1: Ensure that the surface onto which you intend to apply the transfer is clean and grease- and dust-free. THE SURFACE SHOULD BE OF GLOSS OR SEMI-GLOSS FINISH. The more matt the finish, the less likely it is that successful adhesion will take place as air will be trapped beneath the transfer. Any carrier film will be virtually invisible when applied to a gloss surface.
2: Cut the transfer from the sheet, allowing a margin around the image. Do not cut into the printed image unless you are deliberately reducing the area of transfer to be applied, eg: cutting lining down to size either depth-ways or lengthways. Do not attempt to apply more than 3 or 4 inches of lining transfer in one operation - you will only make things more difficult for yourself.
3: Immerse the transfer in a saucer or trough of warm water for a few seconds. The container of water should preferably be large enough to accommodate the full, flat transfer. The transfer will initially curl up and then partially flatten out. Test whether the transfer has become detached from the backing sheet by gentle pressure with a finger. The larger the transfer, the longer it will take to separate from the backing paper. This also applies to the temperature of the water, but transfers should never be immersed in hot or boiling water. Sometimes it may be appropriate to add a drop or two of washing up liquid to aid separation.
4: When separation has occurred, remove the transfer and the backing paper as one item, position in the required location retaining the image in position with light pressure whilst sliding out the backing paper and disposing. Remove large excess amounts of water as the surface tension of the bubble will hinder successful application.
5: Make final adjustments to the position, at the same time dabbing off further excess water with an absorbent cloth or blotting paper. Ensure there are no air or water-bubbles trapped between transfer and location surface by gentle outward stroking of cloth or blotter to edges of transfer.
REMEMBER:
Ensure that the transfer is properly soaked before you attempt to remove it from the backing paper. A simple test is to check that there is no 'drag' on the paper, and that the transfer slides off smoothly.
Where, for instance, a long line of otherwise unsupported lettering is involved, slide the transfer off the backing paper in such a way that it travels the minimum distance, ie. not lengthways. This will lessen the stress on the carrier film and ink and reduce the likelihood of the transfer breaking up.
The less handling and adjustment your transfer receives to position correctly, the better the adhesion is likely to be, and the less likely it is that damage will occur.
6: Allow to dry completely, preferably for several hours, eg: overnight. When all transfers have been applied and allowed to dry, a protective coat, or coats, of a suitable varnish in gloss, satin or matt finish may be applied over the transfer. This should be carried out particularly in circumstances where the transfer or transfers is positioned on an exterior surface, and DEFINITELY where the transfer is likely to come into contact with chemicals of any description, for example a carriage washing unit, where the cleaning agents employed have an extremely deleterious effect on all transfers, paint and other surfaces.