Business sticker sizes explained

Sticker sizes are quoted on the longest edge. A "150 mm" sticker is 150 mm across the widest point, which is about the width of an outstretched hand. Almost everybody underestimates how much smaller that looks on a vehicle than it does on a desk.

100 mm — equipment and leave-behinds

About the size of a coaster. Right for switchboards, hot water units, toolbox lids, folders, packaging, and anything read from less than a metre away. Wrong for any vehicle panel.

This is the size that makes sense to order in volume — at 250 or 500 the per-unit price drops far enough that using them freely stops being a decision.

150 mm — the middle ground

About the width of a hand span. Works on trailer guards, canopy corners, glass entry doors, large toolboxes and site boxes. On a ute door it is readable but underwhelming. A reasonable choice if one design has to cover several surfaces.

200 mm — the smallest sensible vehicle size

About the width of an A4 page. This is the floor for a vehicle panel: readable from a car length back with a business name and phone number. Right for smaller utes, van side panels, and shopfront glass.

300 mm — doors, tailgates, trailers

About the length of a standard ruler. This is what most people should be ordering for a ute front door or a trailer side. It carries three lines of text at genuine reading size and it is the size at which signage stops looking apologetic.

How to check before you order

Cut a rectangle of newspaper to the size you are considering, tape it to the panel, and walk five metres away. Ten seconds of work, and it will change your mind about a third of the time.

Also measure the flat area between body lines rather than the whole panel — vinyl does not sit well across a crease, so the usable area is often smaller than it appears.