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| Applying your vinyl lettering or graphics is simple if you follow these basic guidelines. |
| Vinyl should never be installed in temperatures below 55° Fahrenheit, above 90° Fahrenheit, nor in direct sunlight. If an outside installation is nessessary, pick a dry day with very low winds. Any dust or particle under the vinyl will create imperfections in your finished product. |
| If your graphic is rolled, allow it to flatten out in a warm room. |
| Your graphic will arrive sandwiched between two sheets: transfer tape and waxed backing paper. The top tacky sheet is the transfer tape, which is a low tack sheet used to lift and hold your graphic in one piece. The vinyl's pressure sensitive adhesive is stronger than the transfer tape's adhesive, allowing your graphic to bond tightly to your application surface as you remove the application tape. The backing paper is waxed on the vinyl's adhesive side and paper on the backside, making situating the graphic possible without bonding the graphic before it is in place. |
| We suggest the following items to make your installation easier: |
| Spray bottle of water with 3 - 4 drops of dish detergent and a small amount of alcohol, Paper Towels, a Squeegee, Tape measure, Masking tape. |
| Clean - Clean - Clean |
| I cannot stress enough how important it is that the application surface be free of all dirt and wax. Clean your surfaces thoroughly! Imagine sticking scotch tape to a dirty or oily surface: it won't stick. |
| With the backing paper still attached, position the graphic where you want it applied. Stick a piece of masking tape on the upper corners of your graphic anchoring your it in place. Since the backing paper is still on your graphic, you can move it around and make your positioning adjustments now. Use a tape measure to make sure it is level, never trust 'your eye'. |
| Once you are happy with the positioning, lay a line of masking tape along the top edge of your graphic, making sure you have good masking tape contact with the graphic and the application area. If your masking tape should come loose while you are lifting the backing paper, slowly and calmly replace the backing paper to the graphic, reposition the graphic and add another line of masking tape to your existing top line. |
| Raise the now secure graphic 'sandwich' and clean the area one more time. This assures that the backing paper did not leave any dust particles or static which can cause bubbles. Slowly remove the backing paper from the vinyl graphic and application tape. At this point, if your prefer a wet application, you can lightly mist the application surface with your water mixture. This slows down the vinyl's adhesive bonding process, giving you time to correct any imperfections. If necessary, keep the area wet untill you are happy with it. Carefully lower your graphic to the surface, using the squeegee to remove any trapped water and air bubbles. ALWAYS SQUEEGEE FROM THE TOP CENTER OUT TO THE EDGES. Use moderate to firm pressure with your squeegee to adhere the pressure sensitive vinyl properly. |
| If you used the wet method, allow time for your vinyl adhesive to dry and produce a secure bond before going to the next step. |
| Complete your installation by spraying the top of the transfer tape with your soapy water. The water will loosen the application tape from the vinyl allowing it to be removed without pulling the vinyl up with it. |
| Small air and water bubbles should evaporate within a few days. Pop any larger bubbles with a pin and press out. |
