When buying a vinyl vehicle decal you want to find out if the material is calendered vinyl or cast vinyl. Calendered vinyl is made for short term signs, indoor signage, and short term car decals. Calendered vinyl is a vinyl that tends to shrink a little over time, which could leave a sticky dirt mark all the way around the decal. Most often people use Calendered vinyl for short term advertising and race car graphics. Cast vinyl is made for long term graphics, it will not shrink and it hold it's adhesive better then Calendered. It's thinner which makes it smoother on the surface of the car and it can stretch around curved surfaces very easily.

If you are buying a vehicle decal find out about the mil of the material. The lower the number the thinner the decal and the better it looks on your car. If you are buying a decal and you want it to last a really long time, don't hesitate to ask the seller how much extra will it be to add laminate. Laminate will make your graphic last longer, UV protection, and weather protection.

If you are planning on purchasing a printed vinyl decal the same Cast and Calendered rules apply. You should also ask what type of ink was used to print the decal. If if was printed with a solvent based ink then your decal could last anywhere from 3yrs to 5yrs without lamination. If you add a laminate to the decal you can usually tack on another 2yrs to your decal. If the decal was printed with an eco solvent ink then your decal will last 3yrs without lamination. There are other inks out there but these are the main ones.

Vinyl decals also need application tape on them to be applied to your vehicle. If there isn't any application tape then make SURE that you have the decal laminated. Without the strength from the laminate you will not be able to peel the decal off and lay it flat without ruining the decal. Vinyl decals are not like bumper stickers, or any other type of sticker. It is much thinner and conforms to shapes much better then a sticker.

Vehicle decals are usually very easy to apply, but make sure that your seller sends you directions on applying the decal. There are some severe steps that must be taken before applying the decal. There are also some steps on taking care of your decal, so make sure you ask for those. If your seller isn't being of much help you may want to ask another seller if they can make a certain graphic for you. Most often the seller can easily make your decal and may even keep the same price.

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