Opaque Vehicle Decals

There are several different shape options to choose from for your opaque vehicle decals, including Square/Rectangle, Rounded Corners (¼" or 1" radius), Circle/Oval, Custom or Custom with Border.

The Custom shape option (previously known, or sometimes referred to, as Contour Cut) allows you to either upload a custom shape to our design tool or have us create a custom shape for your sign based off your design.

The Custom with Border shape option (previously known, or sometimes referred to, as Halo Cut) is similar to the Custom shape option but will leave a small border around the edge of your design.

Individual letters are a separate product called vinyl lettering. If you are interested in vinyl lettering for your car or vehicle, please visit our car and truck lettering page for further details.

The smallest your decal can be is 3” x 3”. The largest it can be is 52” x 600”. As long as one of your dimensions is under 52”, we should be able to print any decal you can possibly imagine, design, need or want! Keep in mind that even though size shouldn’t be an issue, the placement is critical for the decal to last a long time. A larger decal that lies over top of cracks or raised portions of a car, truck, van, etc. can cause the decal to come off the vehicle during use due to the wind that gets underneath the decal

We print all our signs in full color. The design or number of colors you choose to include on your sign will have zero impact on the cost of your decal. We even offer free design services to help you design exactly what you want. Factors that will impact the price include if you decide to cut it to shape, the size you decide on, the quantity of signs you purchase and potential taxes and/or shipping costs.

The use of an opaque decal shouldn’t ruin nor damage your vehicle in any way. Whether you decide to use it on a window or on the side of a vehicle they should not adversely affect the window or paint job. Even removing the decals shouldn’t cause any damage. If the body, window, or paint of the vehicle is already damaged prior to installation, then the decal may cause further damage when removed as the adhesive may pull away paint or body fragments that are weakened due to prior damage. A decal that is in place for an extended period may cause the paint underneath the decal to be more vibrant than the rest of the vehicle due to fading over time. Likewise, user error when removing or installing a decal can cause damage to the vehicle. Just be careful when using any kind of sharp-edged instrument to aid in installation or removal!

As mentioned above, opaque car decals can be problematic for window use on vehicles. This is because they are opaque in nature and can obstruct the vision of a driver.

Thus, when used on vehicle windows they are often smaller in nature and placed in a way as to not impede the visibility of the driver. Some examples include registration or vehicle numbers, as well as contact numbers. More common uses are for the sides of vehicles. This can be on normal cars that are advertising their own business (realtors, home based businesses, catering, tradesmen, etc.) or for fleet vehicles. Fleet vehicles such as delivery trucks and vans almost always have a branded element on the side of them.

Because transparency isn’t needed, an opaque decal is often used to give the branded component more contrast and make it easier to read and be seen from a distance.

Reverse printing is not recommended with this type of decal since the material can obstruct the driver’s view or hinder their visibility.

If you do wish to use an inside glass decal, be sure to only apply the decal on a portion of the glass that is flat and not curved in any way. Note that inside glass opaque vehicle decals will not be visible from the outside when the glass or window is tinted.

Yes. Your decal, regardless of the size, will come with a backing to protect the adhesive part of the sign. To install your sign, you will need to remove the backing to expose the adhesive part.

To remove the backing it is easiest to use a corner to peel it away. Due to the thinness of the backing sometimes this proves difficult. In these cases, a piece of scotch tape can be attached partway on the corner of the sign and used as a tab to help pull away the backing.

Opaque vehicle decals are designed to adhere well to any smooth, non-porous surface. As mentioned in the Usage section above, these will adhere to vehicle windows, however we advise against it. The best use for these decals is on the body of vehicles.

Use caution when applying opaque vehicle decals to any area of a vehicle where the paint or body is damaged, raised, bubbled, or uneven with the rest of the body of the vehicle. If the decal is applied over a painted area that is covering Bondo or other body filler, or fiberglass, then there is a higher probability that removing the decal will also remove the paint. If applied over an area on the vehicle that has been damaged, or where the paint or body is bubbled-the adhesive may not perform as intended resulting in poor adhesion.

Before installation, be sure to clean the surface where the decal will be placed. This can be done with water and a non-abrasive rag or cloth. Once it is air dried you are ready to install your decal.

The next step is to peel away the backing on your decal as outlined above. Once removed you can lightly press your decal onto the spot where you’d like it to be positioned. It is best to start from one edge and work towards the opposite edge. Pressing it on lightly and using a squeegee or other sharp edge will allow you to remove air bubbles as you go. If you are unable to remove them then you should be able to peel it away from the surface before the adhesive full sets in. Once it is in place you can more firmly apply the decal. Doing so will release additional adhesive and allow the decal to adhere more permanently

You can easily install smaller decals without assistance. For larger decals (larger than 18”-24”), having a second person will make installation significantly easier. A second person can help avoid having the decal stick to itself or the surface prematurely. It also makes it easier to remove air bubbles and gently peel it away from the surface to reapply as necessary.