Decals.

They are separate products that go on in different ways, so the type has to match the surface. Vinyl transfer is cut vinyl that leaves only the artwork on a window or a vehicle. Water-slide film releases from its backing in water and suits models and ceramics. Heat-transfer film bonds under a press onto apparel and hard goods.

Ordering the wrong type is the usual reason a decal arrives unusable. Tell us the surface first and we'll name the type.

Transfer tape holds every cut piece in position while you move the design from its backing to the surface. Once the waste vinyl is weeded away, lettering is just a set of loose shapes, and the spacing would be lost without tape over them. The tape lifts off after application and leaves only the vinyl behind.

Any multi-piece cut design needs it, and we supply those decals taped and ready to place.

Registration marks outside the artwork let you align each piece against the one already applied. Without them a two- or three-part design drifts and the gaps show. You match the marks, apply the section, then trim the marks away.

Above roughly hand size, wet application helps too. A light mist of soapy water lets the vinyl slide into place before it grabs, and a squeegee pushes the water out.

Gloss vinyl gives richer colour and matte cuts glare on glass or a painted panel, and anything outdoors should carry a UV laminate. The laminate slows fading in the sun. Weeded lettering in a solid vinyl colour needs no printing at all, which keeps small window graphics crisp.

Full-colour decals are printed digitally, and brand colours can be matched to Pantone references.

Cast vinyl is the grade for curves, rivets and anything meant to last outdoors for years. It is thin and conforms without pulling back. Calendered vinyl is the economy option, fine on flat glass or a smooth sign, with a shorter life outside.

For tight curves on small objects such as models or mugs, water-slide film is the other choice, because it is very thin and follows the shape closely.

Decals can be made at any size in vinyl, water-slide or transfer formats. Measure the flat area where the design will sit and send width and height, keeping a margin from edges, handles and seams. On a vehicle, measure the panel itself with a tape rather than scaling from a photo.

Large graphics can be split into panels joined with registration marks, and the proof will show where each split falls.

You can order as few as 500 decals of one design. Runs go as high as 100,000 when a graphic goes across a whole fleet or a product line. Different designs are quoted separately, although they can travel in one shipment.

Free design help covers the cut file and the weeding layout, so you don't need vector skills to get started.

Plan on 7 to 10 business days of production after proof sign-off. If the date is tight, a rush run takes 5 to 7 business days. You can also test a physical sample on the real surface first, which takes 5 to 7 business days and is credited against the main order.

Application instructions go in with the order, because the person fitting the decal does the final step.