How to Apply Tank Lines (Wet Method)

1. Surface must be clean and free from grease.

2. The vinyl is sandwiched between a waxed backing paper and a low tack application tape. Make sure your surface and transfers are at room temperature. You can use a heat gun or hair dryer to do this. Unpick the ends and carefully remove the waxed paper, making sure that all of the graphic adheres to the application tape. Check as you go that no small areas remain on the waxed paper. Should this happen, lay the application tape down again and rub over the face.

3. Turn the application tape on it’s back so the sticky side is up. Spray the adhesive side with Application fluid or water with 1% soap/detergent. Then spray the tank with the water as well.

4. Apply both the design and the application tape to the workpiece, starting with the most complex curvatures first. As you start to lay the rest down you will notice that the design will try to crease at the other end. Best way to fix this is to stretch the vinyl further down and up as you get nearer to the end.

5. Once the vinyl transfer is in place, spray over with more application fluid and now use your flexible squeegee to rub over and squeeze out the trapped water and air bubbles. If you think some of the design is not aligned, do not rub over this, as by squeezing out the water you are activating the adhesive.

6. Slowly remove the application tape. Check that there are no air bubbles under the graphics. If there are these, they can be worked to the edge or popped with a pin. This can be further wetted with water to which a very small quantity of washing up liquid has been added. this will assist in the smoothing out process of large areas. Squeegee out all the moisture before finally removing the facing paper.

7. If there are some areas that aren’t aligned properly, heat these carefully with a hair dryer or heat gun, this allows the vinyl to be flexible and stretch. Be careful not to over do this as if it’s too hot it will stretch too much. Now you can use a knife or scalpel to carefully lift parts of the design you aren’t happy with and re-align and apply. If you have stretched the vinyl, you may need to cut a piece of the vinyl off and either overlap the rest or align. Usually this can be concealed quite tidily.

All graphics should be protected from petrol/chemical spillages, certain degreaseants and rubbing compounds. If in any doubt, use the enclosed test strip with the products you intend to use.

CLEAR CELLULOSE WILL CAUSE TRANSFER TO SHRINK, AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

Overcoating with Two Pack Clear Lacquers Some of our customers in the specialist motor cycle painting business have perfected the art of overcoating our transfers with Two Pack clear Lacquer. Generally a light mist coat is applied followed by a full coat some 30 minutes later. However, not all Two Packs are to the same quality and we are unable to give assurances with this paint system. You do so at your own risk.