Metal License Plate

Creating and Applying Custom Stickers

Custom Stickers

Creating your own custom stickers has never been easier. There are many different kinds of stickers to choose from. The kind of stickers you choose depends on your intended use for the stickers. Many stickers (like those we all grew up with) are made from paper. Other kinds of stickers are made from a paper base and then laminated to help provide a longer life expectancy. The best kind of stickers are the ones made from vinyl. Vinyl stickers or decals are made from different quality levels of a polymer film material. Many of these kinds of vinyl stickers are made to withstand the weathering elements and have a life expectancy of 7+ years. Buyer be warned, many sticker makers use the lowest quality of materials but charge you for the most expensive stuff.

There are many sticker makers out there and results may vary. You can get custom stickers made from any of the following resources:
1. StickyLife.com
2. StickerGiant
3. 123stickers

StickyLife online options provides the most creative freedom at cheapest prices, without expensive setup charges or hidden fees. If you had an idea for a funny bumper sticker but didn't want to order 100+ then stickylife would be your choice. They don't have minimum quantitiy requirements, meaning I could only order one or two of my custom made sticker. In fact, they specialize in small quantities.

StickyLife also provides the most custom shaped stickers out of all sources that I have ever seen. Their design system provided me with easy to use tools that made the process fun and exciting. All of their custom stickers are only available in vinyl material and intended for exterior use.

As a side note StickyLife.com also provides other cool products made for creative personalized gifts like:
1. Custom License Plates
2. Chrome & Plastic License Plate Frames
3. Car Magnets
4. Static Clings
5. Yard Signs
6. Buttons
7. Monograms
8. Dog Tags
9. Key Chains
10. Banners
11. Temporary Tattoos
12. Vinyl Lettering
13. Bumper Stickers

Below you will find valuable tips to review when deciding to create your own custom stickers.

Sticker Color Choices

StickyLife.com has a wide selection of colors which can be viewed online. Over 118 different color combinations and 18 core colors to chose from. When selecting your colors consider legibility. Some colors do not work well together. For instance, Intense blue and black do not work well together because they are so similar in shade. Selecting two contrasting colors works best when designing your custom products.

Some considerations to remember when viewing colors online

Due to the differences in display technology at each end, it is not possible to get a consistent menu of colors broadcast throughout the World Wide Web. There will be some variation in the colors displayed on your monitor from the way they look on ours. If you are in a situation that an exact match is required, the only way to guarantee that you (the customer) will know the exact color your decals will be is for us to send you a color sample for your selection. We suggest ordering one or two stickers, as an example before you order more.

Vinyl Information

The vinyl that stickylife.com uses is 2.5 mil. thick and has a life expectancy of 5 to 7+ years. It is an excellent choice for indoor or outdoor applications. (Note: This is only a rating and should not be mistaken for a warranty.) These are the specifications from the manufacturer that the vinyls have been tested and under normal weathering conditions, the material should not peel, crack, or fade for the period of time listed. We have found in most cases, the vinyl will considerably outlast these time periods.

StickyLife.com Guarantee

Our Vinyl decals carry a 1-year guarantee. This covers peeling, cracking, and fading. Since our product is made to order, all sales are final, with the exception of warranty problems, which we will happily replace with a duplicate product within the 1 year warranty period. We do not issue cash refunds. We will only warranty items that have been determined to be defective. All other installation related problems are assumed to be the fault of improper conditions or installation error. Custom work is not returnable. Please Note: We do not proof orders placed on our website. Please proof your work before placing your order. If you find an error or something that you would like to fix after you have placed your order, please contact us ASAP; in order to prevent it from going into production. Many orders go into production the same day they are placed.

Selecting your custom sticker surface for application.

When installing vinyl, it is important that you apply the product to an adequate surface, one to which it will readily adhere. The following lists contain a brief summary of acceptable surfaces along with some surfaces that are not.

The good news is: Vinyl stickers will stick to many surfaces. In determining whether your intended surface is adequate, keep in mind that, as a general rule of thumb, vinyl will stick to almost any surface that is clean and either smooth or nonporous. To demonstrate the necessary surface qualities, we use glass versus brick as a quick example. Vinyl will stick very well to glass because of its smooth surface. On the other hand, due to its rough exterior, vinyl will not stick well to brick.

Acceptable surfaces
* Glass
* Metals (Must be painted with a smooth, glossy enamel.)
* Vehicles (Must be painted with a smooth, glossy enamel.)
* Vinyl (Such as Banners, Canopies, flags, etc.)
* Plastic
* Fiberglass (Must be painted with a smooth, glossy enamel.)
* Wood (Ideally painted with a smooth, glossy enamel, sometimes smooth finished lumber will work well.)
* Other Painted Surfaces (Paint must be smooth and glossy, vinyl will not stick to oxidized, faded, or peeling paint)

Not recommended surfaces
* Cement
* Raw Lumber
* Oxidized or faded paint
* Peeling paint
* Rubber
* Raw Metals
* Oily Surfaces

These lists are not comprehensive and there are other acceptable and unacceptable substrates than those listed above. Again, when in doubt, apply the rule that states vinyl will generally adhere well to smooth, glossy and clean surfaces. Rough, dull, peeling, porous or dirty surfaces, on the other hand, will likely not produce an acceptable vinyl application. VINYL STICKER APPLICATION For proper adherence, all surfaces should be considered as dirty and should therefore be cleaned prior to any vinyl application. Household surface cleaners, such as Windex, are acceptable; however, we recommend a 2-to-1 mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol. After thorough washing, wipe the surface dry with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth.

Air and surface temperature must be above 55 degrees Fahrenheit for the application of the vinyl. Apply the vinyl using the following steps: (Note: It is recommended that a novice installer have a helper present on the following steps. It is not a requirement however it will help insure a quality installation.)

1. Measure and mark the area you wish to apply your vinyl using a water-soluble pencil. Water soluble pencils are available on our accessory pages. Precision marking will help assure a level application. Once you have the overall area defined and marked, you should have a good idea as to where the upper right and left corners of the decal should be placed. At this time, take your decal (paper and all) and tape the right upper corner of it to your predetermined area. Have your assistant hold the upper left corner of the decal in place while you stand back a few feet and look at it. If you like it's placement, move on to step 2.

2. Tape the left corner in place and put a piece of tape down the center of the decal. At this time, using your water-soluble pencil, place a mark on the right and left side of the decal. Make sure you mark both the tape and the surface you are mounting the decal to. You will be aligning these two marks later, so be sure you can see them clearly.

3. On the Left side of the decal, hold the paper and peel off the tape until you reach the center of the decal. (The decal should stay stuck to the application tape at this time) Cut the paper as close to the center as you can, without scratching your surface.

4. Spray the surface on the left side with water or application fluid (we recommend the application fluid) Note: do not spray water or application fluid when using reflective vinyl. Reflective vinyl should be applied on a dry surface. Place the left side of the decal down on the surface, taking care to line up the lines you drew in step 2. With the application tape still intact, squeegee the decal to the surface by applying pressure with smooth even strokes. Start at the middle of the decal and work your way out to the left. Note: Before you squeegee, make sure there are no wrinkles in the decal or application tape.

5. Lift up the right hand side of the decal and remove the remainder of the backing paper. (It is ok to lift up the piece of center tape at this time). Apply application fluid to the right hand surface. Place the right hand decal taking care to align your marks on the right hand side. Again, start at the middle and squeegee toward the right hand side of the decal. Note: Before you squeegee make sure there are no wrinkles in the decal or application tape.

6. It is a good Idea to wait just a couple of minutes before you remove the application tape. This allows the application fluid to begin drying and will prevent the decal from trying to come up. Once it is adhered to the surface, squeegee the entire decal a second time. Then carefully peel the tape off the entire decal.

7. It is common for there to be some small bubbles throughout the decal. These bubbles will leave by themselves within a few weeks. If you have any major, bubbles you can eliminate them by carefully heating the area with a hair dryer or heat gun, then puncturing them with a needle and applying pressure with your thumb. Note: You can do more damage than good by chasing the smaller bubbles. They will leave themselves as the vinyl breathes and the application fluid evaporates.

StickyLife provides customers with creative options for custom personalized gifts and caters to those who like to speak their minds and stand up for our freedom of speech. They are always looking for professional bloggers to blog for them once in a while. They have some very interesting compensation packages that any self promoting person would like.

For more information on creating your own custom stickers and decals, license plates, license plate frames, car magnets, static clings or any of their other awesome products go to stickylife.com where they hope to continue to add helpful videos and other content that will help guide you in your custom sticker creations.

About the Author

StickyLife.com
1.800.356.8904
info@stickylife.com

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