IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have a surface that is deeply curved, large signs over a foot tall may be difficult to install. Glass that is flat from side to side, but curves in going up is usually not a problem. But glass that is deeply curved at the sides, or both slightly curved at the sides AND curved from top to bottom can present problems when trying to apply a flat piece of clear film.
Before starting you should lay the entire sign as shipped, including the paper backing, where you want to install it. If you can't get it to lay down flat on the surface, without it buckling up in one section, then you should consider cutting your sign into thinner horizontal strips, with only 1 or 2 lines of text on each strip. (If you are reading this and haven't ordered your sign yet, lay an equally large sized page of newspaper down on the surface, and see if you can get it to lay flat without buckling.)
If you decide to apply your sign in smaller horizontal sections, scissor cut them with the white paper still attached. The lines don't need to be perfectly straight, since you will be aligning the pieces back up as you install, and slightly jagged cuts can even make that part easier. Remember to leave the clear top film in each section attached to the glass until all the sections are installed, and then still wait 5 to 10 minutes. (As in Step #5 below.) This will also make it a lot easier to align them and keep all the lines of text centered with each other, as they are when the entire sign was shipped to you.
Start with the bottom section of your sign, then add another horizontal piece of masking tape for the next section up, the same as you did before, except that this piece of tape will be over the top of the lower clear film, and be the tape "hinge" for bottom of the next section up. (As in Step #2 below.)
Otherwise, installation is exactly the same as in our 5 Step Tutorial below (which you should read thoroughly before starting), except for the fact that you will be installing two or more sign sections, instead of one big sign all at once.
Our Easy, 5 Step
Application Tutorial
For Vinyl Lettering
& Jumbo Stickers!
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Small bumper stickers & vehicle lettering only need a good eye, or at most, a horizontal piece of masking tape as a guide, to insure your design is level when applied. But for stickers and lettering that are a few feet long, use the neat trick outlined below, to make sure your design is level, centered, and exactly where you want it to be. NOTE: Don't apply vinyl lettering when it's really windy, or if it's below 40 degrees. In those situations, try to find a warm, wind-protected garage.
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Step 1 - Apply a Level Piece of Masking Tape
You'll be using two pieces of masking tape. The tape should be at least 2 inches wide. First, be sure the surface you will be applying your sign to is clean and free of reside. For glass, rubbing alcohol works best. Decide where you want the lower edge of your sign to be, and apply the first piece of masking tape just below that line, using a ruler to make sure the tape is level. (Instead of a ruler, you can use a piece of cardboard as a straight edge, and use a seam that you can measure up from, like the bottom seam of the glass.)
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Step 2 - Position Your Sticker With Masking Tape
Your lettering comes with two backings. The white paper is underneath, and a semi-clear film is on top. Don't remove them yet! Position the bottom of your letters along the top edge of the first piece of masking tape, and use a second piece of tape to hold the entire design in place. (Make sure it's centered left and right, too!) The top half of the tape will be over the clear film and is used as a hinge to flip the whole sticker down, while holding it in place. (For jumbo bumper stickers, there is no clear film, so the tape should be put over bottom half inch of the background vinyl, not on the letters.)
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Step 3 - Remove the White Backing Paper
When you flip the design down, it is now upside down and you can remove the white backing paper. This will expose the adhesive on the back of the letters. (Or the back of the jumbo bumper sticker.) The adhesive is very strong, which is why you've positioned your design where you want it, and held it there with tape, before exposing the adhesive. All the letters should stay on the clear film, but if not, save the white paper you've removed, and that errant letter will be easy to position and apply later, after all the other letters are installed.
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Step 4 - Apply Letters & Remove Your Tape
You apply the clear film and letters to the glass using a plastic squeegee. (The edge of a credit card works, too.) Hold the free left corner of the clear film with your left hand, the squeegee in your right, and have a friend hold the right corner of the film . Now together, flip the film up, but hold it well away from the glass, so if you drop it, it will swing back down, away from the glass. Now, beginning at the bottom, use a firm vertical dragging motion with the edge of the squeegee to attach the letters and film. Go from the middle to the edges, getting the bottom inch of your sign attached, then work your way up, until the entire sign is attached. Remove both pieces of the masking tape.
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Step 5 - Remove the Clear Film... and You're Done!
Wait 5-10 minutes for the adhesive to adhere, then peal away the clear film slowly, making sure no letters are lifted away. If you didn't scrape over a dotted "i" or a comma, it might not have attached to the surface. You can use a tweezers to position it now, then press down with a cloth. Pop any trapped bubbles with a needle, then press down. Wait at least 72 hours before using a mechanical car wash or rear wiper blade. Nice Job! Your vinyl lettering will last up to 5 years without fading, because they are 100% vinyl. They can be scraped off using a soft plastic blade, found here.
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By the way, that "vista" you see in the distance is the view from our shop, which looks out over a vast high-desert (3000 ft. elev.) plateau called Copper Mountain Mesa, near the town of Joshua Tree, California... and that's why we're called Mesa Vista Press !
Copyright © 1999
Mesa Vista Press
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