It is an amazing experience to own a boat, and it is fascinating and fun to flaunt your style by using vinyl graphics to boldly display the name of the vessel that becomes your prized possession. To give an identity to boats owned by individuals using vinyl graphics, boat stickers help to create an entity that bears the signs and styles of the owner. Vinyl decals also help to decorate the boat and improve the aesthetics, which gives a lot of satisfaction to owners. Since every boat has a registration number, it is a legal requirement to display it prominently by using boat lettering. Also, people use custom boat stickers to add a boat name, which is also a pride for boat owners.
Get only the best
Be careful to distinguish between the various quality of stickers to choose only the best one. The choice of font plays a vital role in providing the desired legibility and visibility, which upholds the appeal. Besides, the quality of vinyl and the adhesive must be suitable to ensure long time adherence and should be 100 waterproof and UV resistant to keep shining brightly for many years.
The longevity of stickers depends not only on the quality of stickers but also on the manner of fixing it. High-performance cast vinyl is the best material for boat stickers because it is UV stabilized and less likely to shrink.
Here are tips for fixing boat decals in the right way.
Surface cleaning
Choose a sunny and dry day to do the work. Wash the area where you want to fix the decal with soap and water to remove all scum or salt and rinse with water, followed by drying with a clean towel to avoid water spots. Next, spray 70% isopropyl alcohol solution to the area and clean it with a microfiber towel to remove any residual oil and grease.
Locate the center
Use a measuring tape to detect the vertical center of the application area and mark it with a grease pencil. The vinyl graphic remains within the layers of transfer paper and backing paper, and folding in half lengthwise will mark the vertical centerline of the decal. Align the centerline of the decal with the centerline of the hull and position the decal tentatively with masking tape.
Position the graphic
Position the decal by aligning the top of the decal with a reference line like the rub rail underside to maintain consistent spacing between the reference line and the top of the graphic from back to front. If you are happy with the positioning, create a temporary hinge with masking tape to hold the graphic in place.
Remove the backing
Peel away the backing paper by starting from the top of the decal, allowing it to adhere lightly as you remove the entire backing by taking care to avoid wrinkling of the decal. Remove the entire transfer paper quickly and firmly press on the decal while squeezing out bubbles.
Next, remove the masking tape from the top and peel off the transfer paper to complete the process.