Many people know about custom car decals. These stickers let you add a touch of your own personality to your vehicle through your own designs and artwork. If you own your own business, you can even use decals to advertise. One thing some people don’t realize about these decals, though, is that they can also be used on other vehicles. Boat decals are very popular among those who own boats of all sizes. If you have a boat and want to give it a little touch of your personality, adding some boat decals may be the perfect solution.
What Can You Do with Boat Decals?
Adding a boat decal or two to your boat can do a lot to change its appearance. You can show off some of your personality, of course, but you can also use decals to add detailing or even change some of the hull’s color. Many people have decals printed with the boat’s name instead of having it painted on the hull.
Why use decals instead of paint? There are a few reasons. First, decals typically cost less. While you’ll still want them professionally installed on the hull, it takes much less time to do that than it does to paint the name on the boat. Much of the work is done in the print shop, so there’s less time spent on-site. If you’re familiar with vehicle decals and installation, you may even be able to add them yourself. However, if you’ve never put decals on a boat before, you should likely work with a professional so the end result looks great.
Second, decals last for quite some time. They can be damaged, of course, but just about every material can be. It’s a good investment for less cost. If you take good care of your boat and the decals, you can get years of use from them. All the decals printed at TNT Graphics are done so using high-quality inks and vinyl that can withstand direct sunlight, storms, and rough seas.
Third, you can easily change the decals if you decide you don’t like them. Because they’re more affordable than painting, you can swap decals out as often as you like. If you decide to change your boat’s name, just replace the decal. Note that changing your boat name doesn’t necessarily mean you have to file any new California boat registration paperwork. The state tracks boats via each boat’s unique hull identification number, an identifying number boat manufacturers have been assigning to every vessel made in the U.S. since 1972. You may need to change the registry with the U.S. Coast Guard if you will be in international waters and don’t want to display your registration number.
Why Use Boat Name Decals?
Why should you even add boat name decals to your boat? Simple: boats typically have names, and putting your boat’s name on the hull helps you identify it. It also helps others identify your vessel in the event of a storm, accident, or other event. You likely have named your boat anyway, so why not proudly show it off? With decals, everyone will know your boat’s name, plus you’ll save money and can easily swap names if you decide you don’t like the one you’ve chosen.
Are Boat Name Decals Easy to Maintain?
As mentioned earlier, decals of any sort are actually very easy to maintain. If you don’t do anything to them at all, your decals will still last for years. However, if you hand wash them to remove any gunk that could damage the vinyl, they will last even longer. Use a mixture of water and mild detergent. Just wipe away anything that’s on the decal and the surrounding area. Do be careful that the cloth you’re using doesn’t catch on the edge of the vinyl, though. You don’t want to pull it up. Also be sure you don’t use anything that could scrap or damage the decal, so avoid abrasive pads or wire brushes. Be gentle when cleaning the decal.
Creating Your Custom Boat Decal
Once you have the name you want for your boat, it’s time to design the decal. The best thing about custom decals is that you can create anything you want. TNT Graphics can print boat decals of various shapes, sizes, and colors, so there are really no limits. Even if you want a really large decal, we can typically print it across several smaller ones. Then you just line the edges of those decals up.
There are a few things to keep in mind when designing your boat name decal. First, you have to pick the right style. There are a lot of lettering fonts available. In fact, there are so many that you may get overwhelmed. Just remember that you want your boat’s name to be readable from a distance, so pick a font that isn’t too difficult to read. In addition to the font you select, be sure you go with a size that’s easy to read, too.
You also want to think about the color of your boat lettering. If you have a dark hull, you may want to go with white or yellow so the boat name stands out. On a white hull, black or a dark blue works very well. Think about your overall boat color scheme and go with something that works well with it.
Most people put their boat’s name on the side of the hull, but you can put it anywhere you like. Add boat name decals to the front, the back, and even on the cabin. It’s completely up to you. You have total freedom to decorate your boat in any way you want, and decals make that easier than ever.
Other Boat Decals
Of course, you can do more with decals than just add your boat’s name to the hull. There are a lot of other images and decorations you can add using decals. For example, you could put stripes down the side. Decals are much easier to do than hiring someone to paint straight lines down the side of the boat. You can also put a fun design or image on the front and back. Again, you can have just about anything made into a decal, so you can let your imagination run wild. If you don’t have any artistic talent, you can always work with an artist to create the perfect images for your boat.
You can even have your boat wrapped if you want to completely change how it looks. Like decals, you can create a custom wrap. You might want to change the color of your boat, add graphics to make it really stand out, or simply wrap it instead of repainting. Think about what you want your boat to look like, then consider the difference in cost between decals/wraps and paint.
If you own a business, you can add your company logo and other information to your boat and use it to advertise. This is a great way to get your company name in front of other people, especially if you offer products and services related to boating.
No matter what type of decals you add to your boat, they’re a good way of giving it a refresh after the winter. Some people change up their decals every year, while others replace them from time to time as they come up with new ideas or see that the old vinyl is starting to show signs of wear.
Be Careful with Cheap Decals
It can be tempting to go with the cheapest option around, but when it comes to decals and vinyl wraps, you do need to consider quality. If the printer you work with uses cheap ink and low-quality vinyl, the decal isn’t going to last very long. Cheap ink tends to fade fairly quickly, and your decals will be exposed to a lot of direct sunlight when you’re out on the open water. Low-grade vinyl also may not stick to the hull for that long, especially if they’re constantly exposed to saltwater. Even freshwater can damage cheap vinyl fairly quickly.
Let TNT Signs Create Amazing Boat Name Decals for Your Boat
TNT Signs uses only the best, and we keep our prices affordable so everyone can afford to make their boats look amazing. We even have designers who can help you create your design and ensure that it meets the requirements for printing. You don’t want to create an amazing design only to find that the resolution is too low to print it at the size you want.
In addition to creating boat decals and vinyl wraps, we also offer a number of other products that are perfect for marketing a company or advertising an event. These include custom signs and banners, small product stickers, car wraps, and custom displays. We even offer installation services, so you don’t have to worry about hanging your signs or getting a vehicle wrap on without bubbles or tearing the vinyl. To learn more about our services or get a free quote, contact TNT Signs today at 707-528-8523.
