Vinyl decals are a great way to liven up a drab space, and they are often more cost-efficient than wallpaper, which makes them a great choice when you are on a budget! One of my favorite things about vinyl decals is their versatility - you can use them for a wide variety of projects since they can be applied to most flat, smooth, clean surfaces. I often see them installed on furniture, glassware, vases, bike helmets, lunchboxes, doors - the list goes on and on!
So, what are they exactly?
For the most part, a sheet of vinyl decals will be comprised of 3 layers - the backing paper, the vinyl itself, and the transfer tape. To apply the decal to your surface, you remove the backing paper and use the transfer tape to apply the decal in the desired position. Then, once you smooth the decal onto the surface, you remove the transfer tape (a good way to visualize this process is by comparing it to one of those temporary tattoos you used as a kid, but instead of tattoo ink, it's just a sticker) - this is a brief overview of the intall process, I definitely recommend reading our full installation instructions or checking out our install videos prior to application! Some of our vinyl decals - usually smaller, more simple designs like dots, stars, etc. - are peel-and-stick, and they aren't installed via transfer tape like some of our larger and more complex designs.
The material we use, Oracal 631, is a high-quality vinyl material that is specifically made to adhere to most indoor wall types/textures without damaging the paint upon removal. This material has a smooth, matte finish, so it doesn't create any distracting reflections. Even our metallic colors (gold, copper, and silver) have a matte finish, and they subtly reflect the light without having the cheap, plastic-y appearance of gloss-finish vinyl.
The vinyl we use is thin, allowing it to conform to the shape of your wall texture, giving it the appearance of being painted on the wall. This is actually what makes vinyl wall decals my favorite choice when I'm decorating the walls in my house - from far away it actually does look hand painted, and up close the lines are clean and there are no white or clear borders of any kind.
What is the difference between vinyl decals and reusable fabric decals?
Our fabric decals are made from self-adhesive fabric material (not vinyl) - no transfer tape is necessary, you just peel them off the sheet and stick them to the wall! They are thicker than our vinyl material, so they don't have the same painted-on-the-wall effect, but they are a great choice if you are looking for something that you can reposition and reuse.
As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions! Thanks for stopping by!