Install Boat Name Lettering and Decals

You can get professional boat lettering and boat graphics results when you know the different installation procedures and know where to get your supplies. Why pay a professional big bucks when you can DIY your own boat name lettering project

Steps

  1. Note that there are a number of methods used to apply vinyl boat lettering to the transom of your boat. While it is fairly easy to install small letters using a dry method, you are far better off using a wet release method providing your supplier offers this goof proof method of installation.
  2. Go online and search for wet release boat name decals. Some websites allow you to actually design your boat name lettering online, see it on a boat, then order it.
  3. Look for a wet release system, you can nearly guarantee a perfect job every time. The most difficult part of installing the boat name is that boat names are fairly large decals and it's real easy to tangle them or accidentally seal in large bubbles of air, which is a disaster. Not so with a good wet release system.
  4. Clean your boat transom or the sides of your boat that will receive the decals.
  5. Mix a solution of 1 cup of water and about 6-8 drops of Palmolive dish washing detergent. Place this solution in a spray bottle. Bring this along with your wet release boat name lettering or registration number decal and a Rubbermaid kitchen spatula or other rubberized straight edge.
  6. Hold your decal into position and play with it with the backing still on until you get it in the exact position you want. Once in place, use black tape or any contrasting color tape to mark your position.
  7. Spray the boat with a good heavy coating of your solution mix. Also spray the decal (sticky side) as you pull the backing away. This will prevent the decal from immediately bonding to the boat or to itself if you should fumble finger the thing.
  8. Place the decal in position. Slide it around until it hits your marks made in step 6.
  9. Starting in the center, gently squeegee out the solution first working to the right, then to the left. Once you are comfortable you have pushed out all the solution you can begin to push firmer and firmer. Go slow. The solution may be pushed out but the decal still has not bonded yet.
  10. Notice that the application masking that holds your boat name letters in place will begin to turn milky and break down with the solution (the letters themselves are not water soluble, they bond firmer as they dry while the pre-masking breaks down) This process can take a few minutes to an hour or more. Take a break. Cover the whole decal with a moist towel or at the very least, shade it from the sun. Time and moisture will cause the pre-masking to release both from the boat and from the decal.
  11. Wait. In about an hour, you should be able to pull the pre-masking off the decal and the letters will stay firmly in place.



Tips

  • Not all boat name decal vendors use the water soluble pre-masking be sure to get the correct type or this wet release system may not work as described. You can tell if you have the wet release system. It has a very fine checkerboard pattern on the top, almost so fine it looks like orange peels. You can also test it by applying a single drop of water to the sticky side of the decal pre-mask away from the actual vinyl letters. If it is water soluble, it will wrinkle up in a few minutes under the drop of water and turn a milky color.
  • Avoid any type of paper based pre-masking. They are sold as being wet compatible. The problem is they release too quickly. It's almost so fast that the paper ones are better off installed dry.
  • The wet release system described here can also be installed dry. It's the only system that can work equally well wet or dry.

Warnings

  • The wet method is correct for beginners. But it takes much more time to complete because the edges have to set properly before you can remove the application tape. If you are attempting to install vinyl lettering over curved surfaces - wet - plan on investing lots of time and patience. It won't stay stuck nearly as fast as the dry method.
  • Wet or dry lettering can be installed without flaws the first time if you search the web for the "hinged installation method" of installing vinyl lettering and graphics. The hinged method is unsurpassed for getting lettering and graphics straight.
  • If you do not install boat name decals on a regular basis, don't be tempted to install it dry. You basically have one shot at it. Dry installations can backfire and you can end up with folds, wrinkles and large air bubbles. This is not so with wet systems.
  • When installing layers of vinyl one on top of another, the hinged method is unmatched because you determine the exact position down the nth of an inch before you remove the carrier sheet.
  • Consider getting your graphics cut or printed on a forgiving vinyl like 3M Controltac, Oracal Rapid Air or Avery Easy Apply. The adhesive on these three are not fully activated until you burnish them down hard. These three allow the air to be moved out methodically and virtually eliminate bubble defects that are usually only removed with an air release tool.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  • Installing any series of lettering on a boat, truck or vehicle can be difficult. The wet system allows a novice to achieve near-perfect results. A video showing how to "wet" install any type of boat lettering or truck lettering can be seen at StreetGlo decals. While a wet method of installation can be used on nearly any type of boat lettering, it works best when using a product specifically designed for wet release. Wet release is better when the product being installed is designed to gradually release the lettering from the application tape after you set and adjust the position of the decal. Non wet release products can still be installed wet, but it can take several days for the lettering to completely attach (bond) to the boat or truck before you can actually remove the application membrane. This video shows Streetglo's wet release product only. However, the method is the same for any product that is designed for wet release. Note (you can still install a wet release product using a "dry" method, but it is not recommended for the novice.
  • To see the instructional video for boat lettering decals, click http://www.streetglo.net/boat-lettering.html and click the "camcorder" to watch the boat lettering video. This system can be used for truck lettering as well.
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Install_Boat_Name_Lettering_and_Decals&oldid=356593"