If the panel is greasy, chalky or wet, the sticker will not stay. Most peel-ups start with the clean, not with the film.
What is on a hire machine
Diesel film, hydraulic mist, mud, road salt, dust, silicone spray on plastic covers, and old adhesive from the last sticker. Any of those sit between the glue and the panel. Wiping once with a dry rag moves the oil around. It does not remove it.
A yard sequence
Brush or rinse off loose dirt. Wash with a mild detergent that is suitable for the paint, then rinse until the water sheets instead of forming beads of oil. Dry with a clean cloth or let the panel air dry. There should be no damp patches. Finish with isopropyl alcohol or a panel wipe on a lint-free cloth, turning the cloth often.
Stick straight away. A clean panel in a dusty bay does not stay clean. Do not stick over flaking paint, rust scale or a soft filler edge. The sticker will come off with the flake. Do not stick onto a panel that is still warm from a pressure wash and then send the machine out into frost the same hour if the panel is damp. Dry means dry.
Plastic and paint
Painted metal that is sound is the easy case. Textured plastic, powder coat that is chalking, and freshly painted panels that have not cured are not. If the paint is new, ask the painter when it can take a film. Sticking onto soft paint pulls the paint off later. If you are unsure, test a small offcut on a hidden edge of the same panel and leave it overnight before you brand the whole side.
Old stickers
Peel what you can. Adhesive left behind needs a proper remover used the way the tin says, then the wash and the solvent wipe again. Sticking a new decal over a half-peeled one leaves a ridge and a weak edge.
If a sticker fails Get a quote
Sources
- Titan Graphics fitting note. This page describes how we print and how a yard can fit stickers. It is not a legal duty.