Using your helmets contours as a guide.

All of our decal kits come with detailed instructions. This page contains basic techniques that can be used with most of our sets as well as a few tips and photo's. For specific decals please see our list of downloadable PDF's above.

Doing a little preparation will make the application process smoother and help insure your helmet comes out looking great. 

You will need:

Sharp scissors.

Scotch tape.

A sharpened pencil. (optional)

Glass cleaner.

Lint free cloth or similar for cleaning your helmet.

Prepare your decal

With your sharp scissors cut the decal sections apart. Any section of vinyl over 2.5" in diameter regardless of shape will produce creases when applied to a curved surface. This is not true of all vinyl so if you are applying decals made from something other than 3M industrial grade reflective vinyl you may have more or less wiggle room. The masking can crease to absorb some of this but the vinyl will buckle. Removing excess material minimizes bunching.  

Decal composition.

These decals are made of three parts. A Backing, which is what the vinyl is suspended upon, 

the vinyl itself, and masking. Masking is just what it sounds like, masking tape but a bit thinner. 

Masking is the delivery system for the vinyl. It also protects the reflective cells within the vinyl during cutting and application. 

Each set is actually two sets, one for the left and right side of your helmet. Getting these pieces mixed up during application can be a pain. We suggest labeling them L and R on the back of each piece.

Do not press hard when applying a decal, the adhesive is pressure activated. Activating it now will make repositioning the vinyl nearly impossible without stretching and damaging it's reflective properties. 

We do not suggest lifting and repositioning the decals. If you think this is something you may need to do spray Windex on the surface first for a wet application. This will allow you to slide the decal around a bit. You must squeegee the moisture and air from beneath the decal before removing the masking if you decide on a wet application. Failing to do this thoroughly will result in bubbles later and possibly an orange peel texture. This technique is not ideal as it takes a bit of skill, but it does work and is used regularly by sign makers. 

As you can see in this photo the widest section of vinyl creased immediately. This is because the tail end curved around the helmet and stuck there. We suggest working from the center of the largest section, out. Or in this case from left to right because the tail section reduces in size. To fix this I lifted the tail section away from the helmet and worked the crease out with my fingers, working my way from left to right. 

Now is the time to work out any bubbles or creases and activate the adhesive. Starting from the center rub and push outward all the way to the edge of the vinyl. If air is trapped it will be forced out. If there is a small crease the vinyl will flatten and fill that void. The vinyl does have similar properties to rubber. When warmed it can conform, the friction from your fingers is enough.  

Had I not lifted the tail section but tried to force the vinyl flat the lifted section in the photo would have become a problem. At that point I could carefully cut the vinyl so it could overlap and lay flat or remove a wedge and hope the edges come together to form a tight seam. Neither is ideal.

Your decal should almost look painted on. You don't want to see any gaps or lifting.

If everything looks good move onto the next piece. 

As your putting the pieces on and the design is coming together step back often and look at the helmet as a whole. Many times we have gotten so absorbed in getting pieces applied uniformly that we didn't realize we were using the wrong piece, or it was upside down or intended for the other side of the helmet. Labelling the pieces can also help avoid any mix ups.