HOW DO I APPLY A GRAPHIC WITHOUT GETTING AIR BUBBLES?
You don’t have to be a professional label applier to get the perfect look. There are ways to avoid or remove air bubbles during application. Prepare the surface, have the right tools, and proceed slow and steady to be successful.
A mild soap water solution allows the graphic to ‘float’ on the surface. Using a straight edge or squeegee, smooth from the middle to the edge and let dry.
Squeegees lessens air trapped during smoothing.
Incorporating backslits is one way to line up and PLACE the decal before applying the entire label. Begin in the middle work your way to the edges.
Textured materials and thicker adhesives are more forgiving.
Sometimes a perfectly applied graphic will exhibit bubbles after it has been on the product for a while. So frustrating! Typically, this is a result of out-gassing in the underlying material. Out-gassing is the release of gas that is trapped, frozen or absorbed in the product the label is applied to.
An example would be a freshly injected-molded container. It takes time for the heat and chemicals to release from the surface. It should be fully cured and at room temperature before applying decals to it. With some plastics, the molding process may leave a residue on the surface. To remove it, wipe the surface with isopropyl alcohol. In severe cases, the plastic may require flame treating to raise the surface energy enough to allow adhesion.
If all this doesn’t work, contact your existing supplier or Romo Durable Graphics. We’re happy to help!