Straight truck graphics

Did you know you can even put new graphics on an older, used truck? You can! But, before you do you need to know a couple things.

If there were prior graphics on the vehicle it is very important to make sure all old vinyl adhesive has been removed from the surface. Have you ever seen those old trucks rolling down the highway with what looks like a dirty ghost image of a logo? What you are looking at was a nice clean transparent adhesive that was left behind upon removing the vinyl graphics. Give that some time in the rain and the dirt in the air and that is what you get, a nasty looking truck, with the old owners nasty looking logo.

Another issue that needs to be addressed is the surface quality. I have yet to see an aluminum sided truck with a paint job as nice as a clear-coat vehicle. The surfaces paint on most of these types of trucks will break down over time leaving the surface oxidized. To see if your truck sides are as such simply run your finger tips down the surface and look if they turn the same color as the paint. With a white sided truck your fingers will look like you just ran them down a chalkboard. This "chalk" must be completely removed prior to any graphics application. Failure to do so is a sure fire way to failure and a lot of wasted money.

Both of the above issues are just part of dealing with older, previously decaled vehicles. How you decide to deal with it is up to you. Know too that experienced sign and graphics companies should tell you about your situation as soon as they spot your vehicle. If they don't, you may be working with the less experienced. Remember, you get , and sometimes don't get, what you pay for.