Vehicle Lettering vs. Car Wrapping
SEPTEMBER 2, 2025| SpeedProCategories
Vehicle GraphicsCompanies have long used vehicle graphics to get their message to drivers all around the nation. This type of advertising offers plenty of options, and it’s essential to know the difference between vehicle lettering and vehicle wraps to determine which option fits your company’s needs better.
Benefits of Vehicle Lettering and Vehicle Wraps
Vehicle lettering only involves custom text and generally focuses on smaller sections of a vehicle, while a vehicle wrap covers the entire surface of a vehicle or a significant portion of it. To help you decide whether you should use lettering or wraps on your vehicle, consider the benefits of each.
VEHICLE WRAPS
Custom vehicle wraps are popular for a reason. Their ability to cover the surface area of a car with logos, graphics, images and text helps companies make a statement. Below are the top reasons to use custom business vehicle wraps:
- Attention-grabbing: Whenever you or your staff drive a car that’s been decked out with vehicle wraps, it’s going to draw people’s attention to key information such as your logo, company name and social media handle.
- Long-lasting: Vehicle wraps are made out of tough vinyl and typically last for somewhere between three and six years.
- Cost-effective: Vehicle wraps generally cost somewhere between $2,500 and $3,000 and provide a low cost per impression. The Out of Home Advertising Association of America has estimated that businesses receive a $2.80 return on investment for every dollar that they spend on a wrap.
- Wide-reaching: Depending on traffic density, vehicle wraps can reach thousands of people from all walks of life every day you take your vehicle out on the road, raising brand awareness that gets people talking about your company.
VEHICLE LETTERING
Vehicle lettering is a more focused type of vehicle advertisement as it only deals with placing custom letters on a vehicle. The top benefits of using vehicle lettering are:
- Minimalist aesthetic: Vehicle lettering can add to a vehicle without overtaking it. Text in an attractive font that highlights your company name, current deals or contact info can go a long way to make an impression on customers
- Affordability: The initial costs for vehicle lettering are usually lower than those of a full vehicle wrap, as you will probably take up less space on your vehicle and use less vinyl. For smaller companies with less cash available, lettering can have a similar effect at a lower cost.
- Branding: Like vinyl wraps, vehicle lettering can help your company craft a brand image that sticks in viewers’ minds. Well-designed, attractive text can also make viewers trust your company more, as the lettering provides a professional image of your business.
How to Choose Lettering Vs. Vehicle Wraps
Choosing between vehicle lettering and custom vehicle wraps comes down to your vision for your vehicle marketing strategy. For those who don’t want to cover their whole vehicle or use complex graphics in their marketing strategy, vehicle lettering is ideal. If you want a bold statement that shows off a variety of graphic types, a vehicle wrap is the best choice.
While both are affordable with a high ROI, smaller businesses may appreciate the lower capital investment costs associated with lettering. Companies that have money to invest in vehicle wraps and prioritize ROI will welcome the long-term return on investment that comes with the extra exposure that wraps provide.
As you choose between the two, consider whether you want a more minimal advertising approach or something more obvious. Your brand aesthetic will help you decide which option you should deck out your vehicles with.
Choose SpeedPro for your vehicle graphics
Whether you choose vinyl vehicle wraps or lettering, SpeedPro Corp has the experience and equipment to turn your vision into reality. As a nationwide network of studios that specialize in large-format graphics, we’ve handled everything from lettering that highlights a company’s name on a single car to vinyl wraps on a whole fleet of trucks.
Find your local SpeedPro studio to speak to one of our representatives about how we can transform your vehicles into highly effective marketing machines.
