Best method for applying stickers

[Brickus]

Hello, I was just wondering what methods you use for applying stickers and what would be the best.

For example, using a craft knife over fingers.

[Robert8]

Yeah I'll be checking this thread because I need some tips

A got the Museum Break-in set recently and I messed up one of the stickers

[JopieK]

Soapy water (dish washing soap) often works very well to reposition stickers. It will not deteriorate the glue if you don't use too much and too aggressive soap. After a while the soap and water evaporate and the stickers will not be respositionable anymore.

[Cobb]

My son recently got the Nexo Knight thunderdome rolling castle (fortrex) for his birthday. I found out that the best way to apply the bigger and longer stickers (by hand) is by starting in the middle (at one side of a part). Lay the part next to another part to see where the middle is and apply.

[Junior Shark]

Don't.

But in all seriousness, when I apply stickers, I find it best to steady my hands and the piece, then slowly apply the sticker from one side to the other, being sure to press out all the air bubbles. It really is an acquired skill. I just found some Exo-Force sets that 9 year old me stickered, and man those stickers were wonkily applied! (In my defense, Exo-Force sets had stickers up the yin-yang!)

I think it could be helpful if you purchased a cheapish set you don't care about (or won't keep the stickers on), with plenty of stickers, and practiced by applying those.

Edited March 1, 2016 by Junior Shark

[Boettner Builds]

So no one is worried about the oils from your fingers? Or any residue from the factory on the part before you put the sticker on? These are a couple of reasons I don't apply stickers. If the surface isn't prepped then the sticker won't adhere as well as it could, which I worry about on the more expensive sets or where you can't get a replacement sticker sheet...

[naf]

For the clear stickers, I fill a bowl with water and put a few drops of dish soap in it. I remove the sticker with a craft knife, and dunk both the sticker and the part into the water, and apply to the part. While wet, you can move the sticker around to position it perfectly. As an added bonus, this method will make stickers applied to trans clear parts crystal clear.

For opaque stickers, I clean the part with some rubbing alcohol, and then apply the sticker dry with a craft knife. Just takes a steady hand and some practice. I usually line up one edge, and then lay it down on the part to see how it's positioned. If it's to my liking, I press it down. I'm not sure if the water method will work with opaque stickers, it seems like it may damage the paper they're printed on?

[Gaofar]

I've found it's easier to use a grapefruit knife than a craft knife. I never seem to get proper placement on the first try with the craft knife. I always get an errant corner catching and sticking. The grapefruit knife has a curved tip like a ski. All I have to do is peel back a corner of the backing, slide the tip under the edge, put a finger on the sticker to hold it to the knife and peel it off the backing. That way I only have one edge that is near the target brick while aligning it. Then I rock the knife until the whole sticker is in place. If there is an adjustment needed the knife is still under the sticker and can be peeled off without any damage.

[hadidi1999]

Oh Wow, There are some expert sticker applicators over here, And I thought I was good, I just eyeball it and then regret it every time.

[GunwitchUK]

Tweezers, a modellers magnifying glass, xcto knife, alcohol wipes for the parts and slowly and gently lay the sticker on the part by one edge to get the position right. When using the water and washing up liquid, grab some cotton buds to draw the water away once the sticker is applied.

Edited March 2, 2016 by GunwitchUK

[VintageLegoEra]

I use Tweezers, perfect tool fo me

[BeO]

Not an expert but applied a few stickers through the years :)

I use the sharp end of a brick separator when I handle the stickers. No oil from my fingers, and it gives me more precision when applying the sticker. Make sure you wipe off fingerprints and dust from the brick. Try not to touch the surface at all where the sticker is supposed to go.

And usually I put the brick on a larger, easier to handle brick to keep it steady.

Good light is also important so shadows don't trick you into putting the sticker misaligned. I have a few badly aligned stickers as proof of that :)

[Supa Necta]

Windex (or equivalent) does wonders. We have a natural glass cleaner at our home and I mist the brick from 2 feet away so only a few drops hit. Then apply the sticker and it glides around so you can place it perfectly and remove bubbles. The cleaner then evaporates and does not change the glue.

[goody82]

awesome tips.

The set that makes me dread sticks is the beloved Maersk train. I bought my first one early into my AFOL lego addiction, stickers are okay. I bought one used off eBay, big regrets, would have been worth the money to apply them myself, that set came to me beat up.

I have a 3rd Maersk, still in sealed box, and I want to put the stickers on like a champ. I love this train

[Orange Leader]

Yesterday I did some tests on applying stickers with water and a bit of dishwashing soap on a extra sticker sheet of Mines of Moria. It's very satisfying to have constant control on your sticker, but once dried I get more mist underneath the sticker than without this method. What am I doing wrong? I'm going to build the Fortrex soon and I'd like to know what method is best for transparant stickers?

[1974]

Try googling "applying stickers to RC cars" .. there's a few youtube videos

[whitswj]

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Edited December 3, 2021 by whitswj

[Swan Dutchman]

I am not an expert on applying stickers... in fact I try not to use stickers at all unless the piece it's applied to is still very useable in MOCs.

I do have some advice on storing stickered parts however: do not store them between all your non-stickered parts! If you do that, you are sure to get them damaged over time while rummaging through your lego. Instead, keep the stickered parts in sealed bags or something to prevent damage.

If you have parts that are curled up (caused by dirt) you can mostly restore them by doing this: carefully peel of the sticker from the part and clean the part it was applied to. Scrape of the dirt from the sticker using a knife, this is pretty easy to do. Carefully apply the sticker again to the cleaned part (make sure the part is dry). Usually the sticker has still got a lot of sticking power so you won't need glue or anything. This is how I restore stickered parts I find in second-hand lego.

[fatum]

I use a combination of soapy water on the part and the sticker on a craft knife. Once positioned I take my credit card and remove air bubbles with it. Let it dry and presto, a perfectly applied sticker.