Car Stickers
About Car Stickers
There are a few ways to make the bland and plain look of your car more interesting. Car stickers are an affordable yet effective method to add a new look to your vehicle. These auto-tuning accessories bring a lot of customizability and style to the package.
We all love to add a personal touch to our belongings. Be it a keychain or a laptop; people have found ways to make them look unique. When it comes to a car, the options are endless. If you want, you can make your car look one of a kind. But car stickers remain the most popular styling option among car owners. They are also the most customisable car add-on you can get your hands on. If you are an art lover, you can express it with a sticker. You can express your worldview with philosophical slogans or even express your love for your favourite movie.
A basic introduction to car stickers
Car stickers decorate the exterior of the car. They are widely used by companies and individuals all around the world. Companies use them as an advertising opportunity by covering the vehicle in their brand promotion. On the other hand, people use them for many reasons. Some want to add more punch to the overall style of the car. A few like to think out loud with stickers featuring quotes. And for some smartypants, stickers are a way to hide minor scuffs and scratches. Here is a basic introduction to the car stickers and their history.
How they began
Car stickers were around even before there were cars. They were first used on horse carriages by advertisers. They printed the brand names on nets and clothes and hung them on the carriages. After the inception of cars, they simply carried this tradition forward. It was the coming of vinyl stickers that brought about a revolution in car stickers design. They became part of the political campaigns and style. And over the decades the car sticker technology and design have advanced. These days some European countries even mandate the use of stickers that identify the place of origin. And people use them to add a signature touch to their vehicle.
Bumper stickers
As the name implies, these go on the bumper of the car. Because there is not much room for elaborate graphics on the bumper, bumper stickers often feature quotes or witty one-liners. When other car stickers can be in any size and shape, bumper stickers are rectangular. And the most common size of bumper stickers is three inches tall and eleven inches wide. There are larger ones that are not as common that are fifteen inches wide. But these days, the smaller ones are in demand. And bumper stickers that feature small graphics are becoming more and more common.
Family car stickers
Family stickers usually go on the rear window of the car. People place it to show that they are proud to have their family in their car. They celebrate the togetherness and love of the family. Family stickers are usually placed by those who have kids. And they choose these pictures depending on how many kids they have and whether they are boys or girls. If you want to place each of the family members at a different part of the glass, it is possible to cut out each of them. Because they are applied to glass, they are easy to remove.
Custom car stickers
Custom stickers (also called car decal stickers) are all the rage these days. There are many companies that will print and send you the sticker if you send them the design. Usually, you will have to send them the designs and specify the dimensions. Sometimes, if your dimensions are larger than regular, you will need to look for companies that will print large-sized stickers. Custom stickers are the way to go if you do not mind spending a bit more money and want a sticker that will reflect your tastes. If you don’t have a design, there are companies that will even design one for you if you give them the guidelines.
Reflective car stickers
These serve more purpose than style. They reflect lights when directly hit by another vehicle’s headlamp. For this reason, placing them on the back of the car can help avoid collisions to an extent. They make your car highly visible to passing vehicles. Apart from designs, you can also use this as a safety feature in the car like using it to display the ‘baby on board sign, or as a parking sticker. But these days, you can make custom reflective stickers that feature any design you want to put on your car. You can find reflective stickers of high-quality vinyl that will retain their reflectiveness for years.
Tips on how to buy Car Stickers
Getting any sticker is not enough. It has to be right for your car and also your need. On the car hood, for instance, you can use a large sticker that is a meter wide. But not quite on the bumper. There you need a small rectangular sticker that is a couple of inches tall and ten or fifteen inches wide. And how often would you be replacing them? In a few days? A few months? Or do you want the sticker to be there forever? Following these tips will help you pick the right kind of sticker for you.
- Consider the shape and size of the stickers – This one is obvious. Stickers are available in all sorts of shapes ranging from squares, rectangles, and polygons to custom cut-outs. Each of them has a different way of measuring the size. While in the case of squares and rectangles it is the length of the sides, circles and ovals use their diameters as the measurements.
- Method of application – Do you want the sticker to be there for a long time or only for a few days? A permanent sticker uses strong, hard to remove, weather-resistant adhesive and will leave a residue when you try to take it off. You don’t want to use this type for a temporary purpose. On the other hand, there are removable and ultra-removable stickers that leave no marks.
- Quality of the stickers – Exterior stickers cost more than interior stickers. That is because exterior stickers need to put up with harsh weather, soaps, dirt and more. They need to be of higher quality and weatherproof. But there are interior stickers that can stay on even without using an adhesive. They are much cheaper and of low quality.
- The method of printing used – Mainly, two different methods of printing are used in stickers; screen printing and digital printing. Screen printed stickers are very durable and last about 3 or 4 years on the exterior. But they have limited colour space. While digitally printed stickers give photorealistic images and a wider colour gamut but only last a couple of years before fading.
And now that you know how to pick the right sticker, also take care while you are applying them to the car. Using a masking tape will help you mark the position to help align the sticker. And after application, leave the transfer tape on for a couple of hours before removing it. And if the weather is too hot or too cold, you should retain the transfer tape for at least six hours. Finally, don’t forget to check and explore all the other products in the car supplies category. There are 500+ shops and brands offering them here on our retail search engine . These include Ralliart, Autographix, JDM, Autographix, and Mini in the Box.
Question & Answer
How to apply car stickers?
You can apply the stickers to the car yourself with the help of a squeegee. Firstly, you have to make sure that the surface you are going to apply the sticker on is clean. If there is any dust, wipe it off and clean the surface with rubbing alcohol. Then remove the layer that covers the adhesive surface of the sticker and position it over the area you want to apply it. You might need another person to help you. An extra pair of hands will help avoid wrinkles and misalignment. Then place it on the surface. Rub the back of the sticker thoroughly with a soft squeegee. Then slowly pull the sticker from one side. If any part of it is not properly stuck, rub with the squeegee again. Continue this until the whole of the sticker is applied to the surface.
Are car stickers removable?
Car stickers have extremely strong adhesive properties. This helps them withstand the harsh outside conditions. They are not meant to be removed and replaced every now and then. But that does not mean you cannot remove them ever. There are methods to remove the stickers from the car body completely. But that being said, there is a chance to mess up the paint job when you try to remove them. One has to be very careful when removing the stickers. In fact, decals are popular because they are not permanent. Most people change their car stickers every few months or a year.
How long do car stickers last?
The main enemy of car stickers is the weather. But good quality stickers have weatherproofing to a large extent. If they are not tampered with, they will last anywhere from 4 to 7 years. But, after 2 to 3 years, stickers start to show their age. The colours will fade or change. In rare cases, sides of the stickers start to peel off in which case you should probably change them. But rarely does anyone keep the same stickers for that long. And even the paint of cars fades a bit in that period of time.
How good are transfer stickers on a car?
The benefit of transfer stickers is their ease of use. Anyone can apply transfer stickers without messing up with little care. There are also easy to customise. But the problem with them is, that they are not meant to last and are not waterproof. At most, they will last a few months. Even less if you are living in places with extreme climates. But they are also cheap and easy to remove. If you have a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth, they will come off without leaving a spot. For that reason, they are very popular. People use transfer stickers for even promotions and to place a quote or graphics on the car that they know they will be changing in a few months.