceptable File Formats
- JPG (High Resolution JPEG): Acceptable for raster images, but ensure high resolution to avoid pixelation.
- TIFF (High Resolution TIFF): Another option for high-resolution raster images, offering lossless compression.
- PNG (High Resolution PNG): Suitable for raster images, particularly when transparency is needed.
File Preparation Tips
- Proportionate Sizing: Set up your artwork at the exact size you intend to order or proportionally scaled.
- Convert Text to Outlines: As mentioned, outline your fonts to avoid font issues.
- Bleed (If Necessary): Only include bleed if your design requires it (e.g., printing to the edge).
- Avoid Flattening Layers (PSD): If submitting PSD files, preserve layers for potential adjustments.
- Clear Cut Lines: Clearly indicate cut lines for all decal products to guide the cutting process.
Raster vs. Vector Art: Understanding the Difference
Vector Art: Vector graphics are based on mathematical formulas that define points, lines, and curves. This means vector art is infinitely scalable without losing quality, making it ideal for logos, text, and illustrations used in car decals. Vector files (like EPS and AI) are essential for transfer-cut decals and highly recommended for all car decal designs.
Raster Art: Raster images are composed of pixels, tiny colored squares. Photographs and images from the internet are typically raster images. Raster images are resolution-dependent; enlarging them too much leads to pixelation and loss of quality. If using raster files (JPG, TIFF, PNG), ensure they are high resolution and sized appropriately for printing.
Raster File Resolution Guidelines:
- 100% scale (full print size): 100 dpi
- 50% scale: 200 dpi or higher
- 25% scale: 300 dpi or higher
- 10% scale: 600-1200 dpi (recommended for best quality)
Professional Design Services
If you lack print-ready artwork, or need your design converted to vector format, many decal providers offer professional design services. Their art departments can recreate logos or images, often for an additional fee based on design complexity. Investing in professional design can ensure your car decals look their absolute best. Once recreated, your vector artwork is typically kept on file for future orders, and you may often purchase the vector file for your own use as well.
How to Apply Vinyl Car Decals: A Simple Guide
Proper application is critical for ensuring your car decals adhere correctly and last long. Follow these basic steps for applying vinyl decals:
- Clean the Surface: Thoroughly clean the application area on your car with soap and water or isopropyl alcohol to remove dirt, wax, and grease. Ensure the surface is completely dry.
- Position the Decal: Carefully position your decal in the desired location, using masking tape to temporarily hold it in place. Step back and check the alignment before proceeding.
- Apply Hinge (for larger decals): For larger decals, use a strip of masking tape down the center to create a hinge. This allows you to apply one side at a time.
- Peel and Apply: Peel the backing paper away from one side of the decal (or one side of the hinge). Slowly apply the decal to the surface, working from the center outwards and using a squeegee or credit card to smooth out any air bubbles.
- Remove Transfer Tape (if applicable): If using transfer tape (common for transfer-cut decals), carefully peel away the transfer tape, leaving only the vinyl decal on your car. Peel at a low angle to avoid lifting the decal.
- Final Squeegee: Once applied, firmly squeegee the entire decal again to ensure strong adhesion and remove any remaining air bubbles.
Watch Die-cut Video Installation Guide
Watch Transfer Decal Video Installation Guide
Shipping Information for Your Car Decals
Shipping times typically range from 2-4 business days within the contiguous United States after production is complete. Standard shipping is usually via UPS Ground, but various expedited options are available at checkout.
Shipping Methods Available
- Economy (5-15 Days)
- Standard (3-5 Business Days)
- Three Day (3 Business Days)
- Two Day (2 Business Days)
- Overnight (1 Business Day)
Important Shipping Notes
- Economy Shipping: If choosing economy shipping, provide a P.O. Box address in the “Address Two” field if applicable, as economy shipping may utilize postal services for final delivery. Economy shipping can add 5-10 days to delivery time.
- International Shipping: Many providers ship internationally. International shipments may require customers to provide shipping labels and customs documentation. Contact customer service for specific international shipping requirements.
For any questions regarding shipping rates, rush production, or international shipping, it’s always best to contact customer service prior to ordering.
By understanding these key aspects of designing, ordering, and applying car decals, you can confidently create custom decals that perfectly reflect your style or brand and enhance your vehicle’s appearance.
