Tips and Tricks

1.) Tools you will need: Empty squirt bottle, masking tape, exacto knife or razor blades, wax pencil or crayon, squeegee, rubbing alcohol, application solution, paper towels, blow dyer or heat gun.

2.) Allow yourself plenty of time to install your graphic, do not get in a hurry and be prepared to work slowly with the material until it gets applied onto the vehicle.

3.) Move the vehicle in an enclosed area out of the wind and outdoor elements if possible.

4.) By hand, clean the vehicle surface where you intend to place the graphic with a mixture of water and alcohol.

5.) Pour the application solution provided into an empty spray bottle mixed with water until about half full.

6.) While still taped to the paper, hold the graphic up to your car in the desired position and spot tape the graphic to the car with small pieces of masking tape. (You may be more comfortable with a second set of hands at this point.)

7.) Mark across the taped graphic and the car surface with a crayon or wax pencil a straight mark crossing both the taped paper and the car body.

8.) (Note – Again, this may require the help of an extra set of hands if you’re not familiar with working with this kind of material.) Remove the taped graphic and spot tape, lay on flat surface. Remove the tape and graphic from the paper by lifting and folding over flat. Pull taped graphic flat to the side at a 45% angle with one hand on the paper keeping it flat and one hand holding the taped graphic. (Note- you may also do this in reverse if you so choose by laying the graphic flat taped side down and pulling the paper off the taped graphic.)

9.) Completely soak the adhesive side of both the tape and the vinyl with spray bottle application solution very generously. (This will allow you extra time and chances to move the graphic position once on the car and assist you in lining up your position marks exactly where you want the graphic to be.

10.) We provide you with the most expensive and highest quality transfer tape available on the market with very unique properties to it unlike any other tape available. This tape has proven to be an important factor in bubble free application. Once the adhesive and the application solution are combined, the solution activates the adhesive and creates a skin like layer against the vinyl and surface. This skin like layer creates a downward suction, helping to push out any air or bubbles naturally and continues to draw the vinyl down on the surface while sqeegeeing and even while drying. We use this product solely for vehicle application and is one more reason why our product differs from any other vinyl kit you might purchase.)

11.) Lay the graphic on the vehicle in close proximity to desired position and marks quickly move the graphic and line the marks on the tape, up to the marks left on the vehicle surface.

12.) Squeegee from the center of the graphic up and down in small strokes from the center outward until you reach the end of the graphic. Repeat from center outward on the other side in the same fashion. (Note- Once squeegeed the chances of lifting and moving the graphic now are almost impossible, so be sure of your position before you squeegee.)

13.) Go back over graphic with squeegee slowly and look closely for air bubbles and air pockets, pushing any outward with the squeegee or your finger to the closest edge of the vinyl edge.

14.) Run your fingernail down the center of the door jam, or around the gas hole cover, making a slight crease in the tape that is visible to you. Cut the taped graphic with a razor blade along that creased line in the tape. (Note- this will allow you to concentrate on smaller sections of the graphic at a time while the other sections are still setting up.)

15.) Let graphic set on vehicle for about 45 minutes or so, depending on the temperature, amount of sun or humidity, setting time may vary. You can check it by pulling up a small area of tape from the graphic to see if the vinyl is adhering confidently to the surface and not the tape.

16.) Check for any air bubbles, which can be removed by poking a small hole in the vinyl and squeegeeing the air out of the bubble until flat. (Note- Side molding requires extra attention and must be worked with slowly to tuck the vinyl underneath the molding and contouring it to the surface.)

17.) Blow dry the door jams with vehicle doors open for a few seconds until the vinyl softens and becomes more flexible, push or wrap the vinyl around the door jam with your fingers. (Note- The vinyl material will become soft and you will be able to stretch it around the door or inside and around the body.)

18.) Trim around door handles, keyholes and factory emblems with a razor blade as close as you can and underneath slightly of the molding. Push or tuck the vinyl underneath with the squeegee. (Note- This is fairly intricate and requires a steady hand and patience.)

NOTE – We try to design our patterns so that they do fall in the path of obstacles on the vehicle, however with some patterns it will be inevitable, so take precaution and be prepared to work slow and steady around them with a sharp razor blade or exacto knife.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns that you might have and we will gladly assist you with our experienced team of installers who have been challenged by some of the most difficult projects imaginable.

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