All About Vinyl Decals and Stickers

Vinyl decals are a fun, flexible means for dressing up everything from your car and office to a child's playroom or the look of your entire home.

While vinyl decals are often viewed simply as stickers, their construction is actually quite different. Vinyl decals are made from a self-adhesive, synthetic material, similar in composition to plastic. The vinyl composition makes them much more rugged and durable than stickers. Vinyl decals are also significantly thinner than stickers-a feature that helps to preserve them against temperature fluctuations that would cause a traditional sticker to bubble and crack. Thanks to this combination of durability and sleek, thin composition, properly affixed vinyl decals will appear to be painted-rather than simply stuck-onto a surface.

Although vinyl decals are often applied to vehicles and outdoor signage, they are gaining much prevalence when it comes to home decor. This can include things like large, abstract designs intended to lend color and personality to a room, as well as smaller things like borders and intricate details. However, due to the way vinyl decals are made, proper application is absolutely essential when it comes to achieving the perfect effect. You can view detailed installation instructions here.

First of all, it's important to remember that vinyl decals can't be treated like simple stickers. They tend to be much more involved and can sometimes be difficult to properly affix. But if you're willing to put in some patience and precision, you can wind up with some really striking decor.

Most vinyl decals will come packaged with a few things to help you in the application process. This includes a low-tack tape (used to correctly align the decal) as well as a special tool used to properly affix the decal smoothly against the surface. But before you even unwrap the decal, you'll want to make sure the surface is primed and ready to go.

Before you apply your vinyl decal, make sure that the chosen surface is clean and dry. Although a vinyl decal can withstand very high and low temperatures, when you first apply the decal, the area should ideally be between 50 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything outside those parameters can cause some issues during the initial application.

Now it's time to decide how you'd like everything to look. Many kinds of vinyl decals are packaged as multi-image sets. This might include something like a large wall design consisting of multiple designs. In this case, the designs are likely to be separate details. This is where the low-tack tape comes in. Using the low-tack tape, position all of the designs on the wall (without removing the decals from their backings) until you find an arrangement you like. If you've purchased a decal that doesn't include low tack tape, you might want to try scotch tape.

Once you've landed on the perfect arrangement, you're ready to start the actual process. Remove each taped-up decal from the wall, temporarily replacing it with a "spacer dot" (most vinyl decals will include spacer dots for just this purpose). Spacer dots help you make sure that you'll return the decal to exactly the right position.

Next, place the decal face down on a smooth surface and slowly peel the adhesive backing away. Take care that the graphic remains attached to the clear liner affixed to the face of the decal. Once you've removed the backing, gently affix the decal to the spot you've selected. Using the included tool, smooth the decal against the wall, starting from the center and smoothing outwards. This will help eliminate any bubbles that might have popped up under the decal. Once you've got the decal smoothly against the wall, simply peel away the clear liner from the front of the graphic. On some occasions, an intricately shaped graphic might require that you use the tool again in order to hold the graphic in place while you remove the liner.

For videos on the installation of vinyl decals and stickers, visit our YouTube Channel.

Thanks to their durable composition and weather-resistant design, vinyl decals can be applied nearly anywhere as bold, decorative flourish. And now that you know the basics of proper application, you can get started using decals throughout your home, for accents on molding, headboards, or cupboards or encompass a room with total design schemes. And considering that you can even cut your own designs from large sheets of vinyl, you're only as limited as your imagination.Walls Need Love provides custom wall vinyl designs, lettering, and words for your walls. We create custom lettering, custom vinyl phrases, expressions stick to your walls and look hand painted. Visit out outdoor vinyl company MidSouth Vinyl or our indoor vinyl sign company Wall Appeals for removable wall art.

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