Consider vehicle graphics if you want your business to be noticed in Hawaii. From see-through window coverings to vehicle magnets and cut vinyl designs, car or truck graphics are a surefire way to let others know about your business. In our experience, vehicle graphics’ return on investment (ROI) is phenomenal: nobody regrets them!
Here are some options to make your vehicle work for you.
Printed vinyl is a great way to show your company’s logo or products in full color on your vehicle. Whether it’s a door panel, a side of your vehicle, or tailgate graphics, printed (and laminated) vinyl is a solid choice. We only use top-grade vinyl from Oracal and use an overlaminate. We feel the extra cost is worth it when you consider durability.
There are three levels of material, and the choice of which to use is crucial to withstanding Hawaii’s intense UV rays. There’s what we call “Ebay” quality, which is often very inexpensive Chinese vinyl. Another product is intermediate-grade vinyl, which is great for temporary signage. We use cast vinyl and laminate only because we understand that while nothing lasts forever, your vehicle graphics should last for many years. Be very wary of very low-price quotes as they most certainly use low-grade materials. Yes, you do get what you pay for.
Note: We do not do entire vehicle wraps due to the highly damaging effect of the sun on horizontal surfaces (hood and roof). We have done hundreds of vertical surfaces (doors, side panels, truck gates) and are confident of the value of these.
There are many examples of heavily faded and oxidized wrapped vehicle hoods in town (none done by us!) with pristine door panels. We hate wasting money, ours, as well as yours.
Likewise, we don’t do color change wraps, as the available materials do not last long in Hawaii’s intense heat and UV rays.
We can contour cut (cut to any shape or letter) solid or printed vinyl for your vehicle. These are great for fleet vehicles or dedicated work cars or trucks. Cut vinyl has the most prolonged longevity in Hawaii compared to printed vinyl. Pricing depends on size and complexity. Price quotes are always free, so give us a call!
Cut vinyl is ideal for DOT, GVWR, and PUC letters/numbers for vehicles. We do many of these each week and try to have a one-day turnaround for them.
We offer vehicle magnets for $100/set of two for 18” x 12” size. Our magnets are made of heavy-duty magnetic materials, nearly three times the strength of the inexpensive magnets you’ll find online, and we use a special process that includes laminating the printed surface to help ensure a long life. We can make magnets in any size, as long as one dimension does not exceed 24”. The basic design is included in our price.
The advantage of vehicle magnets is their removability, which is nice for weekends, and avoiding getting hassled for “commercial” use of our local landfill, even if it’s just household waste.
Our clients love this material! The vinyl is perforated with small holes that allow you to see our the window easily and have a graphic or lettering on the other side. Combine with cut vinyl or vehicle magnets to achieve a mobile marketing machine at a fraction of the cost of a vehicle wrap. These are only available for commercial vehicles due to DOT regulations.
FAQ for Vehicle Signs
What is the life of ….?
Hawaii has a few elements that negatively affect the life of signs: heat, UV light, salty air and wind. If your vehicle is parked with the your signs South-facing and near the ocean, they will last less time. Cut vinyl, especially solid color vinyl, has the longest life—several years. Printed see-through vinyl has the shortest life.
Do you do installation?
Yes, we always quote prices to include installation. Installing car or truck graphics is a very time-consuming and unforgiving process. Our professional installer can ensure that its done right, and if he makes a mistake, we pay for a reprint of the material, not you!
How much is…?
Here are some ballpark figures, but each job requires us to speak with you before quoting any price. Magnets with a basic design are $100/set. Cut vinyl (per location): $75+, See-through window graphics for back window: $250+. Full graphics on a commercial vehicle are usually $1200 and up.
Do you wrap vehicles?
No. Wrapping a vehicle can cost $4-10,000+ and take a week or more to install. The problem with most full wraps is that they are notoriously prone to tears, bubbling, and fading–all things that one would expect when you put big sheets of vinyl on a vehicle in Hawaii’s sun. Cut vinyl and panels of vinyl on a vehicle are susceptible to the same wear and tear issues, but they offer a greater value because a vehicle can have a lot of graphics on it and still be about 1/3 the cost of a wrap. If part of the graphics becomes damaged (by driving down a tree-lined street, for example), only a small part needs to be replaced. Fixing a big tear on a full wrap can be very costly. We do not do color change wraps.