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(February 2010) posted on Fri Feb 19, 2010

It does matter how you squeegee.

By Rob Ivers

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At a tradeshow workshop on vinyl installation, the instructor stated, “It doesn’t matter how you squeegee.” He provided no further explanation. More recently, a past student of mine commented that, of all the graphic-installation training courses he’d attended, I was the only instructor who taught people how to squeegee.
I’m still in shock over both comments. How can it not be one of the most important skills for a vinyl-graphics installer?

Let’s compare it to something we’re all familiar with: golf. I’m not a golfer, but casual observation indicates mastering the game is quite difficult. For a minute, ignore all the variables that make golf complex. When a player tees off, he has a club and the ball. Poor swings create slices and hooks, which lead to woods, lakes and sand traps. Don’t expect me to believe it doesn’t matter how golfers hit the ball.

The same concept applies to vinyl installation. Poor technique creates bubbles, wrinkles and “zippers.” And, essentially, it’s you, your squeegee and the vinyl. How you guide your squeegee matters. You need to work with purpose. What should that purpose be? Most people would say to make the vinyl stick. Obviously, that’s the intended result.

Others might answer: “To apply smooth, wrinkle-free, bubble-free vinyl.” Again, true. My answer: “To push out all of the air.” Regardless of the situation or 100 possible variables, make it your top priority to expel all of the air.

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Avoiding common errors

Proper squeegee technique helps you avoid common application errors – bubbles, wrinkles and zippers. Understanding root causes is critical to developing methods that prevent mistakes.

Bubbles are trapped air. The primary causes of bubbles are nicks in squeegee edges, pre-tack (vinyl adhesion caused by simple contact before it’s been squeegeed or even touched, which prevents all of the air from escaping), incorrect squeegee pressure, and improper squeegee technique (which pushes air towards previously squeegeed areas).

Wrinkles result when vinyl adheres to itself. They may occur when the vinyl has slack, or when pressing your squeegee too hard. Zippers comprise a series of parallel lines (wrinkles and/or “long” bubbles), appropriately named due to their resemblance to one side of a zipper. The most common reason for zippers is pushing air (and, sometimes, excess vinyl) against adhered areas.