Tutorials

How to Use Transfer Tape

After cutting and weeding vinyl, you'll then need to know how to use transfer tape to transfer your vinyl design to its intended surface. In this tutorial, we'll show you some tips and tricks of how to use transfer tape.

Transfer tape is the sticky tape that is used to apply adhesive vinyl decals to their intended surfaces. It is used after the vinyl decal has been cut and weeded.

We used an Easter spring design for this door sign. Find the design we used on this round wood sign in the Round Signs Bundle 2.0.

Here's a roll of clear transfer tape. Start by pulling off a piece large enough to cover your vinyl decal. Then, use a pair of scissors to trim it directly off the roll.

Place the vinyl decal down on your work surface.

Stick one edge of the transfer tape along the edge of the decal, hanging off by an inch or so and sticking to the work surface underneath.

This edge keeps the vinyl decal from moving around and allows you to keep the transfer tape taut.

Use a plastic squeegee to press it simultaneously down and across the transfer tape onto the vinyl.

Run the plastic squeegee over the transfer tape, to get the transfer tape to stick to the vinyl.

Flip the vinyl decal over to the back side and burnish again.

Hold the transfer tape down as you roll the vinyl backing off. The transfer tape will hold the vinyl as you peel the backing off of it. Focus more on rolling the backing away from the vinyl than just lifting straight up and it will remove much easier.

Once the vinyl backing is entirely removed, you're then ready to apply the vinyl decal to the surface.

The hinge method is one of the best ways to apply a vinyl decal. Check out this tutorial on how to apply adhesive vinyl using the hinge method for help.

Remove the transfer tape from over the vinyl by grabbing one edge and rolling the transfer tape back onto itself, similar to how you removed the vinyl backing from the back of the vinyl.