godstrong1

bubbles in the vinyl!!!!!!!!!!!

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hey guys, i have to complete a job tommorow and and i need your help! i am putting vinyl lettering on a store window and when i  stick the lettering to the window and pull the transfer tape off the lettering looks like it has chicken pox. i was useing a credit card to swipe the vinyl! do you guys think that could be the problem? is there any tips that can help? thanks

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Guest fivestar

I suggest putting it on wet, that will normally rid you of those bubbles.  The sun should make most of the bubbles go away in a day or 2, but like I said I do it wet and hardly have bubbles doing it that way.

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thanks five, do i have to buy a special vinyl to put it on wet, or can i put it on wet with any viny? thanks

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Guest fivestar

Any vinyl, just make sure you are not using clear transfer tape.

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for long decals, use the hinge method when applying... Also, get a squeegee, this allows more pressure to push the air out...

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something to remember, vinyl is not completely solid and actually has microscopic holes in it so air will eventually escape from underneath the vinyl. To help it along you can do as the others suggested and do a wet application using either store bought application fluid (example: rapidtac) or homemade fluid using water and a couple of drops of joy dish soap or you can just use a needle and poke a hole where the bubble is and smooth all the air out....don't worry, the vinyl will self-heal the pinhole shut. Make sure if you are gonna poke a hole, to use a needle and poke a hole instead of using a knife and cutting a slit!!! I worked with someone that use to cut it with an xacto knife and about a couple months later the vinyl would shrink just a bit and you would see the cut!

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thanks for the fast responce guys!  :) this really helped alot . i tested the wet application method with some scrap lettering and it worked, it had no air bubbles , maybe 1 small one but i was able to swipe it out. :punk:

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wet is the way to go on hard surfaces,such as glass,etc...if you want to be sure to have as little trouble as possible,bubbles especially. I can't think why anyone would try dry,unless some wierd notion that it makes a person better if they can do it dry.

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We SOMETIMES use wet application on sheet metal, etc.....However, we ALWAYS wrap dry!!!

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Just my two cents...always try to leave a professional impression with your clients.  Get yourself some real tools don't use a credit card. People start getting the idea that anyone with a credit card can apply vinyl. Then they ask why they pay so much for installs.  On the other hand a few bubbles is normal, wet is good but it is slower than a dry apply.

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I only use wet on windows. Dry is much faster. On windows I use rapid tac because you don't get any bubbles. I'll use wet on big stuff occasionally too.

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