Ausfish Sticker Application

The Ausfish stickers are a vinyl sticker and are applied a bit different to the standard bumper sticker.

When you receive your stickers you will notice they are in a sandwich style. The front layer is application tape (see through paper/tape), middle layer being the sticker/vinyl and the back layer is a waxed paper (thicker non see through paper) often has Multifix printed over it.

To apply your stickers first clean the surface thoroughly. Any little specs under the stickers can end up looking like mountains. It is a good idea to clean the surface with prepsol or metho, especially if you have recently applied polish to the surface or recently painted it.

To make it easier to apply the stickers it is recommended that you apply a little bit of water to the surface. This is best done with a spray bottle with two or three drops of detergent in the water. 1 cup of water and two drops of detergent is fine. Spray the surface with a mist of the mixture. You only need a little bit of moisture, don't soak it. If you do not have a spray bottle you can moisten the surface with a rag or sponge.

Doing this makes it easier to position the sticker as it stops the sticker sticking immediately to anything it touches. It will also give you a better finish as you will be able to remove air bubbles.

Applying the sticker-

Lay the sticker on a flat surface so that the application tape is facing down, then peel the waxed paper away from the application tape and sticker starting at the head end of the sticker. Making sure that all parts of the sticker remain on the application tape.

Note - The application tape may not be stuck to the sticker as well as when it was first applied due to heat, transport, etc. It is best to lay the sticker on a flat surface with the application tape facing up and wipe over the sticker firmly with a credit card or similar card. This will ensure the sticker sticks to the applicatrion tape. If at anytime while removing the waxed paper the sticker does not stay on the application tape just lay the layers together in that area and apply some pressure to help the sticker stick to the application tape then try again.

Do not throw away the waxed paper you will need this later.

Apply the sticker, with the application tape attached, to the surface.

With a credit card or similar device push down on the application tape working from the centre out making sure you cover the entire area. This will force out any air bubbles that may be trapped under the sticker. Work over the entire sticker with your credit card, or what ever you decide to use, until you are satisfied that as much moisture as possible is removed and all air bubbles are removed.

You can now leave this one alone and apply the other one.

Depending on the amount of moisture you sprayed on the surface you will now need to wait for the surface to dry. About 30 minutes to an hour is a reasonable time, depending on the temperature.

Once you are satisfied that the sticker is dry you can remove the application tape. Carefully start peeling back the application tape from the front top corner on a diagonal. If the sticker stays on the application tape instead of staying on the surface this means it is not yet dry enough. If the sticker does lift just push it back down with your credit card as you did before. If it is dry enough just slowly remove the application tape on a diagonal keeping your hand that is pulling the application tape close to the surface so the application tape is nearly folding back on itself. Once removed you can discard the application tape.

Now grab the waxed paper and place it over the sticker with the waxed side facing you and rub over the entire sticker area firmly with your credit card. It is best to never apply pressure with your credit card or any device directly to the sticker, always use the waxed paper as a shield.

If you do have some air bubble the above method should remove them. If the surface is too dry and you have some air bubbles that will not work their way towards the edge of the vinyl you can pierce them with a pin and work the air out the hole. If you have any tinny air bubbles they will usually disappear in a few days.

Note on applying stickers to hulls with chines.

If you are applying the sticker to a hull with chines you should work the sticker and application tape gradually on to the surface starting from the top, working down. Making sure the sticker makes contact with the entire surface, working it in and over each chine. If you have a gap in the valley of the chine between the sticker and the surface it can trap dirt and grime and could also result in the sticker spitting or peeling off as dirt and grime build up underneath it.

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