Question Vehicle Graphics

[Abraxas Aguilera]

I know that ultimately it's up to the customer.
But when applying vehicle graphics, especially logos, do you follow the body contours, or make it straight. Today's vehicles hardly have any straight lines, but when I see a crooked logo, it kinda bugs me... a lot.

 

[unclebun]

You have to make it look good. Find what appears to be the line of the vehicle, and make everything look like it's aligned with that. Sometimes that is the baseline of the door cuts. Sometimes it's the waistline of the car. Sometimes it's a trim line. Sometimes you have to "cheat" your line between two converging or diverging body lines.

 

[Billct2]

Yep, you have to eye it up. Sometimes you can design to work with the angles, or at least negate them

 

[MikePro]

parallel > level
if the body lines are really crazy, you can usually rely on the window lines to be a solid "square line" to base your logo off-of.

...but measuring from ground-up to apply a logo "level" on a vehicle, or literally using a level, has never looked good imho.

 

[eahicks]

parallel > level
if the body lines are really crazy, you can usually rely on the window lines to be a solid "square line" to base your logo off-of.

...but measuring from ground-up to apply a logo "level" on a vehicle, or literally using a level, has never looked good imho.

And if you do use a level, or measure from ground up, it only is level if the ground is 100% level. I can't tell you how many arguments there have been with employees AND customer about this.
We installed some trailer graphics for someone once. Your standard 6x12 box. Mostly all text. Of course went with the body lines (top and bottom edges of trailer). BUT the trailer was sitting at a slight incline (maybe sitting 2-3 degrees slanted as they left it). They came to pickup and during the walkaround, freaked out. "Oh my god it's all crooked on both sides!!" Demanded we get a level so they could show us. Of course none of it aligned to a level....the TRAILER wasn't level! They finally chilled out and after hitching to their truck, they saw it was fine.

 

[letterman7]

Personally, I never use a level. Just not a smart way to apply graphics. What if one or more of the tires is low? Or suspension isn't sitting right? Levels belong on buildings, not vehicles. That said, I generally pick the strongest, straightest body line, usually the rocker line at the bottom. The newer SUV's drive me crazy though - the bodylines diverge from the front to rear, so nothing ever looks "level". Sometimes you just have to tape the graphic in place, step back and look. If it looks right, it probably is. Just make sure to make the same measurements on the opposite side!

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

parallel > level
if the body lines are really crazy, you can usually rely on the window lines to be a solid "square line" to base your logo off-of.

...but measuring from ground-up to apply a logo "level" on a vehicle, or literally using a level, has never looked good imho.

And if you do use a level, or measure from ground up, it only is level if the ground is 100% level. I can't tell you how many arguments there have been with employees AND customer about this.
We installed some trailer graphics for someone once. Your standard 6x12 box. Mostly all text. Of course went with the body lines (top and bottom edges of trailer). BUT the trailer was sitting at a slight incline (maybe sitting 2-3 degrees slanted as they left it). They came to pickup and during the walkaround, freaked out. "Oh my god it's all crooked on both sides!!" Demanded we get a level so they could show us. Of course none of it aligned to a level....the TRAILER wasn't level! They finally chilled out and after hitching to their truck, they saw it was fine.

Personally, I never use a level. Just not a smart way to apply graphics. What if one or more of the tires is low? Or suspension isn't sitting right? Levels belong on buildings, not vehicles. That said, I generally pick the strongest, straightest body line, usually the rocker line at the bottom. The newer SUV's drive me crazy though - the bodylines diverge from the front to rear, so nothing ever looks "level". Sometimes you just have to tape the graphic in place, step back and look. If it looks right, it probably is. Just make sure to make the same measurements on the opposite side!

We use Craftsman digital laser levels. Just zero off of the body line you want to reference from and 'level' everything off of that. They are super handy.

https://www.sears.com/craftsman-24-in-digital-lasertrac-reg-level/p-00948293000P

 

[Stacey K]

Mostly, I eyeball it and do what I think looks good. It will help if you trim your graphic nice and straight to the logo so when you stand back your eyes don't mess with you.

If you don't have a laser level, one thing I've done is pull up the vehicle outline in the computer and find a horizontal line (like top of the front wheel well to the bottom of the black trim piece, or whatever) then use either tape or pin stripe vinyl to draw that line (pulled nice and tight so the line is straight) and then I use that as my level. Works for me!