It is no secret how to apply a self-adhesive vinyl. Today I would like to show you a few tricks from my collection. Before I start, I would like to mention that I am currently preparing further articles about vinyl selection for vehicles and digitally printed signs installed on vehicles.
To install small stickers and plain vehicle lettering properly, you need a good eye, patience and time. If you apply vinyl outdoors, do not try to install vinyl lettering when it is windy!
Ring your customers in advance and ask them to give a good clean to the vehicle at least one day before the installation. Do not forget to remind them not to use wax as it can affect the adhesive on the vinyl and the sign may not stick properly or will peel off later on.
Vehicle Preparation
Once you have a vehicle ready for the installation, park it in a safe place you can work from. Never do any installations on a busy street with lots of cars driving past! Your safety must always come first. Even if you think that you will be careful, after a few minutes concentrating on the job, you will loose your sense of distance from the vehicle and just one careless driver will be enough to get you into the hospital.
The first stage involves cleaning the vehicle. You can use Methyl or Vinyl Prep, which is even better. Check your layout on the paper and clean all areas where you will apply the graphics thoroughly. For jobs that are more complex, you may need to clean the area of application twice before applying the vinyl.
Take your time here! I saw many failed applications due to an unclean surface. |
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Layout
Ask the graphic designer to print a colour proof of how the vehicle should look like after the installation. Use this layout and with small pieces of masking tape position the vinyl on the vehicle.
Tip
Optionally you can use small pieces of magnetic vinyl to keep the graphics on the car. I personally prefer the masking tape but you may prefer this option. |
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Measurement
Take a small steel ruler and measure the correct distances from the straight edge of the car. This can be tricky as today’s cars are everything but not straight. Many of them have protection rubber on the side of the door or a groove to fit this in. This is your best bet.
After the measurement, always perform an eye check. Stay 3-4 metres away from the vehicle and take a good look. Do not look at the backing paper or the application tape. Try to see only the graphics.
Whilst you are doing the eye check always take into consideration the position of the car. Your eye should be able to recognise when the graphics are in a level. If the car is not in a level position (parking on the hill), you will need to adjust your vision accordingly; all should be on the same slope. Triple check your measurement!
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Apply the Masking Tape
Position the masking tape along the top of the graphics. The top half of the tape will be over the application tape and is used as a hinge to flip the whole sticker up, while holding it in place.
Never run the application tape over the letters. If you do, it would leave a gap (uneven surface) and when you apply graphics with squeegee, it will result in having bubbles.
Tip
Ask your graphic designer and production person to leave enough space around the graphics so you can safely use the masking tape without having to apply the tape over the letters.
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Cut Graphic
For easy installation you can cut graphics into small pieces. It will be easier to install small pieces of graphics rather than one large piece.
Be extremely careful when cutting. Use only sharp scissors and make sure that you lift the graphics away from the vehicle. Do not scratch the vehicle!
In addition, when cutting make sure that you do not cut into the letters. |
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Apply Graphic
When you flip the design up, it will be upside down and you can remove the white or clear backing paper (depending on vinyl the manufacturer used). This will expose the adhesive on the back of the graphics. Do not throw the backing paper away yet!
When removing the backing paper, make sure that all graphics and letters stay on the application tape. Always use medium or high tack application tape. Also check the recommended temperature as an application tape tends to loose its tack when the weather is very hot and humid.
Use a squeegee and slowly apply graphics on the vehicle. Do not try to apply all of it at once. Move the squeegee slowly from left to the right to ensure that you will not leave any gaps resulting in bubbles. Use enough pressure - remember it is a pressure sensitive adhesive.
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Remove Application Tape
You can now remove all pieces of the masking tape together with the application tape. Peel off very slowly and alongside the vehicle. Do not pull it towards you as you may rip off the loose pieces if they are not stacked properly.
Take your time here. If you see that you are peeling off letters from the vehicle, go back, use the squeegee and apply pressure to the graphics again.
Check the image on the right hand side on how to remove the application tape properly. |
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Finishing
Apply all graphics on the vehicle. Check all pieces of graphics thoroughly whether anything is missing. Especially concentrate on small pieces such as lowercase "i" or comma "," as these are the most likely ones to be missing.
If you find anything missing, go trough the backing paper and see if you can find it. Apply all the missing pieces and now you can finally throw the backing paper away.
Use a cloth with methyl and clean the vehicle once again. Look out for installation leftovers and masking tape bits and pieces. Clean all fingerprints and keep the vehicle neat and tidy. Your customer will be impressed with your professionalism and the signage you installed. |
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