Reverse lettering of the front of a vehicle?

[Mike Jackson]

Hi Forum Readers,
I was just driving home and noticed a truck in my rear view mirror with some lettering in reverse along the top of the windshield. You sometimes see "AMBULANCE" in reverse on the front of the vehicle. I guess that's the template here, but I never felt it works. Maybe if works for an ambulance, but not for a business like http://www.jacksonholevehicles.com.

I don't think I've ever actually lettered on a commercial vehicle in reverse. Normally, when someone might ask, I let them crunch the numbers. I ask them how many cars they might pass in oncoming traffic in the distance from the town square to McDonalds (about 2 miles). They might say 60. Then I ask them how many people they might be directly behind in the same two miles. That'd be somewhere around one to maybe five. Then, of the limited group, how many do they think might look in their rear view mirror carefully enough to decipher the wording on the bug shield or windshield. Conversely, of the 60 vehicles they might meet in oncoming traffic, the odds seem much higher someone could read the wording if lettered forward—as long as it was kept simple and short. Oncoming traffic might have only a second or two to read it before passing by, but I still think the odds are better.

Just an observation.

Mike Jackson

[Doug Bernhardt]

Yeo Mike....I agree with the numbers but any time I've seen something in my rearview mirror that I could read I always take more notice. Although I haven't letterd a truck in years I've always wondered about the value of "eye appeal" in this case

[Paul Jukes]

I defiantly have to agree with you on the reverse lettering Mike and I have many gripes about vehicle lettering in general.

Whenever I am asked to do a new layout for a vehicle every client wants their logo, three or more points about their business, at least one phone number, website and even their mailing and email addresses.

I've recently concluded that the only truly necessary thing is the logo or name. Maybe it's a result of my age but just like I'll never look in the yellow pages, I've never in my life written down a phone number off of a truck.

Don't even get me started on vehicle wraps and perforated window film...

[erik winkler]

I also agree with your poit there Mike.
It seems that it was a trendy thing to do in the 80-thies, but soon everybody experienced that our brain corrects everything we see in the rearmirror and if a text is made in reverse it looks more anoying then friendly for the eye. So after 3 years or so we certainly never used it anymore and told our clients not to.
In our view we think a design with that has a handicap and is a negative point for the designer.

Erik

[Mike Jackson]

Yep, customers seem to like to load a vehicle with too much junk. I usually ask people how many times in their lives they ever wrote down a number off a vehicle. The answer is usually "never", but maybe someone will say they did it once or twice. I'd say NEVER on an email address and only seldom on a web address as long as it is very simple and memorable. If anything, I'd likely put a web URL on the back of my vehicle so people following me for a long time would have a chance to read it and absorb it. TetonImages.com might work.

There are times when the budget might help edit copy. "If you absolutely need all that on the vehicle in all those places, the price is $2000". or something a bit on the high side.

Mike Jackson

[Bob Sauls]

Mike, You are right on target with the reverse lettering for businesses, that's the same arguement I present whenever the subject is brought up. It almost makes some sense in the case of an ambulance but then you have to wonder if the blaring sirens and the retina searing LCD flashers are not adequate for some. Could they be relied upon to read AM-BU-LANCE in a mirror at all forwards or reversed.