Designing car magnets is a fairly-easy process, but there are a
few important things worth considering to ensure that you get your
money's worth. Poorly-designed car magnets won't get noticed and
consequently won't produce any sort of business return, so if you want
to get the most for your money, take a moment to read over these
suggestions and make sure your car magnet's design reflects them.
- Design at the appropriate size - 12"x24" and 18"x24" are the most-popular car magnet sizes, but there is no "standard size." Every vehicle is unique, so you'll want to measure the area on your car where you would like to install a magnet to confirm the dimensions-keep in mind that magnets must be installed on a flat, smooth area of the vehicle. They cannot accommodate curves, creases, or door trim. Your magnet design will depend on your size limitations, so it's important to know this first.
- Less is More - Since car magnets are usually applied to the doors of vehicles, they're only viewed by passing motorists, at stoplights, and when the vehicle is parked. With this in mind, limit the text of your car magnet design to just the essential information. There's just not space for everything you want to say, and having too much text in the design can confuse your customers and detract from your message. In addition, choose fonts that are simple, bold, and easy-to-read from a distance.
- Color Contrast - The background color of a magnetic sign should contrast the paint color of the vehicle on which it will be applied, and the actual text should be designed in a color that contrasts the magnet's background. Bright colors are great for getting a customer's attention, but what's more important is to choose a color scheme with high-contrast so that once you've gotten their attention they can actually read the sign. Dark backgrounds with white text, and vice versa, are the easiest-to-read.
- Corners - Some car sign companies round the corners of their magnets, whereas others do not. Rounded corners help air flow across the car magnet and reduce the chance of a corner catching the wind and flying off the vehicle. While this is certainly a beneficial feature, you'll want to know for sure if your printer does this so you can adjust your design accordingly. Borders, for instance, don't work well with rounded corners as the edges are cut off.
Robert Kinder works as a Production Manager for a local sign
company in Dallas, Texas. He has worked in the sign printing industry
for over 15 years providing printing and installation for local small
businesses and large corporate customers. Robert enjoys passing along
his trade secrets and knowledge to help others better understand their
signage and their needs. His extensive knowledge about the sign industry
and hands-on experience make him an expert on everything signs.
As a veteran sign expert, Robert has extensive knowledge in car signs
and retail signs. In his articles he covers tips for sign design,
techniques for proper sign installation, common signage questions, and
the different material choices for car decals, car window decals, and magnetic signs for businesses.
