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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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