Vehicle Graphics: Magnets, Decals, Window Film and Wraps

When Are Vehicle Magnets a Good Choice?

Vehicle magnets are a good choice when the vehicle is also personal, leased, or shared, because they come off in seconds and leave nothing behind. An 18 x 12 inch magnet is $64.19, and the product page opens on the next size: A 24" x 12" 30 mil Magnetic Vinyl Vehicle Magnet is $74.89. Artwork prep is $14.99 per item. Printed in the USA in 48 hours and shipped nationwide, flat $10 shipping to any US address.

Magnets come in five sizes, from 18 x 12 inches up to a 72 x 24 inch XL for a van side, with square or rounded corners. You can order one magnet or a matched pair for both doors.

They need a flat steel panel. Magnets will not hold on aluminum or fiberglass panels, plastic trim, or across deep body lines. Rounded corners are recommended for any vehicle that drives the interstate, because they resist lifting at highway speed. Take the magnet off now and then to wipe the panel and the back of the magnet.

What Is a Partial Vehicle Wrap?

A partial vehicle wrap is printed wrap vinyl on selected panels, such as the lower half of a van, the rear doors, or one side, with the factory paint showing on the rest. It gives you a printed background and large graphics without the film and labor of a full wrap.

A partial is planned around the paint color. A white van with a navy and red design across the lower half and a logo on the side panel reads as finished, because the white is part of the design. The paint needs to be in good condition, since it stays on show.

Partial wraps are built from printed wrap vinyl, sold by the square foot and shipped ready for your installer: A 52" × 12" GF 830 AutoMark Cast Printed Wrap Vinyl is $64.19. Artwork prep is $14.99 per item. Printed in the USA in 3 business days and shipped nationwide, flat $10 shipping to any US address.

What Changes When You Plan a Full Wrap?

A full wrap covers the sides of the vehicle, and often the rear and front, in printed film. It needs more film, more design work around doors, handles and windows, and more installation time than any other option.

Three things change. First, the vehicle has to be measured panel by panel and photographed straight on. Second, the design has to be laid out on a vehicle template so text stays off door gaps and seams. Third, the paint has to be sound, because vinyl does not repair rust, peeling clear coat or dents.

Panels wider than 52 inches ship split with a 1 inch overlap, labeled in order, so plan faces and phone numbers away from those seams. For how wrap film holds up over time, read our guide to vehicle wrap vinyl longevity.

How Do You Measure a Vehicle for Graphics?

Measure the flat area of each panel you want to cover, width and height in inches, and photograph each side straight on with a tape measure in the frame. Size the graphics for the vehicle in the driveway, not the one you remember.

1. Doors. Measure the flat area between the window line, the handle, the body lines and the wheel arch. That is the largest magnet or decal that will lie flat.
2. Windows. Measure the whole outside glass, edge to edge. Perforated window film covers the black border too, so measure across it, not inside it.
3. Panels. For wraps, measure each side, the rear doors and the hood separately.
4. Obstacles. Note handles, fuel doors, lights, badges, vents and cameras.

Ask your installer how much extra film they want past each edge before you order wrap panels.

How Should You Write and Design the Message?

Write three things: who you are, what you do, and how to reach you. A business name, a service line of three to five words, and a phone number or website is enough for a vehicle that is moving.

Picture a pool service company, Clearwater Pool Care. The door carries the logo and Weekly Pool Service. The rear window carries the phone number in large white letters. Nothing else competes, so a driver behind the truck can read it at a red light.

Make the phone number the largest line after the name. Use high contrast, dark on light or light on dark, and avoid thin script. Read the proof at arm's length; if you have to squint, enlarge the type and cut words.

What Should You Confirm Before Approving the Order?

Confirm the size, the placement, the contrast and the spelling on the free digital proof. Nothing prints until you approve it.

1. Size against your measurements. The proof states the finished size.
2. Placement around obstacles. Handles, seams, brake lights and wipers.
3. Contrast against the paint or glass. A dark logo on a dark truck disappears.
4. Spelling. Read the phone number and web address aloud, one character at a time.

If your logo is in Canva, a PDF or a ChatGPT image, AI image to print makes it print ready for $14.99 per item. Design it for me builds the layout from scratch for $29.99 with two revisions, and it is free on an item of $499 or more.

How Do You Order Vehicle Graphics?

Pick the product, choose the size and options, upload your design, and approve the free digital proof. Magnets, decals and window graphics print in 48 hours; wrap vinyl, hood wraps and tailgate wraps print in 3 business days. Each product ships for a flat $10 to any US address.

Start with vehicle magnets, car door decals or printed wrap vinyl. For hood and tailgate sizes, read our hood and tailgate wrap guide.