Supdub car sticker

Preparation – What is needed?

Before you can tackle the second step, you should have the necessary accessories ready. The following items are required for applying stickers:

• Plastic squeegee (an ice scraper with a rubber side, a plastic kitchen spatula, or similar also works) to smooth down the sticker
• Sharp knife (e.g., utility knife) or scissors
• Folding rule
• Masking tape (must be easy to remove so as not to damage the adhesive surface), e.g., painter's tape
• Pin (to prick air bubbles)

Sticker Structure

For the following dry application instructions, it is good to know how a sticker is structured and what components it consists of.

1. Backing paper (thick, white film the motif/lettering sticks to)
2. Adhesive motif (the actual sticker that remains on the desired surface after application)
3. Transfer paper/film (thin, often transparent film), not always present

Further general tips for sticker application that you should consider before you begin:

• Apply stickers at a temperature between 15°C and 25°C
• Avoid direct sunlight and strong wind
• Do not apply in a dusty environment
• Do not cut lettering into individual letters, as this makes straight application much more difficult
• Get help from a second person
• Allow enough time for application
• Carefully prick small air bubbles with a pin and smooth them out
• For stickers applied to uneven surfaces, heat with a hair dryer; this makes the material more flexible and allows it to adapt to the surface
• Avoid car washes or hand washing for at least 2 weeks

1. Clean the surface

The first and most important step is cleaning the application surface. Any dirt, grease, dust, wax, or silicone must be removed without residue. A greasy surface, for example, can significantly reduce the adhesion of a sticker. Impurities increase the chance of bubbles and unevenness forming. Therefore, the following steps must be carried out at the beginning:

• Clean the adhesive surface thoroughly
• Clean vehicles completely with a sponge at the desired location or in a car wash
• Clean windows with an alcohol-based cleaner and a cloth
• For gentle cleaning of almost all materials, professional cleaners such as industrial quick cleaner can also be used
• Allow the cleaned surface to dry
• Inspect the surface for dirt again before application

2. Trim the sticker/lettering

To make it as easy as possible for you, you can trim excess backing paper around the edges. This allows you to see the actual sticker better, making subsequent measuring and positioning easier. If the lettering or motif is particularly large, you can also cut the sticker into individual segments. If you measure carefully, this will not be visible afterward.

3. Press down the transfer paper

Before aligning the sticker and measuring distances, rub firmly over its entire surface one more time. This strengthens the bond between the actual sticker and the transfer paper, which is important for trouble-free application.

4. Measure, mark, and fix the adhesive position

To ensure the sticker is not applied crookedly, these steps are of great importance:

• Hold the sticker at the desired position
• Look for a straight line you can use for orientation (e.g., the heating wires on a rear window)
• Hold the sticker with one hand and measure the distances with the other
• Distances to the orientation line should be the same at the left and right ends of the motif
• Fix the sticker in place with painter's tape at the top and bottom center
• Measure again to see if the distances are still correct

5. Apply the sticker

The following steps sound more complicated than they are. Application is explained best with pictures. Therefore, be sure to use the illustrations at the end of the text.

• Lift the right half of the sticker and carefully peel off the backing paper up to the fixed center
• Cut off the excess backing paper
• Squeegee the sticker outward with the transfer film
• Remove the painter's tape
• Fold the left half toward the center and remove the remaining backing paper
• Smooth it out from the center outwards again
• Carefully peel off the transfer paper at a flat angle