r/DirtRacing • u/Royal-Gazelle-3214 • 4d ago

Anybody have experience designing wraps? Or know anyone?

Curious if anyone has any experience designing dirt wraps? I just spent around $200 on a course to figure this out as well as another $150 on Adobe illustrator however i probably should have done more personal research into this, are design fees really only around $100 usually? Seems ridiculous considering the cost of the equipment needed and most wraps taking around a full day to design. I understand this is most people’s side business but how are people making a living off of dirt wraps? I wanted to use this as a side business but I’m starting to think I just three $300 away. 75-100 design fees are about all I find with wraps costing around 700 total depending on model obviously

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u/Elbowsup32 4d ago

100 for a design fee wouldn't include labor or material an actual wrap would be more that 100$ also I don't think anyone is making a living off just dirt wraps they are also doing jobs for local businesses non racing related like signs etc

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u/Elbowsup32 4d ago

Also which course did you take I've been looking for a good one

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u/Royal-Gazelle-3214 3d ago

I know a few guys who make a living doing just the wraps. And obviously it’s not covering material costs but ultimately they are only profiting about $100 on a job that take 6-7 hours, it’s hardly minimum wage. Also not sure what you mean by labor, $100 for a design is the labor they are doing

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u/Elbowsup32 3d ago

Labor would be design and install

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u/Royal-Gazelle-3214 3d ago

I only see like 20% of people actually pay for install, usually your street stock guys. All the Flat panels make it easy

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u/HorseWinter 4d ago

To answer your main question.. very few make a living off of it. Racers are cheap and there’s always someone who will do it cheaper. Also most guys who print the wraps don’t charge for design. So there’s not a lot of demand for just designers who don’t print/wrap as well.

Most true wrap shops I know won’t even touch race cars anymore unless they are exotics from rich guys. They can do one color wraps on street cars for $3k-$4k and not even have to design anything.

It’s just as you said.. a side business.

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u/Royal-Gazelle-3214 3d ago

95% of guys doing dirt wraps are just designing and then sending it off to be printed, nobody’s gonna have so many vinyls they have to print that they can’t fit them in and have to pick and choose not to mention a standard car wrap is not at all done the same as a graphic wrap. Not to be rude but really no point in making comments if your not informed

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u/HorseWinter 3d ago

I’m confused.. you come on as a newbie asking questions.. then tell me I’m uninformed? I owned a sign shop for 15 years and I’ve been around racing for 30 years. You’ve spent $300 and you’re complaining.. my shop had around $60k in printers alone 😂

Maybe where you’re from there’s designers who just send stuff off and that’s great if you can do it. But the ones I’m familiar with.. even on a small scale.. all own their own equipment. Because.. as you’re experiencing.. there’s no money in design. The money is in the print and install.

Also most major shops also are doing signs, billboard printing, etc because again.. it’s really hard to make money just doing race cars.

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u/Royal-Gazelle-3214 3d ago

Never said I’m new to this, your the definition of ego over everything. Your just proving my point lmao