| Application Instructions |
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Tools needed
There are 2 ways to apply your decal....dry or wet. Dry application is faster, and simple for smaller decals. Applying decals dry is very unforgiving to mistakes. Once the adhesive on the decal touches the surface you cannot remove it without destroying the decal. For this reason, larger decals or someone applying for the first time is recommended to use the wet method. ***SURFACE PREP***Whenever applying a decal, one of the most important steps is cleaning the surface you apply the decal to. The surface must be free of all dirt, wax, and grease. Failure to clean the surface thoroughly is the #1 issue that will cause your decal to age prematurely or come off entierly. When cleaning, use an acohol based cleaner or just straight rubbing alcohol. Dish soaps & water is also good for removing oils and grease, but make sure you rinse thoroughly. If applying to auto glass that has been treated with Rain-X or similar products extra thorough cleaning is extremely important. Always wipe with a lint free cloth. DO NOT USE AMMONIA BASED CLEANERS (glass cleaners like Windex). Ammonia can have an adverse effect to the adhesive used for the decal. Application should be done in a temperature range from 40-90 degrees. Applying outside these ranges is possible but not recommended because higher and lower temps can cause adverse reactions with the adhesive ***DECAL PREP***Your decal when you receive it from us is a 3 layer sandwich. The top layer is the application tape, middle layer is the decal itself, and the bottom layer is the backing treated with a release agent. When you peel the transfer paper off the backing it will lift the decal with it...you then apply both the transfer paper and decal to the substrate....rub it down and then peel the transfer paper off leaving only the decal behind. Before you attempt to apply the decal, you first should do a couple things to prepare and make the whole process go smoother. 1. The decal will be taped at all 4 corners with blue painters tape to hold the corners down during shipping. Nothing sticks to the wax paper backing, and we don't like the corners coming up during shipping so we tape them down. Remove this tape carefully but leave the 3 layers intact. 2. We ship decals 2 ways, in stay flat mailers or tubes. If you received your decal in a tube it will be curled. Lay flat at room temp for a couple hours with books on the corners to remove the curl from the decal. 3. Use a credit card or plastic squeegee on a flat table and go over the entire decal with firm pressure. Start from the middle and work to the outside. Focus especially on small pieces of text and small cut detils that you can see through the transfer paper. You are ensuring that the tacky transfer paper is firmly applied to all portions of the decal so it lifts the decal from the backing completely when peeled. Once both the surface and the decal are prepped its time to choose your application method. We recommend wet application for people who have never applied a decal before as it is much more forgiving and will give you a bubble free decal every time, but it is more labor and time consuming. Dry application is not difficult, it is just less forgiving. We will outline 3 ways to apply your decal, 2 dry and 1 wet. ***Top Hinge - Wet Application***This method can be used for all types of decals and is recommended for all our decals. Top Hinge Wet Application Video 1. Prep the surface and decal per the above instructions. ***Dry Application - Top Hinge***This is the easiest and fastest method for smaller decals.Top Hinge Dry Application Video 1. Prep the surface and decal per the above instructions. 2. Take all 3 layers still intact, and tape to your surface along the top like a hinge with a single long piece of tape. You should be able to see the outline of your decal through the transfer tape to make sure its level and the placement is correct. Measure twice and use a level if available to make sure the decal is in the place you want it. 3. Once you have the decal placement perfect, flip the decal up and slowly remove the backing paper. Your decal should stay with the transfer paper and the backing paper should come off clean. If a piece stays with the backing paper...lay the sandwich back together and go over that part with your credit card or squeegee firmly once again, it should lift correctly the 2nd time. 4. Once the backing paper is removed, start at the hinged side and work from top to bottom slowly applying being careful to avoid air bubbles until the entire decal is adhered. 5. While transfer paper is still in place, go over the entire decal with flat squeegee or credit card working from center out. Use firm pressure to fully adhere decal with surface below. Press hard, the decals use contact adhesive that requires firm pressure for lasting results. 6. Starting in a corner, peel the transfer paper off at a sharp angle to itself. This should leave just the decal behind in perfect placement. 7. If any air bubbles are present, use a needle to poke a tiny hole at the edge, and gently squeeze air out of bubble. Tiny bubbles should go away on their own over time. 8. Stand back and admire your work! ***Dry Application - Center Hinge***Center Hinge Dry Application Video This method is recommended for larger or long decals if you want to do them dry. This method also requires a pair of scissors handy1. Prep the surface and decal per the above instructions. 2. Take all 3 layers still intact, and tape to your surface along the top like a hinge with a single long piece of tape. You should be able to see the outline of your decal through the transfer tape to make sure its level and the placement is correct. Measure twice and use a level if available to make sure the decal is in the place you want it. 3. Once placement is perfect, run a vertical piece of tape from the top center of the decal to the bottom center of the decal holding the decal to the surface at its middle point. 4. Gently fold (be careful not to pull hard and crease) one side of the decal over the other and peel off the backing away from the transfer paper. If the decal lifts from the backing, put it back down and go over it again, it should lift clean when you try again. 5. Using the scissors, cut the backing paper away by the tape exposing the surface to apply the decal to. 6. Starting from the center and working towards the edge slowly apply the decal with your hand or card being careful to avoid bubbles. 7. Fold other half over (removing center tape) and remove backing, work from center to edge slowly applying decal being careful to avoid air bubbles. 8. While transfer paper is still in place, go over the entire decal with flat squeegee or credit card working from center out. Use firm pressure to fully adhere decal with surface below. Press hard, the decals use contact adhesive that requires firm pressure for lasting results. 9. Starting in a corner, peel the transfer paper off at a sharp angle to itself. This should leave just the decal behind in perfect placement. 10. If any air bubbles are present, use a needle to poke a tiny hole at the edge, and gently squeeze air out of bubble. Tiny bubbles should go away on their own over time. 11. Stand back and admire your work! |