Vinyl Graphics
Vinyl is the cheapest square metre of branding you can buy. It goes on glass, walls and vehicles, it can be printed or cut, and it comes off again when the promotion ends — which is why shop windows, office partitions and vans all end up wearing it.
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Vinyl Graphics, done properly
On glass we do printed graphics, cut lettering and frosted manifestation, including the contrast markings a partition needs so nobody walks into it. On walls we print full-height murals on a laminate that survives being cleaned, or cut individual letters and shapes straight from colour vinyl. On vehicles we work from the manufacturer template so the artwork lands where the panels actually are, and we fit anything from a name and number on the doors to a full wrap — cast vinyl over the curves, air-release adhesive so there is nothing trapped underneath.
- Printed, cut or frosted — on glass, walls or vehicles
- Manifestation that meets partition contrast rules
- Vehicle artwork set from manufacturer templates
- Removable when the promotion or the livery changes
What should you know before ordering vinyl graphics?
Do you need printed or cut vinyl?
Cut vinyl for lettering, logos and shapes in solid colours; printed vinyl for photos, gradients and anything full-colour. Cut letters are sliced from coloured vinyl, so there is no background and the glass or paint shows between them. Printed vinyl carries any image you like, edge to edge. BD Signs often uses both on the same shop window.
Will vinyl come off cleanly later?
Usually, yes — that is much of the point of it. Vinyl is made to come off when the promotion ends or the livery changes. How cleanly depends on the surface underneath and how long the graphic has been up; resprayed or damaged paintwork is where the risk sits. BD Signs looks at the surface before fitting and will tell you if it is a concern.
What do we need to know to letter your van?
The make, model and year, plus the wording and logo you want on it. BD Signs sets the artwork on the manufacturer's template for that exact vehicle, so the graphics land on the real panels — clear of door handles, shut-lines and trims. Without the template, a phone number can end up split across a sliding door.
How does BD Signs make vinyl graphics?
Designed in-house, manufactured in our own factory, fitted by our own teams. 30 years in the industry.
- Step 1
Measure or template
For glass and walls we measure on site. For vehicles we work from the manufacturer template for your make and model, so the artwork is drawn to the actual panels rather than a side-on photo.
- Step 2
Design and proof
Our designers set the artwork to scale and send a proof showing it on your window, wall or vehicle. Manifestation on partitions is set at the heights people actually look, so the glass is obvious.
- Step 3
Print or cut
Full-colour graphics are printed and laminated, with wall murals on a laminate that survives cleaning. Lettering and shapes are cut from coloured vinyl, and wraps use cast vinyl with air-release adhesive.
- Step 4
Fitting
Our own teams apply it, on glass, walls or vehicles. Air-release adhesive lets trapped air escape as the vinyl is pressed down, so a wrap sits flat over the curves with nothing trapped underneath.
Is printed or cut vinyl right for your graphics?
Both go on glass, walls and vehicles, and both come off again. The difference is what they can show and how they look up close.
| Compare | Printed vinyl | Cut vinyl |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Photos, gradients, full-colour promotions and wraps | Lettering, logos, opening hours and shapes in solid colour |
| Background | Printed edge to edge, or cut around the outline of the design | None — the glass, wall or paint shows between the letters |
| Colour | Any colour or image the artwork contains | Solid colour all the way through, including frosted film for glass |
| Protection | Laminated over the print to protect it from wear and cleaning | Colour runs right through the vinyl, so there is no print layer to wear |
What rules apply to glass manifestation and vehicle graphics?
Glazed doors and partitions that people could walk into need marking so the glass is obvious. In a workplace, regulation 14 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 requires transparent surfaces in walls, partitions and doors to be marked where necessary for safety. For building work in England, Approved Document K — which now includes the guidance from the old Approved Document N on glazing — describes manifestation at two heights that contrasts with what is behind the glass.
On vehicles, the driver must have a full view of the road and traffic ahead under regulation 30 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, and number plates must not be covered or altered so they are hard to read. BD Signs keeps graphics off the windscreen and front side windows, and clear of the plates and lights.
Vinyl Graphics we've printed
What do people ask about vinyl graphics?
What is one-way vision window film?
A perforated vinyl printed on the outside face. From the street you see a full-colour graphic; from inside you can still see out through the tiny holes. It suits shop windows where you want the whole pane working as an advert without blacking out the room. BD Signs prints and fits it on shop glass and on vehicle windows where the law allows.
Can you print a mural for an office or restaurant wall?
Yes. BD Signs prints full-height wall murals and finishes them with a laminate that survives being cleaned, which matters in a restaurant or a busy corridor. For a cleaner look, we cut individual letters and shapes straight from colour vinyl instead, so the wall colour shows between them. Both come off again when the room changes.
Can you wrap a whole vehicle?
Yes, from a name and number on the doors up to a full wrap. A wrap uses cast vinyl, which is thin and stable enough to stretch over curves and recesses without shrinking back, with air-release adhesive so it sits flat. BD Signs sets the artwork on the manufacturer's template for your vehicle and our own teams fit it.
Do you make vinyl decals?
Yes. A decal is a cut or printed vinyl graphic made to stick to a surface: a logo on a van door, opening hours on the shop glass, a sticker for a car window. BD Signs cuts lettering and shapes from coloured vinyl, or prints full-colour decals and cuts them to the outline, then fits them or supplies them for you to apply.
The rest of the range
“Used BD Signs Design and Print services to design a new logo for my company and to design and print some large labels to use on my jobs. Professional service from start to finish. Highly recommended.”
“Excellent service as always. Friendly staff. Highly recommend.”
Need vinyl graphics?
Send us the sizes, the quantity and your artwork — or just your logo and what it needs to say. We will proof it, print it and get it to you.
Or email info@bdsigns.co.uk — we answer everything the same working day.