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Installation
guide for decals
General Application
Use 1" - 2" (2.5 -
5cm) strips of masking tape to position marking in proper registry.
Apply horizontal tape hinge at the top of the marking.
Remove the liner entirely and allow marking to drape.
Hold
marking away from surface with one hand and allow adhesive to touch
only as pressure is applied.
Using firm initial pressure,
squeegee with overlapping strokes.
Begin at the top center and
work down and outward to each edge of mask.
Remove premask at
180° (pull back on itself).
Resqueegee entire marking.
Lift /
Transfer Method
(Peel and Stick)
Lay Marking on a
clean, flat surface - liner side up.
A small bend at a corner or
edge will cause the liner to seperate from the marking.
Pull the
liner away in a continuous motion at a 180° angle.
NOTE: Always remove the liner from the marking
rather than the marking from the liner.
Large
Markings
Tape marking into
position with small pieces of masking tape.
Apply 2" or 3" (5.1
- 7.7cm) tape over top edge to serve as a hinge.
Cut through tape
hinge at both edges to facilitate the next step.
Raise marking up
over top hinge and peel the liner back a few inches at a time while
squeegeeing marking to surface.
Hold marking away
from surface with one hand and allow adhesive to touch only as
pressure is applied.
Squeegee with firm, overlapping strokes
beginning at top center and working down and toward each edge.
Remove premask at 180° (pull back on itself).
Resqueegee
entire marking.
Large Prespaced
Markings
Align legend on
application surface and tape into position using the top horizontal
hinge method.
Cut between each letter or number so that each is
independently hinged from the top.
Remove liner, then resqueegee
letter or number into place using firm pressure.
Follow
above procedure for each remaining letter.
Remove premask at
180° (pull back on itself).
Resqueegee entire marking.
CAUTION: When applying prespaced letters and
numbers, the entire prespacing tape must be squeegeed onto surface
to avoid wrinkles and misalignments of the marking beneath.
Temperature
Requirements
Air, film, and
application surface temperature are important and must match the
characteristics of the adhesive and film being applied. Lower
temperatures restrict good adhesion properties, which increase the
risk of a graphic failure due to low levels of adhesion. 3M brand
films have a broad application temperature range (refer to the
appropriate product data bulletin).
While the film can be
applied at the lower end of the temperature range, more pressure
will be needed and it will take longer for a functional bond to be
achieved during application. Until a functional bond is
achieved, it is risky to remove premask or allow a vehicle to be
transported.
For optimal application
performance and ease-of-use characteristics, a minimum temperature
of 60°F (16°C) is recommended.
Higher heat and humidity
conditions may also make a graphic more difficult to apply. If the
air temperature or the application surface temperature exceeds
100°F, performance may be limited.
Surface
Preparation
All surfaces must be
considered dirty and must be cleaned prior to the application of
markings. Recommended cleaning procedures for specific surfaces are
listed below.
Plastics and
Glass
Saturate a clean cloth with a 2 to 1 mixture of
water and isopropyl alcohol and wipe the surface. (Cleaners such as
Windex Window Cleaner may be used.) Wipe the surface with a dry,
clean, lint-free cloth.
Painted Metals
and Base Metals
These surfaces must be cleaned with
asolvent such as: E.I. DuPont Prep-Sol Cleaning Solvent 39195,
Xylol, VM&P, Naptha, or Lacquer Thinner. Dry the surface with a
lint-free cloth before the solvent evaporates. Freshly painted
surfaces must be dried one week prior to application.
Interior Painted
Surfaces
Paint must be dried one week prior to
application of markings. Clean the area where the markings are to be
applied with a household cleaner such as 409. Rinse thoroughly and
dry.
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