Vehicle branding in Dubai: wraps, lettering and signs for vans, trucks, cars, bikes and boats

Vehicle branding and signs we do

We do cut-vinyl lettering and logos, printed partial and full wraps, magnetic signs, fleet roll-outs, LED and illuminated signs for vehicles, delivery bike branding and boat lettering. Each job includes a scaled layout on your vehicle model, the permit application where one is needed, and application by our fitters.

For screens fitted to vehicles, see mobile and vehicle LED screens.

Lettering, partial wrap or full wrap?

Lettering is the cheapest way to identify a vehicle, a partial wrap gives most of the impact of a full wrap for roughly half the film, and a full wrap turns the whole vehicle into an advertisement and protects the paint beneath. The right choice depends on your budget, how long you'll keep the vehicle, and the colour it already is.

Lettering and logos

Cut vinyl letters and shapes in solid colours, applied directly to the paint. On a white van, a well-set name, logo and phone number can look as good as a wrap at a fraction of the cost. Cut vinyl in a good grade also outlasts printed film, because the colour runs through the material instead of sitting on its surface as ink.

Partial wraps

A printed design covering the rear half of a van, a band along the sides, or the doors and rear. The skill is in the edge: a good partial wrap uses a curve, a fade or a panel line so the film ends where it looks intended. Designed well, people remember it as a wrapped vehicle.

Full wraps

Printed film over every painted panel, including bumpers where practical. Choose a full wrap when the vehicle's colour clashes with your brand, when you want the vehicle to be an unmistakable advert, or when you want to return a leased vehicle with its paint untouched. A full wrap needs the best film and the most skilled fitting, because it has to stretch into recesses and around curves and stay there.

Colour change wraps

A wrap in a single colour, matte, gloss, satin or metallic, with or without branding on top. It's a way to put a mixed fleet of white, silver and grey vehicles into one company colour without respraying.

Matching mixed fleets

If your fleet has vans of different makes and sizes, don't stretch one drawing to fit them all. We redraw the layout for each model, so the logo sits in the same visual position on every vehicle and nothing important lands on a door handle.

Designing graphics that work on a moving vehicle

Vehicle graphics are read in two to five seconds by people who are driving, so the design has to give up nearly everything except the name, what you do and one way to contact you. The sides, the rear and the front are seen in different ways, and each needs its own layout.

What goes on

• Company name and logo, as large as the panel allows.
• What you do, in two to four words: "AC Maintenance", "Fresh Flowers", "Pest Control".
• One contact method. A phone number or a website, whichever customers actually use. A short, memorable one beats both.
• Arabic and English. The permit rules require Arabic, and the guides to the permit say at least half of the text.
• Licence details if your trade requires them on the vehicle.

Leave off long service lists, street addresses, email addresses and social media icons without handles. Nobody can note them at a traffic light, and they shrink everything else.

The three views

• The sides are seen by pedestrians and by drivers alongside, often at an angle and partly blocked. Put the name high on the panel, above the level of neighbouring car roofs, and keep the main message in the largest flat area.
• The rear is the most valuable space on the vehicle. Drivers behind you in traffic have time to read. Put the name, the service line and the contact number there, large and uncluttered.
• The front is seen briefly. A logo on the bonnet is enough.

Working with the vehicle

• Design on a scaled template of the exact model and year. Panel shapes, handles, fuel flaps, sliding door rails and badges differ between models and between years of the same model.
• Keep text off door gaps, handles, deep recesses and rubbing strips. A phone number split across a sliding door is unreadable when the door is open and misaligned when it's shut.
• Check the design with the doors open if the vehicle works with doors open, as delivery vans do.
• Mind the wheel arches and the dirt line. The bottom 30 centimetres of a vehicle is dirty within a day. Keep text above it.
• Respect the windows. Graphics aren't allowed on the windscreen or front side windows, and rear windows take perforated film only, so plan the design around the glass.

Legibility

• Letter height. As a rule of thumb from sign legibility research, lettering needs roughly 1 cm of height for every 3 to 4 metres of reading distance as a minimum, so a phone number meant to be read from 20 metres should be at least 6 to 7 cm high, and larger is better.
• Contrast. Dark on light or light on dark. Mid-tone lettering on a busy photographic background disappears.
• Simple type. Bold, plain letterforms. Thin scripts and condensed fonts don't survive movement.
• Fewer, bigger elements. One strong image or none. A collage of product photos becomes a blur at speed.
• Consistency across the fleet. The tenth van a person sees should be recognised before it's read.

Design for the vehicle's working life

Vehicles get dented and panels get replaced. A design built from separate elements (logo, name, band of colour) is cheap to repair, because one panel can be reprinted. A full-coverage photograph running across every panel means reprinting and colour-matching a large area for a small dent.

Vinyl, laminate and how long it lasts in Dubai

Vehicle graphics are made of self-adhesive vinyl film, and the grade of film decides how well it fits the vehicle's curves and how long it lasts. Cast vinyl is the premium grade for wraps and long-term fleet graphics. Calendered vinyl costs less and suits flat panels and short-term work. Printed film needs a clear laminate over it.

The rated lives are from a US fleet graphics manufacturer's guide, which also notes that high-UV climates can cut those ratings by 40 to 50% (Craftsmen Industries). Dubai is a high-UV climate, so plan on the shorter end: around three to five years for a well-made, laminated wrap on a vehicle parked outdoors, and longer for cut vinyl lettering and for vehicles kept under cover.

What wears out first

• Horizontal surfaces. Bonnets and roofs face the sun directly and fail years before the sides. Many fleets leave the roof unwrapped.
• Deep recesses and tight curves, where the film was stretched most.
• Edges and seams, if they weren't sealed and post-heated.
• Reds, yellows and oranges, which fade faster than blues and blacks.
• Rear panels near the exhaust and wherever fuel is spilled.

What makes it last

• Cast film from a known manufacturer, with the matching laminate and inks.
• UV-filtering laminate on every printed graphic, gloss or matte.
• Proper preparation: the vehicle washed, de-greased and decontaminated before application.
• Post-heating stretched areas so the film loses its tendency to pull back.
• Shade. A vehicle parked under cover keeps its graphics far longer.
• Gentle washing, covered below.

Paintwork

Vinyl adheres to sound factory paint and comes off cleanly later. On resprayed panels, rust, or flaking lacquer, the adhesive may lift the paint on removal, or the film may fail early. We check the paint before quoting and tell you if any panel is a risk.

The RTA permit for vehicle advertising

In Dubai, branding on a vehicle counts as advertising and needs a permit from the Roads and Transport Authority before the vehicle goes on the road with it. The permit is issued for a specific design on a specific vehicle, runs for a year, and is checked when the vehicle is inspected and re-registered. We prepare the artwork and apply for you.

The points below are drawn from published guides to the permit by Dubai vehicle branding firms (Print Zone, Printajo). Fees and rules change, and the guides differ on some details, so treat this as orientation and rely on the RTA's decision at application.

Who needs one

• Any vehicle showing a company name, logo, phone number, website, service description or slogan.
• The vehicle must be registered to a company with a Dubai trade licence. Private cars registered to an individual aren't eligible for commercial branding.
• Leased vehicles need a no-objection letter from the leasing company.
• Manufacturer badges, inspection stickers and small personal decals with no business purpose don't need a permit.

What you submit

• A layout showing all four sides of the vehicle with the design in place.
• The trade licence and the vehicle registration.
• A request letter.
• Extra approvals where they apply: a no-objection certificate from the brand owner if you're advertising someone else's brand, and from the relevant authority for regulated activities such as real estate.

Reported fees

Small knowledge and innovation fees are added to each application, and a change of design needs an amendment.

Design rules that are widely reported

• Arabic. At least half of the text in Arabic, with the trade name in both languages.
• Windows. Nothing on the windscreen or front side windows. Perforated one-way film only on the rear window.
• Content. No offensive, political or religious imagery, nothing resembling police or emergency markings, and nothing that dazzles or distracts, such as reflective or moving images.
• Number plates and lights must stay clear.
• The design on the vehicle must match the approved design. A new logo or phone number means an amended permit.

The guides disagree on how much of the vehicle may be covered and on whether QR codes are accepted, so we confirm those points for your design when we apply.

Validity and penalties

The permit lasts a year and is tied to the vehicle's registration, so it's renewed with it. The guides report fines of AED 1,000 to 5,000 for branding without a permit, smaller fines for dirty or peeling graphics, and a block on renewing the vehicle's registration until the matter is settled. The permit is reported to be valid when the vehicle travels in other emirates; a vehicle based permanently in another emirate follows that emirate's rules.

How we handle it

1. We design the graphics within the rules and produce the four-view layout.
2. You sign off the design and send the licence and registration.
3. We submit the application and pay the fee on your behalf.
4. Once the permit is issued, we print and apply.
5. We give you the permit for the vehicle's file, and remind you at renewal if you ask us to.

Don't apply graphics first and permit later. A rejected design means removing and reprinting film you've already paid for.

Vans, trucks, buses and fleets

Each kind of vehicle has its own best surfaces and its own traps. Vans offer large flat sides, trucks offer height and long panels, buses offer the biggest area of all, and cars need the most restraint.

Vans

Panel vans are the ideal canvas: large, flat sides and a rear seen in traffic all day. Watch the sliding door and its rail, deep panel ribs, and rear doors that split the design down the middle. On vans with side windows, the area is smaller and the design should work as a band below the glass.

Pickups

Doors, tailgate and bonnet are the usable areas. A canopy or box on the back adds flat sides. Keep the design simple, because the panels are small.

Trucks and box bodies

Box bodies and curtain-siders give the largest flat areas. Rigid box sides take printed film or, on riveted panels, film applied with care over each rivet. The cab doors carry the name, and the rear doors the contact details. Chilled bodies and tankers need film rated for the surface. Reflective markings at the rear and sides improve safety at night and are required on some heavy vehicles.

Illuminated name boards for trucks

A lit board above the cab or on the body shows the company name at night. See the section on illuminated signs below for what's practical and what needs approval.

Buses

Staff and school buses carry the operator's name and required markings. Full advertising wraps on buses are permitted with the higher-fee permit, and window areas take perforated film where allowed. School buses have their own marking rules, which take priority over branding.

Company cars

A small, well-placed logo and name on the doors or rear quarter is usually right for a saloon or SUV. Remember the car must be registered to the company to be branded.

Specialist vehicles

Food trucks, mobile clinics, recovery trucks, site plant and trailers each have their own shapes and rules. Food trucks in particular benefit from a full wrap, a menu panel by the hatch and lit signs for evening trade.

Rolling out a fleet

• One design system, adapted to each vehicle model.
• Batches, so most of the fleet stays on the road. A van typically needs half a day to a day for lettering and two to three days for a full wrap, including preparation.
• On-site application at your depot where there's a clean, shaded, dust-free bay, or at our workshop.
• Removal of old graphics and adhesive before the new ones go on.
• A record for each vehicle of the design version, film and date, which makes repairs and renewals simple.
• Spare panels printed and kept for the vehicles most likely to need them.

Magnetic signs and removable graphics

A magnetic sign is a printed panel on flexible magnetic sheet that sticks to a steel door or side panel and lifts off by hand. It suits vehicles that are used privately as well as for work, and businesses that need to remove branding at times.

• Where they work. Flat or gently curved steel panels. They don't hold on aluminium, plastic or fibreglass panels, or over deep ribs and body filler.
• Size. Door-sized panels, commonly around 30 × 60 cm, with rounded corners so the wind doesn't lift an edge.
• Care. Remove and wipe the sign and the panel weekly. Trapped grit scratches paint, and moisture marks it. Store the signs flat.
• Heat. In Dubai's summer, a magnetic sign left in place for months can mark the paint beneath. Take it off when the vehicle is parked for long periods.
• Speed. A clean, flat, well-seated sign stays on at road speeds. A dirty or curled one may not.
• The permit. A removable sign is still advertising while it's on the vehicle. Ask us before relying on magnetic signs to avoid the permit, and remember that a privately registered car isn't eligible for commercial branding.

Other removable options: static-cling and low-tack window graphics for short promotions, and removable film for campaign vehicles.

Illuminated and LED signs on vehicles

Lit signs on vehicles include roof-top signs, LED display boards in windows or on the body, illuminated name boards on trucks, and neon-style signs on food trucks and display vehicles. They make a vehicle visible at night, and they're more tightly controlled than vinyl, because lights on a moving vehicle can distract or be mistaken for signals.

Roof signs

A lit box on the roof showing a name or logo, as used by driving schools, delivery services and pizza shops. Magnetic or bolted, wired to the vehicle's 12-volt supply. Keep the light steady and white or the brand colour, never red or blue facing forward or flashing.

LED display boards for buses and vans

• Destination and route boards on staff, school and tour buses: an LED panel at the front, side or rear showing the route or company name.
• Rear-window LED boards in cars and vans showing a name or message. See LED scrolling message boards.
• Mobile LED screens on trucks and trailers for events and advertising. A vehicle used only for advertising is in a separate, expensive permit class.

Scrolling or animated messages on a moving vehicle are the kind of display the rules restrict. We advise on what can be shown while driving and what should run only when parked.

Illuminated name boards and truck signs

A slim LED light box or lit letters above a truck's cab or on a box body. They need vibration-proof construction, sealed electrics and a fused supply from the vehicle. Lit truck signs are common in some countries and uncommon here, so confirm acceptance before fitting.

Neon-style signs for vans, trucks and food trucks

LED neon in a name or shape, used on food trucks, coffee vans, show vehicles and inside camper and event vans. On a food truck, a neon name above the hatch and a lit menu are worth more in the evening than the wrap. They're designed to be lit when the vehicle is parked and trading. See neon signs.

Illuminated vehicle graphics

Light-emitting film and backlit panels can make part of a graphic glow. They're used on promotional and show vehicles and need the same care over approval as other lit signs.

Before you order a lit sign

• Ask about approval. Lights and displays on road vehicles are regulated. We'll tell you what we know to be accepted and what needs checking with the RTA.
• Power. 12 or 24 volts from the vehicle, with a fuse and a switch, or a separate battery.
• Build. Sealed against dust and water, and fixed to survive vibration.
• Roof loads and height. A roof sign adds height. Check car park limits.

Delivery bikes, motorcycles and bike shop signs

Delivery bikes are among the most-seen vehicles in Dubai, and the box on the back is the advertising space. We print and apply box graphics and motorcycle decals, and we make signs for bike and motorcycle shops.

Delivery bike boxes

• All four sides and the lid can carry the design. The rear face is seen most, by drivers behind.
• Keep it bold: logo, name, and a phone number or app name. Riders move through traffic quickly.
• Use laminated cast or high-grade film. Boxes are scuffed, washed and left in the sun.
• Reflective strips on the rear and sides make riders more visible at night.
• Permit. Bike branding has its own, lower permit fee, reported at about AED 250 a year.
• Fleets. We brand boxes in batches off the bike, so riders swap a plain box for a branded one in minutes.

Motorcycle graphics

Tank, fairing and panel decals for company bikes, clubs and individual owners: cut vinyl logos, stripes and numbers, and printed kits. Curved, heat-affected panels need cast film and careful fitting.

Neon and LED lights for bikes

People ask for neon lights for motorcycles and bikes. LED accent lighting for show and display is something we can supply, but coloured or flashing lights on a bike used on public roads can break traffic rules, so we recommend it only for shows, events and display.

Signs for bike and motorcycle shops

For shops, the same ideas apply as for any shopfront, with a few favourites: a neon or lit sign in the shape of a bike or motorcycle, a projecting sign with a wheel or chain-ring symbol, bold front-lit letters, and wall graphics inside the workshop. See neon signs and shop signs.

Boat names and lettering

A boat's name and registration markings can be applied in marine-grade vinyl, made as raised stainless steel letters, or made as illuminated letters that glow at night. We make all three for yachts, charter boats, dhows and smaller craft.

Vinyl boat lettering

The most common and least costly option. Marine-grade cast vinyl in a solid colour, metallic or printed design, applied to the transom and bows. It suits fibreglass hulls and takes the curve of a transom well. Gold-leaf-effect and chrome-effect films give a classic look. Expect to renew vinyl every few years in strong sun and salt.

Stainless steel boat letters

Raised letters cut from marine-grade 316 stainless steel, polished or brushed, fixed to the transom on studs or bonded. They're the standard on larger yachts because they look permanent and survive years at sea. Mirror-polished letters reflect the water and sky. Gold or black PVD coatings are possible. Fixing through a hull must be sealed properly, so stud positions are agreed with the yard or the captain.

Illuminated boat lettering

Stainless steel or acrylic letters with LEDs behind or within them, so the name glows at anchor and in the marina. The usual forms are halo-lit steel letters, with light washing the transom behind them, and face-lit acrylic letters. Everything must be marine-rated: sealed LEDs, tinned cable, a waterproof driver and a low-voltage supply from the boat's system. See stainless steel and brass letters and halo-lit letters.

What to put on

• The name, on the transom and often on both bows.
• The home port, below the name on the transom, where required.
• Registration number, in the size and position the registering authority specifies.
• Charter and licence numbers for commercial boats.

Check the marking requirements with the maritime authority that registered the boat before ordering, because letter heights and positions are specified. Send us the dimensions of the transom, a straight-on photo and the hull colour, and we'll draw the name to scale.

Wraps and graphics for boats

Hull stripes, colour changes and full printed wraps are possible above the waterline with marine films. They're a faster alternative to repainting, and they can be removed.

Application, care and removal

Good film fitted badly fails early, so how graphics are applied matters as much as what they're made of. Application needs a clean, shaded, dust-free space, a properly prepared surface, and time.

Application

1. Wash and decontaminate the vehicle, including door edges, recesses and under trims.
2. Remove badges, handles or trims where that gives a cleaner finish, if you agree.
3. Position and apply the film panel by panel, working out air and following the body lines.
4. Trim and tuck edges into gaps and around lights.
5. Post-heat stretched areas and seal edges.
6. Inspect in good light, and again after the film has settled.
7. Leave the vehicle unwashed for about a week, so the adhesive bonds fully.

Care

• Hand wash with mild soap and a soft cloth or sponge. Rinse well.
• Avoid brush car washes, which lift edges and scratch laminate.
• Pressure washers: keep the lance well back, use a wide spray, and never aim at an edge.
• Remove fuel spills, bird droppings and sap quickly. They stain film.
• No abrasive polishes or solvents. Matte films need products made for them.
• Park in shade when you can.
• Report damage early. A lifted corner is a five-minute fix. Left alone, it becomes a new panel.

Removal

Good cast film on sound factory paint comes off with heat and patience, leaving the paint as it was. Film left on years beyond its rated life becomes brittle and comes off in small pieces, with adhesive left behind, which takes far longer and costs more. Plan to remove or renew graphics before they reach that stage, and remove branding before selling a vehicle. We remove old graphics and adhesive as part of a rebrand.

How much does vehicle branding cost in Dubai?

Vehicle branding is priced by the area of film, the grade of material, the complexity of the vehicle's shape and the design work, plus the permit fee. Lettering costs least and a full wrap most. The ranges below are typical Dubai prices before VAT and are a guide only.

What changes the price:

• Coverage and vehicle size.
• Film grade. Cast film and laminate cost more than calendered, and last longer.
• Body shape. Deep recesses, rivets and curves take more time.
• Design. A new design costs more than applying existing artwork.
• Fleet size. Unit costs fall with numbers.
• Removal of existing graphics.

With vehicle branding you pay once for the graphics and nothing for the space, so compare quotes by cost per year of service, not cost on the day. A cheap film that fails in 18 months costs more than a good one that lasts four years.

Mistakes to avoid

Most disappointing vehicle graphics come down to a few avoidable errors in design, material or process.

1. Too much text. Service lists, addresses and three phone numbers.
2. Text across door gaps and handles.
3. Designing on a generic template, not the exact model.
4. Low contrast or lettering over a busy photograph.
5. Calendered film on curves, which shrinks and lifts.
6. No laminate on printed film.
7. Applying before the permit is issued.
8. No Arabic, or Arabic added without checking.
9. Graphics on front windows.
10. Ignoring the rear, the most-read surface.
11. Inconsistent fleets, with each vehicle slightly different.
12. Leaving film on for a decade, then paying for a difficult removal.