Vinyl Removal Instructions - DRAFT

Most of the time vinyl can be removed from a sign, vehicle or other rigid surface with no damage to the surface. If the substrate is in poor condition before the removal of the old vinyl lettering or decal, such as chipped or peeling paint, the paint can peel off with the vinyl as it’s removed. Vehicles, boats and windows usually respond very well to the removal of vinyl lettering or decals.

When removing vinyl lettering or decals that have been in place for a significant period of time with outdoor exposure, there is a good chance that the area surrounding the vinyl will have faded. If many individual vinyl letters are involved, it’s often possible to read the old message even after a thorough cleaning! If you’re planning to apply new vinyl lettering or decals to the freshly cleaned area, be sure to cover as much of the old area as possible, this will often draw attention away from the “ghosts” of the old lettering.

Similar techniques can be applied to non-rigid sign faces, such as banners, however vinyl lettering and decals usually adhere to these surfaces very tenaciously. This often leaves more adhesive residue, making the letters much more difficult to remove and clean up.

The following guidelines will help in a successful vinyl removal project.

• Lightly heat the sign or vehicle surface with a heat gun or hair dryer. The surface should be warm to the touch but not so hot that you can’t touch it (be careful not to expose a window to rapid temperature changes). Another option is to let the vehicle or sign face sit facing the sunlight for an hour or so.

• Take our or and scrape the vinyl from the surface. You can use the sharper edges of these tools to lift up a corner of the vinyl and slowly peel the remainder. If the vinyl is old and brittle, it will most likely come off in small pieces – patience is key in this situation.

• Once all the vinyl lettering or decals have been removed there will most often be some adhesive residue left over, this can be removed using denatured alcohol or our citrus based . Apply a small amount directly to the affected area and let sit for a few minutes. Then using your or , gently scrape the adhesive away. This process may have to be repeated several times. Please remember to test an inconspicuous surface of your vehicle or sign face with either of these chemicals first to ensure the painted surface is not damaged!

• Once complete, thoroughly clean the entire area with soap and water (dish washing detergent is ideal). This process may have to be repeated several times to ensure that there’s no residue remaining.

• Job complete! You’re ready to install your new custom vinyl lettering or decal to the surface. Remember to thoroughly clean the area again prior to installation!