Self-Adhesive Vinyl Guide
-
Wondering how to get the most out of Self-Adhesive Vinyl? You’ve come to the right place
Being the helpful bunch we are, we’ve put together some top tips and tricks on the ways you can use self-adhesive vinyl in your life. So whether you’re marketing for your business or just looking to brighten up a space with new decoration, we’ve got a great how-to for you.
Vinyl for decoration
Customizable to almost any design and able to be applied to walls, desks, furniture and glass, you can create something truly head-turning!
From full floor-to-ceiling classroom wall-murals, to smaller restaurant menu displays, to adding new, fun designs across kitchens and living rooms- dress your space any way you choose!
Vinyl for branding
If you’re dressing any kind of retail space, you can decorate all kinds of surfaces with Self-Adhesive Vinyl. From bright splashes of promotion across your walls, to fun Vinyl Stickers across your sales counters, Self-Adhesive Vinyl is the perfect way to make any ad stand out! Our clear Vinyl stock even has a reverse print option, so you can dress your window and have your message reading the right way whichever side you look at it from.
Our Self-Adhesive Vinyl is also weather-resistant and will withstand every day conditions outside for up to 1 year, so don’t worry about spreading your brand’s message to the outside world as well.
Vinyl for exhibitions
Use Vinyl to shake up a standard exhibition stand!
The key for any exhibition is to be as eye-catching as possible, so refresh a blank wall with the repositionable matte vinyl and move your graphic around to keep your stand a constant surprise!
Removable Vinyl options also means you’re free to decorate any way you like, without worrying about leaving lasting damage when you pack up to leave.
-
Now you know where to use it, let’s move onto how.
-
How do I apply Self-Adhesive Vinyl?
1. Prime your tools
There’s the old saying; “Failure to prepare, prepare to fail.” So if you fancy yourself as a soon-to-be adept applier, you might want to gather some useful tools to hand before you begin:
Damp cloth or methylated spirits for cleaning surface
Spray bottle with a mixture of water and a very small amount of washing up liquid
Rubber squeegee or something similar for smooth application
Craft knife or scalpel if you need to take up the corners for re-application.
2. No scrubs
Vinyl’s have real staying power when stuck to a smooth, clean and dust-free surface. Wipe down the surface with a damp cloth, or in the case of glass use methylated spirits.
3. Get stuck in
For sizes up to A3/A2 it’s usually easy enough to apply with one person. With anything larger, we’d recommend a bit of teamwork.
And now, to begin!
Peel back a small section of the backing paper and fold back on itself. Emphasis on the ‘small’ here guys – if you peel off the back completely you will almost end up sticking the vinyl to itself or even yourself!
Next line up and apply the area with the adhesive now exposed to the surface and rub down gently with a squeegee. Slow and steady application is key because if you rub down too fast and you will almost certainly get bubbles or creases as a result, some of which may be tough to work out afterwards.
Now pull away the backing paper downwards from behind, while rubbing down the vinyl as you go. Doing this with your hand will also almost certainly results in bubbles, so squeegee away. By applying the vinyl gently at first, it means that if you do get bubbles, you should be able to pull away the vinyl where necessary and re-apply without damaging it. Remember, the vinyl will stretch if you pull it too firmly.
For larger or more awkward sizes, spraying the surface lightly with your bottle of water and a teeny amount of washing up liquid really helps as it will stop the vinyl from adhering too strongly at first, making adjustments and repositioning much easier.
Once you’re happy, use the squeegee to rub the vinyl firmly down and expel any water away from in-between the vinyl and the surface.
It’s worth noting that our clear vinyl has a special patterned adhesive and is also easy to remove so you shouldn’t need any water to apply.