How much will van signwriting cost me?

Magnetic signs

A magnetic sign can be left on a van or swapped between vehicles. This can be handy if the same van is used for different brands – just swap the brand panels over.

Or if you rent a van for occasional work, you can instantly stamp your identity on it. Clients will be none the wiser.

Avoid using magnetic panels on the bonnet – they don’t like the wind turbulence or the heat from the engine. But using them on the sides and back is fine. If you’re going to swap signs between vehicles, smaller signs give you a wider choice of potential vehicles.

Avoid sticking them on panels that have curves or features lines. They won’t sit properly. Instead, go for a flat panel. Measure up the panel before ordering and leave a border of about 50mm/2in or so. This will look smart and ensure that the metallic signage doesn’t unintentionally overspill the flat panel.

Prices start at about £15 for a magnetic panel 150mm tall by 100mm wide. Expect to pay about £30 for one that’s 400mm tall and 1.0m wide, and £50 for 200mm tall by 2.0m wide.

For a magnetic sign that’s 500mm tall and 3.0m wide, budget on about £100. For truly massive ones, say 600mm tall by 6.0 wide, you can be looking at the wrong side of £200. You’ll need to add VAT on top of all those prices.

But expect the price to include full colour digital printing, a laminated front that is resistant to UV, scratches and weather, and the option of using your own graphics.

Go for magnetic panels that are at least 0.8mm thick to ensure they don’t slip down on the van – or, worse, blow off at motorway speeds.

Don’t forget that shoddy signwriting is worse than nothing. If you want a slick job like this, don’t go for the cheapest quote

Not just the price

Don’t just go for the cheapest quote.

Shoddy-looking signwriting is worse than no signwriting. It projects a bad image about your company to prospective customers.

You want signwriting to look professional from day one and remain looking that way on day 1000 and beyond. So keep one eye on cost and the other on quality.

The signwriting industry is unregulated so ensure that you’re happy with the quality of the firm’s work before giving them your business.

Go on personal recommendations where possible. Failing that, tell the firm you want to contact some of their recent customers. If they aren’t instantly forthcoming, look elsewhere. You’ll find plenty online.

Finally, before you decide on a design, to check out our advice on the essential dos and don’ts for designing signwriting for your van: How to make the most of your van signwriting

Van wrapping photographs courtesy of W23 Group.