APPLYING A TRANSFER STICKER INVOLVES CLEANING THE SURFACE, CORRECTLY POSITIONING THE DECAL, AND CAREFULLY SMOOTHING IT OUT TO PREVENT AIR BUBBLES. FOR BEST RESULTS, CHOOSE A DRY DAY WITH A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 60°F AND 80°F, AND WORK IN A SHADED AREA.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

- RUBBING ALCOHOL OR SOAPY WATER

- LINT-FREE CLOTH OR PAPER TOWELS

- MASKING OR PAINTER'S TAPE

- SQUEEGEE OR CREDIT CARD

- TAPE MEASURE (OPTIONAL)

- TIME - DON'T RUSH

STEP 1: PREPARE THE SURFACE

1. WASH AND DRY: THOROUGHLY CLEAN THE AREA OF YOUR CAR WHERE THE DECAL WILL GO. USE WARM, SOAPY WATER TO REMOVE ALL DIRT AND GRIME.

2. USE RUBBING ALCOHOL: AFTER CLEANING, WIPE THE AREA WITH 70% ISOPROPYL RUBBING ALCOHOL SOLUTION TO REMOVE ANY OILY RESIDUE THAT MIGHT PREVENT THE STICKER FROM ADHERING PROPERLY. DO NOT USE A GLASS CLEANER, AS IT CAN LEAVE BEHIND A SLICK FILM THAT INTERFERES WITH THE ADHESIVE AND CAUSES THE DECAL TO LIFT.

3. DRY COMPLETELY: MAKE SURE THE SURFACE IS COMPLETELY DRY BEFORE MOVING ON. ANY LEFTOVER MOISTURE CAN CAUSE BUBBLES UNDER THE STICKER.

STEP 2: POSITION THE DECAL

1. RUB THE STICKER: PLACE THE STICKER ON A FLAT SURFACE AND USE A SQUEEGEE OR CREDIT CARD TO FIRMLY RUB ACROSS THE CLEAR TRANSFER TAPE. THIS ENSURES THE VINYL CLINGS TO THE TAPE INSTEAD OF THE PAPER BACKING.

2. SECURE WITH TAPE: POSITION THE ENTIRE STICKER ON YOUR CAR. USE STRIPS OF MASKING TAPE TO HOLD IT IN PLACE AND CHECK THAT IT IS LEVEL AND STRAIGHT. FOR LARGE DECALS, YOU CAN USE A "HINGE METHOD" BY PLACING A SINGLE VERTICAL STRIP OF TAPE DOWN THE MIDDLE.

3. CREATE A HINGE: WITH THE STICKER HELD BY THE HINGE TAPE, REMOVE THE SMALL POSITIONING PIECES OF TAPE FROM ONE SIDE.

STEP 3: APPLY THE DECAL

1. PEEL THE BACKING: STARTING FROM THE SIDE WITHOUT THE POSITIONING TAPE, LIFT THE TRANSFER TAPE AND CAREFULLY PEEL BACK THE PAPER BACKING.

2. CUT AWAY BACKING: FOR THE HINGE METHOD, CUT AWAY THE PEELED-OFF BACKING PAPER AND LET THE TRANSFER TAPE (WITH THE DECAL ATTACHED) LAY BACK DOWN AGAINST THE HINGE.

3. SQUEEGEE FROM THE CENTER: HOLDING THE LOOSE END OF THE TRANSFER TAPE AWAY FROM THE CAR, USE YOUR SQUEEGEE TO APPLY THE DECAL. START FROM THE HINGE AND WORK OUTWARDS, SMOOTHING THE STICKER ONTO THE SURFACE. FOR LARGE DECALS, WORK IN SECTIONS TO MINIMIZE BUBBLES.

4. REPEAT FOR THE OTHER SIDE: REMOVE THE HINGE TAPE AND THE REMAINING BACKING PAPER. REPEAT THE SQUEEGEE PROCESS FOR THE SECOND SIDE.

STEP 4: REMOVE TRANSFER TAPE

NOTE: REMOVING THE TRANSFER TAPE BEFORE THE VINYL HAS HAD ENOUGH TIME TO FULLY ADHERE TO THE SURFACE CAN CAUSE THE DECAL TO LIFT WITH THE TAPE AND FAIL.

1. WAIT AT LEAST 2 HOURS, OR UP TO 24 HOURS FOR BEST RESULTS. THEN, STARTING FROM A CORNER, SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY PEEL THE CLEAR TRANSFER TAPE OFF AT A SHARP, 180-DEGREE ANGLE.

2. TROUBLESHOOT STICKING: IF ANY PART OF THE DECAL LIFTS WITH THE TAPE, SIMPLY LAY IT BACK DOWN, RUB OVER THAT AREA WITH YOUR FINGER OR SQUEEGEE, AND TRY PEELING THE TAPE AGAIN AFTER FEW MORE HOURS.

TIPS FOR BUBBLE REMOVAL

TINY BUBBLES: FOR SMALL, MINOR BUBBLES, SUNLIGHT CAN SOMETIMES CAUSE THEM TO DISSIPATE ON THEIR OWN OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

PERSISTENT BUBBLES: YOU CAN POP LARGER BUBBLES WITH A PIN OR THE TIP OF A CRAFT KNIFE TO RELEASE THE TRAPPED AIR.

SMOOTH AND SEAL: AFTER POPPING A BUBBLE, PRESS DOWN ON IT AGAIN WITH YOUR FINGER OR A SQUEEGEE TO RE-ADHERE THE VINYL.

MAKE CUSTOM STICKERS