You may have heard of the 'wet application' method for the application of Self Adhesive Vinyl and wondered what this was. This article explains when it should be used and the best way of going about it
Surfaces that are particularly difficult are those which are very smooth - for instance: glass, acrylic and vehicle paintwork.
You can, of course, decide to accept the problem and simply pop the bubbles afterwards using a scalpel blade, however it would make sense to avoid the problem in the first place, if this were easy to achieve.
Below you will find and explanation of when and how to use it.
This method is used to prevent the vinyl sticking to the surface on contact, facilitating the removal of any air trapped beneath the surface.
The basic method we will use is the hinge method of application but we will spray the surface of the substrate and/or the adhesive back of the vinyl with a mix of water with a few drops of washing up liquid.
The best way to achieve this is with a standard spray bottle - available from any DIY store or garden centre; fill it with luke warm water and 2-3 drops of the washing up liquid.
Put the 2 ends of the graphic together and press a small crease at the centre point. Use a small piece of masking tape on the ends of the graphic to position it on the surface. Using a tape measure lift and replace the graphic until the fold mark is at the left to right centre mark.
Using the tape measure or ruler release one end of the graphic and re-position until the baseline is where you want it. Do the same to the other end and then re-check the first end as it will probly have moved.
When you are sure the graphic is in the correct position put a strip across the whole graphic somewhere near the middle and preferably with at least one edge lying in a gap between letters. This is known as the hinge.
Next line up a piece of masking tape with the application tape at one end of the graphic. Take off the masking tape at that end and fold the graphic over on itself and create a sharp crease into it. Peel back the release paper and tear it off at the fold line.
At this point you should spray the substrate with the water/washing up liquid solution. It doesn't really matter how much you spray on as you will be squeezing it out anyway.
Line up the edge of the application tape with the piece of masking tape used to mark its position. Take a vinyl applicator (also known as a squeegee - but nothing like the squeegee used to clean windows) and, working from the centre, squeeze the water solution out towards the edge of the graphic. Repeat the process working towards the other end.
Spray the application tape with the solution until it is soaked. This will attack the adhesive on the application tape and allow it to be removed more easily without pulling the vinyl off with it: You need to remember that the vinyl will not reach full adhesion until the residual liquid under the vinyl has evaporated and the adhesive has cured.
It can hold really a while for that adhesive to attain complete adhesion as well as you will have to periodically check the app tape to ascertain if it could possibly be eliminated with out lifting the vinyl. It should, however, be feasible to cut back the app tape within 10 - 30 mins but be careful.
Peel back again the app tape working from one corner and preserving the tape at an acute angle; this helps to steer obvious of the vinyl pulling apart by applying the surface. This method has the benefit of not needing any lines to mark the location and is also consequently beneficial for usages to delicate surfaces.
Where the graphic does not permit for just about any center hinge, for that reason that in the insufficient the ideal gap by which to create the fold, the hinge could possibly be designed at one accomplish in the graphic or along the best or bottom.