Glossary

Adhesive

Adhesive is a substance which allows something to stick to something else. On a normal sticker this is on the back of the sticker. On a reversed sticker, the adhesive is on the same side of the print. Adhesive on normal stickers can stick to most solid and flat objects such as windows, car bodies, metal surfaces and so on. Plastics and concrete require stickers with a special adhesive tailored to that surface. Mediapoint does not carry a sticker with an adhesive able to be stuck to raw wood.

Adhesives can be removable or permanent. Stickers with a permanent adhesive mean they are harder to remove. Our stickers with a removable adhesive mean that the adhesive cleanly comes off if removed within 12 months of installation.

To remove any stickers, peel an edge and at an angle peel the sticker. If it is coming off in pieces or if glue is being left behind use some heat from a hair dryer, heat gun or on a warm day. If the adhesive stays behind you can use citrus cleaner to remove it. With a Citrus cleaner, spray the adhesive and let it settle for 30-60 seconds. Then with your nail or a plastic blade scrape the adhesive off. Be careful not to scratch the surface.

Adhesives come in different life spans. A normal monomeric sticker has an adhesive which lasts for three years. Where a polymeric film has an adhesive which last for five years. A cast film has an adhesive which will last for seven years. Each of these adhesives are used for different purposes. For example sunlight and heat can cause a monomeric film and its adhesive to shrink where a polymeric film would shrink a lot less over time and a cast adhesive should not shrink at all if installed correctly.

Contact Mediapoint if you require a special type of adhesive for your next sticker job.