Table of Contents 

1. Introduction
2. What are the different ways to advertise using my car? 
3. What are the benefits of car decals?
4. What are the common uses of car decals?
5. Key Takeaways
6. Conclusion

Car advertising is one of the most innovative and effective ways to promote your business 24/7. It turns your vehicle into a mobile billboard, so you can easily reach a wide audience, whether you’re running errands, driving to work, or simply parked outside. While car advertising can come in many forms, car decals always stand out more due to their benefits. Let’s explore what sets car decals apart in this article by Signs.com.

What are the different ways to advertise using my car? 

Before diving into the benefits of car decals, let’s explore the different methods of car advertising. These are: 

• Car decals – Car decals are semi-permanent vinyl graphics that are placed on any part of the vehicle. These are very versatile and affordable and are best used for long-term promotions.  

• Car magnets – Car magnets are temporary and removable signs that stick to the car’s surface. These are often used for short-term campaigns or if the car is used for both personal and business purposes. 

• Vehicle wraps – Vehicle wraps are vinyl graphics that cover the entire surface of the car. These offer maximum visibility and are more suitable for large vehicle fleets. 

Not sure which type matches your business needs? Check out our comparison article on Vehicle Wraps vs. Vehicle Decals and Car Magnets vs. Car Decals. 

What are the benefits of using car decals? 

Now that you know the different types of car advertising, let’s find out why car decals are the best choice for car advertising.

1. They offer lots of impressions. Unlike traditional forms of advertising, car decals can generate high impressions while you’re on the go. Car decals are eye-catching and easy to spot, so your ad is immediately exposed to a diverse audience, whether you’re stuck in traffic, on busy highways, in a parking lot, or in front of a store. 
2. They are inexpensive. Car decals are a one-time expense. They don’t have any recurring fees and are perfect for small businesses or startups with a limited budget. 
3. They have tax benefits. Advertising your business using car decals can make you eligible for tax benefits. Any amount you spend that goes into placing an advertisement can be written off as a business expense. To make the most of these perks, make sure to keep track of your receipts and expenses and consult an accountant. For more information, read our Tax Benefits of Using Car Decals for Your Business article. 
4. They are easy to install and remove. Car decals do not require a lot of effort to install and remove. If you ever need to apply them to a car’s surface, update, or replace them, you can do it yourself without worrying about damaging the paint or you can seek help from a professional. Check out our article on How to Install Car Decals Like a Champ and How to Remove Car Decals Without Damaging the Paint for comprehensive guides. 
5. They are durable and long-lasting. Car decals are designed for long-term use, compared to car magnets that only last for a short time. They’re semi-permanent and made of durable, UV-, water- and weather-resistant material, making them the ideal choice if you want to promote your business for several years.
6. They give your car a professional appearance. Car decals add a polished and professional look to your vehicle. This grabs the attention of your audience, helps build credibility, and implements consistent branding if you’re using multiple vehicles. 
7. They are customizable. Car decals have various shapes, sizes, and designs, which make them customizable to match any business. You can apply them to your car, truck, or van, use minimalist text, go for bold designs, or add QR codes to link your social media page.

What are the Common Uses of Car Decals? 

Car advertising is not just limited to businesses — they can also be used across various industries and creative purposes. This makes car decals a great option for ads, as they are incredibly versatile and can be used in various ways. Here are some of the common uses of car decals: 

Brand Advertising 

Car decals are often used for brand promotions. Whether you’re a small business, a startup, or a large company, car decals are an excellent way for you to gain more visibility and advertise your services and business hours. 

Event Promotion 

Looking for more attendees or supporters for your event? Car decals are perfect for promoting various events, campaigns, or fundraisers. Make sure to include locations, ticket information, and event dates in your ads to encourage more people to come to your event. 

Seasonal and Holiday Marketing 

Take advantage of the holiday rush and use car decals to advertise special deals, promos, and discounts. Add festive themes in your design to capture the attention of your audience. 

Personalization and Custom Projects 

Car decals are not just great for promotions — they’re also suitable for personal expression. You can use it for showcasing your interests or spreading awareness about advocacies you stand for. 

Fleet Branding 

If you’re handling multiple vehicles like firetrucks, ambulances, police vehicles, or buses, car decals can help make your fleet recognizable through consistent branding. You can do this by ensuring the same logo, contact information, and design is applied to all vehicles so that they’re easy to identify from a distance.  

Car decals offer endless possibilities for businesses, individuals, and organizations alike. Find out more when you read our piece What Industries Use Car Decals as an Advertising Tool?

Key Takeaways 

• Car advertising is a cost-effective way of promoting your brand. 

• Car decals offer long-term benefits compared to other forms of car advertising. 

• Car decals are incredibly versatile and used across various industries. 

• Decals are easy to install and remove and can be customized to match your needs.
  

Conclusion 

Car decals are one of the most efficient tools that you can use for car advertising. They enhance brand visibility, are easy to use and customize, and won’t break the bank. Whether you’re looking to bring in more customers to your business, promote an event, or announce seasonal promos, car decals are a reliable choice for conveying your message and making your ad stand out.  

Ready to create your custom car decals and get started? Check out these Tips From Design Experts at Signs.com to make the most out of your car decals today. 

Related Articles

• The Benefits of Car Advertising
• What’s the Difference Between Car Magnets and Car Decals?
• How to Use Car Decals As Ads?
• Custom Car Decals: Tips from Design Experts at Signs.com
• Shift Your Marketing Into Gear: Full Vehicle Wraps vs. Vehicle Decals
• Revamp Your Ride: How to Install a Car Decal Like a Champ

The Benefits of Car Advertising

Choosing The right Campaign Sign

You might think that the standard 18” x 24” inch lawn sign is the only way to go, and while that’s a great option, it’s not the only one. Think about what you’re trying to accomplish with your campaign signage. A successful campaign involves designing the right signage and other print materials that ensure your name and the office you’re running for are easily seen and remembered. 

If you’re looking for multiple locations at a low cost, you’ll want to go with a corrugated plastic yard sign. The reason so many campaigns go with the standard corrugated sign is that it’s cost-effective and easy. If you want a high impact sign that’s a bit larger scale, choose a vinyl banner. You can also think about car magnets and window decals, as well as aluminum or wooden signs for something a little different. Check out our Campaign & Political Signs page for more ideas and details about the most popular large format campaign signs. 

Along with large format campaign signs, you may also want to consider smaller print materials to supplement your campaign marketing. In municipalities and neighborhoods that allow it—flyers, door hangers, and even brochures are effective “in hand” materials that can help inform citizens about your platform. 

You can also use small print materials for direct mail by using postcards. Bumperstickers can also be used and distributed to your supporters who are happy to show their loyalty and belief in your campaign.

Small format print materials:

• Flyers
• Door Hangers
• Brochures
• Postcards
• Bumperstickers
• Promotional Magnets

Studies show that campaign signs work, and having lots of signs is a definite advantage. Whether you start off your campaign with a wide format sign, small format or any combination of campaign signs or prints – have fun with it! Choose some mediums that you are interested in and get your name out there.

Campaign Sign Sizes

When it comes to getting noticed, the bigger the better is usually the idea. However, where you are placing your sign can sometimes determine what size you’ll need. Here are some sign size parameters to keep in mind for your sign placement:

• Standby traffic (foot traffic or neighborhoods) 12” x 18” to 12” x 24”

• Medium traffic (35-45 mph areas) 24” x 32” to 24” x 38”

• Highway traffic (high speed or long distance) 32” x 48”

• Billboard (Long distance or high impact) 48” x 60” to 48” x 96”

In addition to these sign sizes, there are quite a few other forms of advertising signage that can grab attention for your campaign. Bulletins, also called billboards, come in a standard 15’ x 49’ or 14’ x 48’. There are also bus benches, posters, subway poster ads, and even bicycle taxi ads. While these forms of campaign advertisement are effective, they can also be costly. If you’re considering something along these lines, your best course of action is to first analyze your return on investment and then move on from there. 

While 24” x 18” is the standard size for a yard sign, you’re definitely not limited to that size. You might even consider designing your yard signs slightly larger than 24” x 18” as the slight increase in size can make your signs “stand out” from the other local campaigns. 

If a large banner is allowed in a certain location you’re eyeing, go right ahead! Sometimes there are restrictions on sign location and sizes, so be sure to check on that before posting a sign. We put together a handy list and interactive map to see what’s allowed in your state. 

Design Elements to Consider

Color

In most cases, red, white, and blue are standard, but if you’ve got a different color in mind, that’s perfectly fine. Make sure you use lettering that has high contrast with background colors, as it will be easier to read from a distance. You don’t want to pay to design, print, and place yard signs that are hard to read and are, therefore, ineffective. In the 1992 book Wayfinding, authors Arthur & Passini introduced a formula based on light reflectance value (LRV) to calculate the contrast between two colors—here is the formula:

Where K1 is the highest color value (lrv), K2 is the lowest color value (lrv) and H is the contrast value. 

The industry standard for signage is that the contrast value between the background and the text of the sign should not be lower than 70. In other words, your contrast value (H) should be 70 or above. 

Here’s an example to help illustrate this point a little better: 

Based on this formula, you can identify which colors will work best for contrast and readability. A great place to find the LRV of a color is at a local paint store or online—the color swatch samples will have the LRV listed in the color details as shown here:

Color can be a tricky thing, so pay close attention to what will work and what won’t. Be sure to use text that has high contrast from the background of your sign and don’t get carried away with too many colors. For a more in-depth lesson on color, check out this post on signs.com.

Font

This can be tricky if you’re not careful. First, consider your size. The United States Sign Council Foundation has conducted studies on letter height and distance correlations. Their findings have shown that a 1” letter is visible from 30’ or less when driving, or 50’ or less when standing. Make sure your sign is readable according to the most common reading distance in your environment. Next, consider your font. Overly decorative fonts aren’t good for readability. Choose bold, easy to read fonts with minimal serifs.

Content

Less is more when it comes to campaign signs. Think of the absolute basic information your constituents need to know. These elements could include your name, position you are running for, and the area in which you are running. Sometimes, if you’ve got a particularly different name, you could use a catchphrase, but avoid too much wordage. Keep it simple. 

Besides your text, you may want to add a few flourishes or shapes. Be careful with this! Too much can distract from your vital information. Lines, small shapes like stars or flags, and other flourishes can compliment a sign well, as long as they are placed cleanly, and evenly, not crammed in to take up more space. Because you’re dealing with a relatively small space, pictures, faces, or other images don’t usually work well. Even on large banners, it’s a good idea to stay away from photos.

Layout

The layout of your content can play a big role in readability. In most cases, you want to shoot for 60% negative space and 40% copy. Like we mentioned above, if you are using lines or other flourishes, make them clean and symmetrical, and don’t let the details dominate your important information.

Design Process

Ok now you know the size you need for your sign locations, you have the layout and colors optimized for maximum readability, and you’re ready to design. If you’re nervous about designing your sign from scratch, start with a template! Templates are a super easy way to make sure you’re on track.

At Signs.com, our design tool is easy to use and you can produce great results right from the comfort of your home or office computer or device. If you have any other questions about your specific campaign sign ideas or just want some help creating a great sign, let one of our designers help—it’s free!

Designing your campaign sign can be a cinch, and you’ll secure your position in no time. Follow these handy tips and you’re on your way.

How to Design a Successful Campaign Sign

Font Size – In order to determine the letter size used for your sign you will need to get a general idea of what distance you want your sign viewed at. Generally speaking, for every 10 feet of viewing distance away from your sign, you will want to increase the letter height by 1 inch. For example, if you want the text viewed from 150 feet away, you’re going to want to have the text be at least 15 inches tall. We’ve included a chart that gives letter height and distance increments based on this rule of thumb to easily see what letter size you need for your sign.

Common Font Size Examples:

As stated, these are only recommendations / examples for common letter height for certain sign types. We recommend using the letter height chart above or the 1” to 10’ rule of thumb to determine the best sizing for your sign’s letters.

The graphics below will show typical letter height for specific types and uses of signs (not viewable distance).

Font Color – For greatest visibility of letters, use colors that contrast with the background color of your sign. We’ve included a chart below that outlines common color combinations for the best visibility. The general rule of thumb is that you should use a light colored background with a dark letter, and vice versa. A dark background with dark letters is not ideal for visibility purposes. This is especially true for storefront signage such as vinyl lettering and window decals that may be placed on tinted windows. (We go over the differences of all of our different window signage options here.)   

Font Type – Recommended letter heights and the letter height visibility chart (see above) are based off of fonts that are Serif or Sans Serif (and variations of these font types). Decorative and script fonts are harder to see when used with smaller font size. If you do include decorative and script fonts on a sign, make sure that the letter height is adjusted to increase visibility. Even with an increased size decorative fonts are simply harder to read than block fonts.

Sign Placement – Letter visibility will be affected by where you place the sign in relation to sidewalks or roadways. Take into consideration the angle of where you are placing the sign and the angle of the the viewer (whether in a car or walking on a sidewalk).

Signs placed perpendicular to the line of sight of a pedestrian or driver are easier to view than those placed parallel to a road or walkway. Nonetheless, larger font sizes will still be more visible even if placed parallel to the line of sight. Signs below or above eye level should include larger letters for increased visibility.

Lighting conditions – Signs placed in direct sunlight and well-lit rooms should be adjusted accordingly. Bright colors (yellows, oranges) and pastel colors will be harder to see when light shines directly on them. Use darker colors to increase the visibility of letters in well-lit or bright conditions. Likewise, dark lighting conditions or dark surfaces (like tinted windows) will require lighter colored lettering to improve visibility.

For Best Visibility

These principles are easy to understand and don’t require any special graphic training. When in doubt, use larger letters with fonts that are easily legible and font colors that contrast from the background color of your sign and/or application surface. Place your sign in a conspicuous location that allows for maximum visibility and make sure that direct light doesn’t affect the quality of the sign. If you have any question on sign design and letter height, we have an all-star team of designers that offer free design help as well as an award-winning customer service team that would be happy to help.

Signage 101 – Letter Height Visibility

Installing a Perforated Car Window Decal

Some signs are easier to install than others. For example, hanging a banner doesn’t take that much thought or effort, but installing a perforated car window decal to a vehicle…well, that takes a little more planning. To help you out, we’ve created a brief video to show you the best way to install your new car decal so it comes out perfect every time. Also, here are a couple tricks that will come in handy:

1. Always create your sign at least two (2) inches wider and taller than your window.  Most car windows are NOT exactly flat. In fact, most are convex or bubbled in some way. By measuring the extra 2 inches, it makes it much easier when it comes to trimming the excess off and gives you a little “wiggle room” to account for the curved surface.
2. Clean your window with a basic ammonia mixture (1/2 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/2 cup water) in a spray bottle. Bird crap doesn’t help the adhesion process!
3. If you are installing the decal by yourself, it’s a good idea to peal the backer off one corner and lightly attach the decal to the window. This lets you walk around and take measurements without the sign moving around.
4. The more hands the better. We actually installed the decal using one person and the then again with two people. Having two cut the installation time in half. They were also able to stay on their own side (as seen in the video) and measure without having to walk back and forth from side to side trying to make sure everything was even.
5. Always start in the middle and work your way out with a squeegee. This gives you a good anchor. Keep in mind, you can always trim off the edges but if the middle is messed up, there is not much you can do.

Installing window decals can look difficult, but if you keep these simple steps in mind, you are guaranteed to get a great sign for your vehicle. Check out the finished product!

Related Articles

How to Remove a Decal.

How to Apply Decals.

The Benefits of Car Advertising.

How-To: Installing a Perforated Car Window Decal