One identity for a van and a trailer: what needs to change?
Give a van and trailer one recognisable identity. See how BlinkOut plans vehicle graphics around bodywork, viewing distance, repairs and fleet schedules.
A logo centred on a drawing can disappear behind an open sliding door. For a mixed fleet, start by finding the usable space on each vehicle. BlinkOut’s work for VSR Leidingrenovatie shows how a white van and a curved green trailer can carry the same identity in different ways.
What stays consistent across a fleet?
Agree on the logo version, the colours people recognise and the information a customer should read in passing. Give the company name priority. A web address can be useful on the rear doors, where someone waiting behind the van has time to read it. A long list of services on the side can make the name harder to pick out.
What needs a separate drawing?
Photograph both sides and the rear of the exact model. Record the wheelbase and roof height and mark windows, handles and door runners. On the VSR van, white bodywork leaves space around the green graphics. On the trailer, the white logo sits against a green background. Reversing the colour balance carries the identity across without forcing a rectangular van layout onto a curved cover.
Three views of the same vehicle
First look at the van as an oncoming driver would. There is barely time to register the name and the type of business. Next, stand on the pavement beside the van as if it were parked at a customer’s premises. The trade and web address now have a useful role. Finally look at the rear from the next car in the queue. A phone number centred neatly between two handles on a drawing may be difficult to read on the road. Photograph each view from a realistic distance and reduce the images in size. Which words can you still pick out?
Lettering, a partial wrap or a full wrap?
On a light-coloured van the existing paintwork can carry a large part of the identity. Cut lettering and a few colour panels make a sensible first sketch. If the rear needs to be recognisable from the side as well, a partial wrap can carry colour around the corner. Consider a full wrap when the underlying body colour needs to change throughout. Compare all three layouts on the same model. Which extra printed areas improve recognition and which disappear behind an open door or trailer?
Plan for repair as well. Imagine that only the driver’s door needs repainting after an accident. Artwork stored by body panel helps the installer determine which graphics need replacing. Record the film, finish, artwork version and installation date at handover. Ask for a colour comparison with adjacent panels when repairing the vehicle, since age and exposure can produce a visible difference.
What to check before the vehicle arrives
Ask the fleet manager which vehicle carries a roof rack, additional lock, reversing camera or a later body conversion. Two identical models on an order sheet can look quite different in the workshop. Photograph existing damage and signs of old adhesive or paint repairs. Agree who can approve extra preparation if removal of the old graphics reveals a poor surface. In a mixed fleet, trial the most awkward model first. A layout that can be read and fitted on that vehicle gives the designer a reliable starting point for the others.
How do you keep the fleet working?
Start with one representative vehicle. Check the layout with the doors open and closed, from the distance at which customers usually see it. Record approved positions for each model. Schedule the remaining installations around crew journeys and allow separate time to remove old lettering. The dispatcher can then see which vehicles are available on each date.
For a quotation, list models, quantities and planned replacements. Photographs help BlinkOut suggest where cut lettering is enough and where a larger printed panel will make the design clearer.