Pro tip: double check your vinyl application tool before starting

I was dead set on using a standard squeegee for a 10-inch sticker last night. Took me 45 minutes to fix all the bubbles it left behind. Has anyone else found a specific tool that works better for curved surfaces like car bumpers?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_kim1mo ago

Gotta disagree with @john430 on the soft rubber roller thing... had one of those and it left weird ripples on my car door. The felt squeegee is good but I think the secret is more about how you prep the surface than the tool itself. Use a spray bottle with a few drops of dish soap and water, then lay the sticker down wet. That way you can slide it around and push bubbles out easy peasy. Just let it dry overnight before hitting the road.

john4301mo ago

Got a felt wrapped squeegee from a craft store last month. That thing glides over curves like butter. The hard plastic ones just push air in instead of out. For car bumpers I actually use a soft rubber roller I found in a pottery supply shop. Works way better than anything labeled for vinyl. Heat gun helps too but you gotta be careful not to melt the sticker.