Decal Installation Guide
First off let me thank you for your purchase from waterfowldecals.com . We have put together instructions to help you get your decal where you want it and how you wanted it to look! These methods are used by sign makers across the country and if followed the install of your Decals will be a success.
Do not apply decals in direct sunlight especially if the surface is hot. This will cause decal to prematurely stick. The ideal temperature to install these is 55-95 degrees.
The surface must be clean. If you see anything on the surface, you will see it under your sticker. I would use a razor blade to clean any large objects from the glass surface. Isopropyl or Rubbing alcohol should be used to clean surfaces where you want to install the decal. It must be wiped on heavy and wiped dry with a dry clean cloth or paper towel. DO NOT ALLOW ALCOHOL TO EVAPORATE. This will cause the contaminants to dry on the surface you were trying to clean. This does remove Car Wax, Rain-X and the like so you must reapply. We suggest giving the decal a week to two to fully cure in the sun before doing so.
Vinyl Window Graphic installation using the tape hinge method.
Place a piece of tape at the top of each corner. Then align the decal side to side and up and down. I highly recommend using a ruler at this point!
Once you’re happy with the position of your decal, place a piece of tape across the bottom. This will create a hinge for the decal so you can get to the back
Fold the decal over so it is laying face down and flat if possible. Gently remove the paper backing at 180 deg. angle. be very careful not to rip the decal during this process!!!!
Take installation squeegee and begin along the tape in the middle of the decal and wipe across to one side. Then start in the middle and go the other way.
Slowly work your way up from the center out to the side. Now go back over the decal and press firmly. You should not see any bubbles.
Slowly remove the paper from the top. Pull it 180 deg. This will help prevent the decal from coming up. This is another time you will want to be very careful not to rip the decal !!!! Watch for any part of the decal to come up with the removal of the tape. If it does come back up, put it back down and press firmly and try again.
Advanced installation guide for large format graphics using the tape hinge method dealing with panels & rivets
Tape the graphics as both sides, align with a tape measure to make sure it is level and centered then a piece of tape stretched across creating a hinge for the graphic to fold over onto. This keeps it where you had it and gives you some stability to stretch the decal onto the surface with. It also lets the graphic be cut along any seams making it so you can install a smaller piece, generally making it easier to get on.
If you are installing text, split it every couple letters if the font allows you to do so. With most of the lettering we do here, it is an outline and shadow so this doesn’t work for that because you would see the cut lines through the vinyl.
You can split every few letters. Once ready to go, remove the liner from the back of the graphic and pull it tight against the tape hinge you made. Start in the middle of the graphic along your tape and spread it out to one side, come back to the middle and go the other way. Start working away from the tape overlapping each stroke slightly with your last.
Once the pieces are installed, you can see how they come back as one line of text. You can also see what you are trying to accomplish when installing over rivets. It shouldn’t look finished at this point, but it also should not have huge wrinkles all over the place because of the rivets being there. Once you get the hang of it, it installs like they are not even there. Lots of tension and cutting the pieces down so they are not tough to work with is the 2 best tip I can give you for this.
Another tip for installing pieces that can not be cut down is to remove the liner from the back only half way so you can hold the loose end of the liner against the rest of the decal. This gives large pieces more body and support so you don’t accidentally prematurely stick it or get it crooked against the tape hinge. Do not run a squeegee too close to the fold or it can tear the tape and vinyl.
