Transom Decal Recommendations

[Four Suns]

I have my boat name "Four Suns" on the back of my boat that is a decal I ordered from Speedysigns.com. It actually looked very good until the end of the season this year and the top layer just started coming apart. I got the best product they had and just ordered a replacement decal from them and had it delivered. What is the best quality/success people have had with these? Don't really want to paint it on as the next owner may want to change the name.

 

[Alex D]

I got mine from Overton's. They're okay. When you put it on there are bubbles between the layers, but they vanish within two to three weeks everytime. Custom shop and can spend a lot of money on decals. Overton's workd for me. I alos put them on dry.

 

[sbw1]

Gary, I have had the exact same experience with my transom art. It lastest just three years. This has gone 10-12 years in the past and was tough to remove when I sold the boats. I wonder if there is some sort of change in glue or quality that causes the new stuff to fail so soon. SBW

 

[Four Suns]

That is what I got... 3 years....

 

[Alex D]

Also, if you have the right artist and shop have it painted on, the special pain they use can be removed with oven cleaner without harming the finish. Check around ....I have often seen this on vehicle peronalizations.

 

[Nehalennia II]

Go to a reputable Sign shop. Get the high qulaity Vinyl cut signs and clean then wet down the area with Windex or glass cleaner. This will allow you to shift the sign around until you get it postioned exactly where you want it. At first you may feel like it will never stick again but the cleaner will evaporate and set up exactly where you left it. We used this method with the NASCAR sponsor Signs, lettering and numbers we applied on a race car I pitted on.
Best of luck.

 

[sundeck240nj]

As a boat owner with a vinyl cutter, I would recommend against using Windex to float the vinyl. It is generally agreed that the ammonia will prematurely break down the adhesive over time. If you want to do a wet installation, use two drops of Dawn in a spray bottle of water. Better yet, buy a small bottle of RapidTac.

I hope this helps!

 

[mrtopknight]

My father owns a trucking company and he decals all the trucks and trailer doors. He gets the premium quality vinyl letters made at a local sign shop, and they have lasted up to 8 years.

 

[Chris989]

I used a company called Prism Graphics mostly because they're local, but the quality turned out to be outstanding. They also did the install but it looks like they ship anywhere. The lettering on "Reflection" has held up superbly over the last two years, and she'd kept outside and in the water all year long.

www.prismvinyl.com

 

[fwebster]

Here is a different slant..........

If you want something classy and different that looks like it is a hand lettered custom job, have a good sign shop that can do gold leaf make up a name for you. Use the best black vinyl you can buy, cut the letters then apply the gold leaf to the black leaving a border. Finally, cut the same letters out of the very best clear vinyl you can fine but about 1/16" larger and apply it over the gold leaf. Then apply the result to the transom.

The end result will be different and distinctive, requires no more manitenance than plain vinyl and will last 5+ years. It is also removable when you trade if you retain your name in the deal. The photos below don't do the gold leaf justice, but there is nothing that stands out more or is any more distinctive on the back of a boat.

 

[Nehalennia II]

As a boat owner with a vinyl cutter, I would recommend against using Windex to float the vinyl. It is generally agreed that the ammonia will prematurely break down the adhesive over time. If you want to do a wet installation, use two drops of Dawn in a spray bottle of water. Better yet, buy a small bottle of RapidTac.

I hope this helps!

Hey Sundeck240NJ, although I can understand that opinion because it was our first reaction to the ammonia, it is not the case. By the time the Ammonia evaporates(less than an hour) it does not have enough time to damage the adhesive (especially the newer adhesives). I do agree with you the the mild dishwashing soaps are less agressive but either way it won't be more of a detrimental affect to the adhesive before the UV has it's way with the exposed side.

 

[jrcinnh]

..... The photos below don't do the gold leaf justice, but there is nothing that stands out more or is any more distinctive on the back of a boat.

Nothing looks quite as good as real gold leaf :thumbsup:

 

[sundeck240nj]

Hey Sundeck240NJ, although I can understand that opinion because it was our first reaction to the ammonia, it is not the case. By the time the Ammonia evaporates(less than an hour) it does not have enough time to damage the adhesive (especially the newer adhesives). I do agree with you the the mild dishwashing soaps are less agressive but either way it won't be more of a detrimental affect to the adhesive before the UV has it's way with the exposed side.

I would completely agree with you, but it seems that most of the vinyl "old-timers" agree on this one. I haven't had the vinyl cutter long enough to call myself a guru, so I've got to rely on the experts. :smt001

www.signs101.com is a good resource is you ever have questions about vinyl installation.

As for the UV... you're 100% right. it's probably worth repeating another post in this thread - always buy the best grade of vinyl! The cheaper intermediate vinyl will start shrinking in the sun within a year.

 

[Quint4]

I put my boat name on the transom back in April...it was three words ( "One More Toy" ) with a shadow and the words arched...it is 8yr vinyl and went on easy...the local vinyl shop pre-arranged the lettering on a peel away paper...no need to float it.... I guess I'll see how it holds up over time...Dave.

 

[LMBoat]

I got my my first boat name kit done via BoatUS catalog. I think it was about $50 bucks. It lasted 11 years until I sold the boat and still looked great. On the current boat, I got the name from West. It was about $60 bucks and was perfect. After 4 years in the south FL son, it still looks brand new.

 

[Stray Cat]

I preusme there are different mil thicknesses that one can choose.
A buddy of mine uses a 3M product that has worked well over 6 years on our previous boat. It left no ghost shadow when we removed it with a little effort and a heat gun.

Our name on the new boat looks like this...

 

[slack250]

You have to be careful which vinyl you choose and the price varies greatly. You know how the saying goes: "You get what you pay for". Normally the THINNER the vinyl is the better it is. Also, there are several types of vinyl, calendared and cast. If memory serves me correctly, you do not want calendared vinyl. It won't hold up outdoors in a marine environment. It's mainly used for short term outdoor use, but mainly for indoor use. For boats, make sure you get at least a cast vinyl, rated for at least 6-7 years. Neon colors don't hold up to UV either and will fade and crack very quickly, probably within 1 season. Manufactures of vinyl include, EnduroGloss, Neschen, 3M, Oracal, Avery. They also make products to apply over vinyl to help with UV but that is usually taken care of when you have proper boat maintenance and was is applied!

Good luck!

 

[Alex D]

These are my $50 Overton's decals ... applied "dry"and not a single bubble.

 

[First Born]

Went to A-1 Signs located in Charlotte to have First Born and Registration numbers placed on the boat. Total cost 86.50 with installation. The owner is also the service manager at my dealer so he worked them up to match the boat perfectly.

Wesley

 

[searay40dad]

A fellow Sea Ray boater of ours owns a commercial signage company in St. Louis and does a great job designing boat names & transom graphics on the side.

He has done a couple of variations of the sea ray "sunset" image in gold leaf. On a friends 480DB, he did the name 'Sea Esta' in gold leaf on black then placed the sunset over the top & right of the 'Esta' part. It is one of a kind and very, very sharp. Sea Esta had several smaller prints made that he's slapped on dock boxes, coolers, dog, etc.

I asked him to do something unique design-wise for me and he took the 'SR' wave logo thingy and repeated it 20 times or so across the bottom of my lazzerette directly underneath my goldleaf 'Kayachtic' name. has a wavy look from a distance but you see the SR when you get up close. Have had many SR owners comment on it. it is unique and came out great.

On our 400EC, I had 'Kayachtic' gold/black vinyl matched to the gold/black factory vinyl and also put our 4 family member names on the transom door in matching colors.