A vehicle wrap takes your brand from a screen or a business card and puts it on something that moves through the world at scale. A van, a truck, a car fleet — the brand is everywhere it goes, in conditions no other print application matches: full sun, rain, wind, temperature extremes, abrasion.
The technical demands are significant. A logo file that is perfectly adequate for print stationery will produce a mediocre vehicle wrap, and a mediocre vehicle wrap is conspicuous in a way that mediocre stationery isn't — it's on the road for years.
The Scale Problem: Why Vector Is Non-Negotiable
A standard van side panel is approximately 4 metres wide and 1.5 metres tall. Printed at the industry standard for large-format print (typically 100 DPI at final size), a wrap covering that panel needs an image that is at minimum 15,750×5,900 pixels — or in raster terms, roughly 90 megapixels.
No PNG logo will provide this. A typical "high resolution" logo PNG at 2000×1000 pixels would need to be scaled 8×to cover the van side — producing noticeably degraded edges and detail.
A vector file scales to any size with zero quality loss. The same EPS that prints a business card logo at 2cm can print the van logo at 4 metres. This is why vector files are not optional for vehicle wrap work — they're the only format that can work.
If your logo exists only as a PNG (including AI-generated logos from Midjourney, DALL-E, or similar tools), vectorization is the necessary first step. Our AI logo vectorization service produces the EPS with CMYK values that wrap studios require.
File Format Requirements for Wrap Studios
What wrap studios want:
- EPS (preferred) with CMYK colour values and all fonts outlined. This is the near-universal standard for professional wrap studios worldwide.
- AI (Adobe Illustrator) is accepted by most wrap studios and some prefer it for the additional flexibility during layout work.
- PDF (print-ready, from a vector source) is accepted as an alternative.
What they cannot use:
- PNG, JPEG, TIFF, or any raster format for the main logo
- RGB colour files — large-format printers output in CMYK or specific wide-gamut ink sets
- Files with live fonts — all text must be outlined before submission
- Files with transparency effects, feathered edges, or blend modes that require flattening — these can produce unexpected results in large-format RIP software
Colour Considerations for Vehicle Wrap
CMYK conversion is required. Wrap print uses CMYK (or extended CMYK with orange, green, or additional inks on high-end systems). RGB logo colours will be converted by the printer's RIP software, often producing unexpected colour shifts. The correct approach is professional RGB-to-CMYK conversion before submission, with Pantone reference numbers provided for colour-critical applications.
For the full colour conversion process, see AI logo RGB to CMYK conversion and the Pantone matching guide.
Wrap vs. background colour matching. If the vehicle itself will be partially wrapped (partial wrap) and part of the vehicle's original paint colour is retained, the wrap design must account for how the brand colours look against that paint colour. Discuss colour relationships with the wrap studio before finalising the design.
Outdoor durability of colours. Certain colours fade faster than others in outdoor UV exposure. Vivid reds and yellows are most susceptible. A wrap studio's vinyl supplier will have specific guidance on colour durability for the materials being used — ask before committing to palette choices.
Resolution and Bleed for Large-Format Print
Even though the logo itself is vector (infinite resolution), any photographs, texture backgrounds, or raster elements in the overall wrap design must be supplied at adequate resolution.
For vehicle wrap large-format print:
- Minimum: 100 DPI at final print size
- Recommended: 150 DPI at final print size
- For close-viewing distances (van sides, vehicle windows): 150–200 DPI
For a 4-metre-wide van side at 150 DPI: 4m × 150 DPI × 39.37 (conversion factor) = approximately 23,600 pixels wide. Raster elements in the design need to be this resolution.
The logo itself, as a vector, is unlimited. Provide it as EPS and let the wrap studio's designer handle the scaling — they will place the vector logo into the layout at whatever size the design requires.
Bleed: Vehicle wraps require significant bleed — typically 25–50mm around each panel edge — to account for trimming and surface curve. This bleed specification comes from the wrap studio's templates. Always request the template before starting any design work.
Supplying Files to a Wrap Studio
When supplying your logo for a vehicle wrap project:
- EPS file with CMYK values — primary supply format
- AI source file — optional but often appreciated for layout flexibility
- A colour specification document — list every colour in the mark with its CMYK values and Pantone number
- PNG reference — a high-resolution PNG showing how the logo should look, for the designer's reference during layout
- Usage notes — minimum clear space, any restrictions on how the logo may be rotated or rearranged
If you're supplying an entire wrap design rather than just the logo elements, supply the design file (AI or PDF) at the template's exact dimensions with bleed, with all linked images embedded, and all fonts outlined.
When Your Logo Needs Adjustment for Wrap Applications
Some logo designs need minor adaptation for vehicle wrap use:
Thin strokes. Very thin strokes that look refined on paper may fill in or disappear at large-format print, depending on the printing system and wrap material. If your mark has strokes thinner than 1–2mm at intended wrap size, discuss with the studio before printing.
Very light colours on white vehicles. If the background vehicle colour is white or light, pale brand colours may not provide sufficient contrast. Either use the logo's dark version, or consider a colour background box behind the logo.
Dark marks on dark vehicles. A black or dark navy logo on a black vehicle creates a functional invisibility problem. Use the logo's light/reversed version, or add a light background treatment behind the mark.
Need wrap-ready logo files for your vehicle or fleet?
We produce EPS files with full CMYK documentation, clean paths, and outlined fonts — everything a wrap studio needs to print your logo perfectly at any scale.
EPS with CMYK colour values and all fonts outlined is the standard requirement for vehicle wrap studios. Adobe Illustrator AI files are also widely accepted. Do not supply PNG, JPEG, or other raster formats for the main logo — vehicle wraps are printed at very large sizes that raster files cannot support without significant quality loss.
No — a PNG logo will produce blurry, pixelated edges when scaled to vehicle wrap dimensions. Vehicle wraps are typically 2–5 metres wide, and a standard PNG logo file would need to be scaled 5–10x to fill that space. The solution is professional vectorization, which rebuilds the logo as scalable mathematical paths that print perfectly at any size.
For the vector logo itself, DPI doesn't apply — vector files are resolution-independent. For any raster photographic elements in the wrap design, 150 DPI at final print size is the recommended minimum. The wrap studio will specify their requirements when they provide the template. Always request the template before preparing files.
Screen displays use RGB colour (light-based), while vehicle wraps are printed in CMYK ink. If the logo colours weren't professionally converted from RGB to CMYK before printing, the RIP software made an automatic conversion that may not match your intended colours. The solution is professional colour conversion and Pantone specification before any wrap production.
Usually not, but sometimes minor adjustments help. Very thin strokes may need to be slightly heavier for large-format print. If the vehicle colour creates a contrast problem with the logo colours, a background box or a different logo variant (dark/light version) may be appropriate. Discuss with the wrap studio when reviewing the design proof.