Instructions for applying decals

The most important point is to be careful. If you rush this, you may not be happy with the decal, and once it's on, it's not movable!

First, make sure that the smooth surface that you are going to be applying the decal to is clean and dry. Dirt, dust, or water will adhere to the decal and it won't stick to anything. Also, make sure your hands are clean or you will forever have a fingerprint under the decal. Except for the Bluegill and Striper, the decals have clear edges and a dirty fingerprint will show right through it.

You may start from the nose or the tail. I prefer starting from the nose because you don't have to worry about the 3-5 fins being ripped off, only 1 jaw. For a deer or elk, start from the antlers. All of the points of the antlers are on one piece of clear vinyl. For birds, start from the beak.

Peel the decal from the backing paper carefully, about an inch or two. Fold the backing paper over and crease it so that it is out of the way and you have enough paper to get ahold of. Do not pull the entire decal off of the paper! Be careful not to let the exposed decal touch anything else. Try not to get fingerprints on the sticky side of the decal.

Get the decal lined up the way you want it and apply the exposed decal to the smooth surface starting from the edge of the decal and press it down with your finger. Smooth it down from the edge in, keeping slight tension on the remaining decal. This will smooth it down uniformly and push out any air bubbles. If you just stick it on, it will have lots of bubbles and won't look good.

Using a fish as an example...if you start from the tail, be very careful not to rip off a fin. If you start from the nose, the fins will come off cleanly, but you must be careful of the the lower jaw.

Very slowly start to pull the backing paper away while simultaneously smoothing the edge of the decal with your finger. If you can, apply the upper jaw and head to the corner of the mouth, then smooth down the lower jaw before continuing with the body section. That lower jaw will give you problems...be very careful. If it slips and sticks down, you may be able to peel it up and reapply it. Don't do this too many times or it will stretch.

Once you are past the corner of the mouth, the rest should go pretty easily, since the fins angle to the rear. Pull the backing paper away and smooth it with your finger as you go.

When the decal is all on, go around the edges with your finger to make sure the edges are all down. Then rub the entire decal with a soft cloth to make sure it is all stuck down good.

As you can see, my biggest hint is to be very careful. If you do it right, you will be happy with the decal for a long time!