Install Guides
Step 1 | Preparation
Set up a clean work area for fitting your skins ensure it is dust free and you have room to lay things out.
*Tools you may need to aid with install Hot air gun (hair dryer) | To warm the skin to make more flexible for curves or complex shape devices Pick or Craft Knife | Some skins have a lot of cut out for buttons etc removing 1st in some cases helps Scissors | To remove backing paper
Step 2 | Get the skin and device ready to install
Once you have a clean workspace and your device is clean you are ready to start, some skins have cutouts that are waste and unneeded ie: usb ports, fan slots, camera cutouts etc, if there is only a few when lifting the main skin from the backing paper they can be easily be popped out and left behind on the backing paper, for skins that have a lot of cutouts it is sometimes easier to pick out the waste cutouts 1st so they do not lift with the skin.
*This is when a pick or craft knife comes in handy to remove and cutouts
Step 3 | Installing the Skin
Some devices can be a little difficult to fit skins to or there are tricks to make things easier so check the additional tips below 1st.
Starting with simple parts that are being applied to flat surface is recommended so you can get a feel for how the skin can be fit and adjusted if needed. Go slow and take your time, the skins are made for high quality automotive wrap so is low initial tack and has air channels in the adhesive to help remove air from under the skin. While handling the skin especially the adhesive side make sure your hands are clean as oils or dirt could affect the adhesive side.
- Remove the skin from the backing paper exposing the adhesive side (weed out any cutouts if needed)
- Hold the skin lightly over the surface being applied to just so it not touching the surface. (While handling the skin keep touching the adhesive side to a minimum)
- Line up the skin with and edge or cutout
- When happy with positioning gently place the skin on the surface (if not the skin can be lifted and re positioned)
- Apply pressure to the surface working any air out to the edges, wipe outwards from the center 1st and towards the edges
- Keep applying pressure until the skin to completely flat on the devices surface (complex shapes or curved devices like controllers may have wrinkles in the skin where it curves sharply so don't worry if you can not get it all flat at this stage)
- (skip this step if the skin if flat and you don't have any wrinkles) If the device is a complex shape you may have wrinkles near the edges that don't seem to stay down or wipe out, this is when heat is needed to warm the skin so it can flex more and conform to curves / corners. Using a hot air gun or hairdryer warm the skin up in in these areas, it does not need to be to hot just warm, as the skin warms up you will see the vinyl relax, once the skin is warmed up gently start working the wrinkles out. If the skin cools before you get the wrinkles out just warm it up again, depending on the complexity of the curve it may be better to do in stages (warm skin slowly working wrinkles closer to edges / warm again and work closer) till you have got all the wrinkles out. It's then good to warm the edges again where the wrinkles where removed and while warm still apply pressure and wipe over the skin till it cools as this will set the skin in place to the curve once cool.
- When the skin / skins are all fit its time to seal the edges. Using the cloth just wipe up and down the edge of the skin with a good amount of pressure, this just smooths and ensures the edges are fully stuck down.
- Well Done you Did it! Just a final note the adhesive is pressure sensitive if you missed applying pressure to an area it may seem to not stick just makes sure to apply pressure for a bit of time to fully activate the adhesive.
