Goodbye Vinyl, Hello Polyester!

No, this is not an article about cheap clothing. I am often asked about the materials used to create removable wall decals at Picture Perfect Decals. Most people who have bought wall decals and decór stickers have received decals made of vinyl, a thin plastic material with adhesive on the back side. Vinyl is the old-school traditional material for stickers of all kinds. Cutting vinyl is cheap and comes in a rainbow of colors, glitters and holographic finishes. There is also printable vinyl, which can be directly printed on and then die-cut in any shape or design. The problem with vinyl is that it is not very forgiving if you mess it up when installing your decals. Just imagine you find a beautiful design made with vinyl that you want to purchase to decorate your walls. You order and it arrives looking as cool as it did on the website. Now, time to install. You follow the directions carefully, remove the backing paper and…. SCREEEECH! 

Here comes the multitude of possible problems. 

Let’s start with your walls. Are they smooth? Most wall decal retailers will tell you that your surface has to be smooth. Can I ask you when was the last time you saw a perfectly smooth wall? Most walls in homes have some sort of texture sprayed on them. There are two reasons for requiring a smooth wall when working with vinyl. Usually vinyl is glossy. When it is applied to an imperfect surface, the glossy finish highlights every bump and divot in your wall. The other reason is that vinyl needs to be pressed down onto the surface to stick. If you have a very textured wall, all of the decal’s adhesive may not be able to touch the surface. This can lead to the wall decal falling down or lifting at the edges.

Did the sticky side fold upon itself and stick together? - RUINED! It is very hard to pull vinyl apart if it has stuck to itself on the sticky side.

Did you get it on the wall and then tear or stretch it when removing the transfer tape? - Maybe not ruined, but you will have to fix it. If it stretched too much you will not be able to fix it perfectly.

You got the transfer tape off and “OH NO!” There are bubbles! - This is actually fixable. Poke the bubbles with a pin and press the air out of the holes. But if you have a lot of bubbles, you may be poking and pressing for a while.

You put your child’s name on their bedroom wall and YIKES! It’s crooked! - RUINED! Vinyl decals are not removable or reusable. They stretch and tear when you pull them off the wall. The solution? Just tilt your head a little and pretend the lettering is straight. 

Let’s imagine you got the vinyl decal up, removed the transfer tape and everything looks perfect! But you live in a rental and you are moving. You have to get that decal off the wall before you move. You start to pull and OMG chunks of paint or (worse!) drywall are coming off with the vinyl! There is no turning back now. You have to complete the removal and then you will have to repair the wall if you want to get that security deposit back.

So what makes Picture Perfect Decals different? We do not make vinyl wall decals. We print our designs on a peel and stick fabric material that is made of 100% polyester. This material is the answer to almost every problem highlighted above. 

• Rough walls are ok. The adhesive fabric sticks to most non-porous surfaces regardless of texture. If it’s clean and dust-free, the decals should stick. And because our wall decals have a matte finish, bumps and dents do not show as much as with glossy vinyl.
• If it folds upon itself, no problem! You can gently pull it apart. The fabric does not stretch or tear. 
• Because our wall decals are made with a peel and stick material, there is no transfer tape to remove once it is on the wall. Simply peel your decal off the backing paper, press it to the wall, smooth it down with your hand or a clean rag and VIOLA! You are done.
• Bubbles are unlikely but if a ripple does happen you can easily lift the decal off the wall and smooth it back down with your hand. 
• Is the decal crooked, or did you just change your mind about where you want to put it? Simply lift it off the wall and reapply. As long as your wall is clean and dust free, Picture Perfect Decals can be removed and reapplied many times.
• Time to remove? Easy peasy! Not only can you remove the wall decal with no damage or residue left behind, you can also save them to reuse. Place the decals back onto the backing paper on which you received them or use a sheet of wax paper. Roll them up and store in a cool dry place until you are ready to reuse.
• And for a little extra oomph, I must let you know our fabric decal material is Class A fire rated, non-toxic, green, and phthalates free.

For indoor wall decals, Picture Perfect Decals uses a superior material that outshines vinyl in almost every way. That is not to say vinyl doesn’t have a purpose. Vinyl is especially useful for outdoor decals or any place where exposure to moisture may happen. Are you ready to add some life to your walls? Check out our designs to find your style. Have a custom idea in mind? Hit us up at contact@pictureperfectdecals.com

Remember….first ALWAYS wipe down your walls clean of dust. Then peel, press & impress!