Vinyl & application
What is squeegee?
A squeegee is the flat plastic applicator used to press vinyl onto a surface, driving out air and forcing the adhesive into full contact as the graphic goes down.
Every vinyl install lives or dies on squeegee pressure and stroke order — overlapping strokes from the centre out, hard enough to bond, angled so air has somewhere to go. The felt-edged version protects printed faces from scratching; the bare edge bites better on application tape.
Most 'bubbles appeared later' complaints are squeegee technique: light pressure leaves adhesive only tack-bonded, and trapped micro-air expands in the sun. On air-release films the channels only work if the squeegee actually drives the air to an edge.
Related terms
Software that speaks the trade
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