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Below you'll find instructions for applying/installing all vinyl decals I design. Before printing this page, you need to select the type of decal below.
You'll need a few materials before you get started. Rubbing alcohol or "Armor All Auto Glass Cleaner," a clean empty water spray bottle, Palmolive or store-brand liquid dishwashing soap (do not use Dawn because it is too soapy), scissors, and some towels.
**For reflective vinyl, do not use water, because it has a different adhesive from the other types of vinyl that doesn't respond well to getting wet on the sticky side.**
The surface you're applying the decal to needs to be absolutely spotlessly clean. You will need to remove the wax or other coating in that area if you are applying the decal to a painted area. If applying to glass, it still needs to be cleaned the same way. If applying to leather or plastic on the interior, the same rules go, but use less water on the leather. You have to remove any greasy residue from interior cleaners, sweat, or dirt from the leather or plastic.
Mix up some soapy water with the Palmolive soap (I do recommend Dawn on the painted surfaces only if you have a particularly dirty car or waxy build up and already have Dawn dish washing soap) and use a sponge and thoroughly clean that area. These type of soaps will help remove the wax as well as dirt. Rinse the area and dry it with a towel. Rinse again if necessary and dry.
If applying the decal to a painted surface, take a paper towel and the rubbing alcohol and rub it around on the painted surface to further remove any residue from wax or soap. Let it evaporate. The Auto Glass Cleaner can probably be used instead of alcohol on painted surfaces, perhaps even better than the alcohol.
If applying the decal to an interior plastic or leather surface, take a paper towel and rubbing alcohol and clean that surface several times with the alcohol. You must get all of the grease off of the seat or plastic or the decal will not stick. Let the alcohol evaporate completely.
If applying the decal to glass, use the Armor All Auto Glass Cleaner instead. If you use rubbing alcohol, it can temporarily (potentially permanently--I don't know) cause a foggy chemical-damaged appearance to your glass, which is very frightening to say the least. If you scrub hard with soap and water, you can correct this error should you encounter it, but it's best to avoid trying alcohol on the glass. Let the Auto Glass Cleaner evaporate off the surface.
Take your clean water spray bottle and fill it halfway full of water. Put a single drop of Palmolive soap in the bottle. Then fill the bottle up all the way with water and give it a single shake. You want it somewhat mixed, not frothy and bubbly, so no more than one shake.
Depending on the decal you had designed, it may or may not have application tape on top of the vinyl. If there's something that looks like tissue paper covering your decal, that's application tape. Don't remove it before trying to install your vinyl, as it's there to help you, not just there to protect the decal during shipping!
Windshield banners require a second person to help with the install.
First, trim some of the excess application tape and backing off the decal just to make it smaller and easier to manage.
Second, lay the decal on the windshield and use masking tape to mark the location of the 4 corners of what you have cut out. This way, you'll be sure to apply it straight.
Put the decal away for now and spray the glass with the soapy water mixture until it's soaking wet. Do not do this step if your windshield banner is made of special reflective vinyl!
Peel the application tape away from the backing slowly. As you peel it away, the vinyl decal components should come up with the tape. If the vinyl isn't coming up, put everything on a flat surface, rub the tape onto the vinyl better, and try again. For particularly small letters, you may need an x-acto knife to help lift the vinyl off the backing.
Once you have the application tape and vinyl completely peeled off the backing, lay the decal on the roof of the car or another surface sticky-side-up and spray it thoroughly with water until it is wet. Unless it's reflective vinyl! Do not spray reflective vinyl during installation!
By now, the glass surface is probably dry. Go ahead and get it soaking wet with more soapy water.
Have your assistant take one end of the decal and hold it as high over their head as possible as you gently lay your side of the decal between your masking tape marks. Do not press it down yet.
Have your assistant slowly lay their side down. Be careful not to allow wrinkles. Have them lift it and try again if there are wrinkles. Gently pat the decal onto the glass as they lay their side down.
Spray the entire front side of the application tape with soapy water now until it's soaking wet. You'll be able to see through it now and correct any mistakes you may have created.
Next you're going to go through the process of rubbing the individual components down and pushing any air bubbles out that may exist. Start in the middle of the letter and gently push out towards the edges with your fingers. Once you've worked all of the air out and the vinyl starts to stick to the glass as the water evaporates, start rubbing with more pressure from your fingers only. Do not use any tools. This rubbing process will remove any trapped air or water.
Since you're applying to glass, you can get inside the car with a flashlight and check for air bubbles.
After the vinyl is completely rubbed onto the surface, in a few minutes you should be able to peel off the application tape. Gently start at one end and peel. There's no rush here. If you want to wait another 10 minutes, go ahead. Don't even attempt this if your vinyl is still able to slide around.
Once the application tape is completely removed, spray your fingers with soapy water to prevent them from sticking to the vinyl and continue to smooth the vinyl onto the surface one component at a time.
You're now finished! However, don't start drying the excess water off the area now! Wait several hours to ensure the vinyl has completely stuck to the surface. If you do it now, you could accidentally peel up the vinyl, or even worse, get towel fuzz stuck to the adhesive, and it'd never be the same.
First, trim some of the excess application tape and backing off the decal just to make it smaller and easier to manage.
Second, lay the decal on the surface you'll be applying the vinyl to and use masking tape to mark the location of the 4 corners of what you have cut out. This way, you'll be sure to apply it straight.
Put the decal away for now and spray the surface with the soapy water mixture until it's soaking wet. Do not do this step if your decal is made of special reflective vinyl!
Peel the application tape away from the backing slowly. As you peel it away, the vinyl decal components should come up with the tape. If the vinyl isn't coming up, put everything on a flat surface, rub the tape onto the vinyl better, and try again. For particularly small components, you may need an x-acto knife to help lift the vinyl off the backing.
Once you have the application tape and vinyl completely peeled off the backing, lay the decal in your hand sticky-side-up and spray it thoroughly with water until it is wet. Unless it's reflective vinyl! Do not spray reflective vinyl during installation!
By now, the surface you are going to apply the vinyl to is probably dry. Go ahead and get it soaking wet with more soapy water.
Gently lay one side of the decal between your masking tape marks. Do not press it down yet.
Be careful not to allow wrinkles as you slowly lay the decal down. Gently pat the decal onto the surface as you lay it down.
Spray the entire front side of the application tape with soapy water now until it's soaking wet. You'll be able to see through it now and correct any mistakes you may have created.
Next you're going to go through the process of rubbing the individual components down and pushing any air bubbles out that may exist. Start in the middle of the letter and gently push out towards the edges with your fingers. Once you've worked all of the air out and the vinyl starts to stick to the surface as the water evaporates, start rubbing with more pressure from your fingers only. Do not use any tools. This rubbing process will remove any trapped air or water.
After the vinyl is completely rubbed onto the surface, in a few minutes you should be able to peel off the application tape. Gently start at one end and peel. There's no rush here. If you want to wait another 10 minutes, go ahead. Don't even attempt this if your vinyl is still able to slide around.
Once the application tape is completely removed, spray your fingers with soapy water to prevent them from sticking to the vinyl and continue to smooth the vinyl onto the surface one component at a time.
You're now finished! However, don't start drying the excess water off the area now! Wait several hours to ensure the vinyl has completely stuck to the surface. If you do it now, you could accidentally peel up the vinyl, or even worse, get towel fuzz stuck to the adhesive, and it'll never be the same.
Decals without application tape are decals that are easier to apply one component at a time.
Spray the surface you'll be applying the decal to with the soapy water mixture until it's soaking wet. Do not do this step if your decal is made of special reflective vinyl!
Peel the vinyl decal component off the backing. For particularly small components, you may need an x-acto knife to help lift the vinyl off the backing.
Lay the decal in your hand sticky-side-up and spray it thoroughly with water until it is wet. Unless it's reflective vinyl! Do not spray reflective vinyl during installation!
By now, the surface you are going to apply the vinyl to is probably dry. Go ahead and get it soaking wet with more soapy water.
Gently lay the decal component into place, using the soapy water to allow you to correct inaccuracies in placement. If you need more correction time, just spray more soapy water. If your vinyl is stuck really well, chances are you are out of luck, as the vinyl will stretch if you have to pull it to remove it.
Next you're going to go through the process of rubbing the component down and pushing any air bubbles out that may exist. Start in the middle of the letter and gently push out towards the edges with your fingers. Once you've worked all of the air out and the vinyl starts to stick to the surface as the water evaporates, start rubbing with more pressure from your fingers only. Do not use any tools. This rubbing process will remove any trapped air or water.
You can spray your fingers with soapy water to prevent them from sticking to the vinyl and continue to smooth the vinyl onto the surface one component at a time if necessary.
You're now finished! However, don't start drying the excess water off the area now! Wait several hours to ensure the vinyl has completely stuck to the surface. If you do it now, you could accidentally peel up the vinyl, or even worse, get towel fuzz stuck to the adhesive, and it'll never be the same.
You need to follow the instructions for decal with or without application tape, however, you should not use any water. You will need to apply the decal to the plastic or leather dry just like you would a sticker.
It's extremely important to remove any and all traces of leather cleaner and such from the seat, or the decal will not stick.
Apply first layer according to other instructions listed above. Apply second layer approximately 10 minutes later if using soapy water so the first layer doesn't move while you're trying to apply the second color.
It's recommended that you apply the decal layers on the car rather than trying to do it on a flat surface. It's a bit easier to place one layer at a time than all two or three at once.
No special maintenance is needed, but when washing your car, don't scrub the vinyl or put a power washer at the car wash too close or you risk removing it. Whenever I wash my car at the car wash, I only spray the windshield banners from several feet back. If I'm standing close by, I simply wash the banners without squeezing the trigger. When drying the decals, just be gentle so you don't peel one up.
Over time, sharply pointed corners (due to the design) may peel up from washing the car or simply driving it and the wind blowing at 70 mph on the decal. This only really happens in areas of drag, such as the windshield. There's no real way of preventing that besides getting the decal applied really well initially and being careful when power washing the car. After a long highway trip, you might make sure your decals are still firmly applied.
You shouldn't use wax on your decals, but it doesn't seem to really hurt them to have wax on them. It's just not necessary.