FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Here we answer the questions we are asked most often. Can't find yours? Write to us via the contact form.

Contents

Stickers

What does "contour-cut, without background" mean?

Our stickers are cut from single-colour vinyl along the outline of the design. There is no white or transparent background: only the letters and shapes themselves stick to the surface, the space between them stays free. The sticker looks as if it was painted on.

How does the sticker arrive?

The design sits on a backing paper and is covered on top with application tape (transfer paper). It holds all the separate parts in place so you can apply them in one piece. You peel it off after applying, see Applying stickers.

Which types of vinyl are there?

  • High-performance vinyl for long-term lettering and decoration, indoors and outdoors, e.g. on a car, a shop window or a letterbox.
  • Short-term promotional sticker for promotions and seasonal decoration, such as "Sale" in a shop window. It is easier to remove later.

Where can I apply the stickers?

On any smooth, clean and solid surface: glass, paint, metal, plastic, tiles or smoothly painted walls. Rough or textured surfaces such as woodchip wallpaper, plaster or untreated wood are difficult, as the vinyl won't stick across its whole area. Freshly painted walls should be fully dry first.

What size will I get?

For every sticker you choose the width. The height follows from the design's aspect ratio; the exact dimensions (width × height) are listed on the product page.

Do the colours look exactly like on screen?

Almost. Every screen displays colours a little differently, so the real vinyl may differ slightly from the picture. If a particular shade matters, feel free to ask us beforehand.

Can I stick a sticker on the inside of a window?

Our designs read correctly from the front, so they are meant for the outside. The inside of a window needs a mirrored version. With vinyl cutting you can mirror your lettering yourself; for designs from the catalogue, just drop us a line.

Vinyl cutting

What is vinyl cutting (vinyl plotting)?

In vinyl cutting (also called vinyl plotting), a cutting plotter uses a fine blade to cut the outlines of letters and shapes into coloured adhesive vinyl. We then remove the excess vinyl between the letters by hand ("weeding") and apply the application tape. Nothing is printed: the colour is the vinyl itself, which makes cut vinyl particularly weather-resistant and vivid.

How is it different from a printed sticker?

  • Cut vinyl is one colour per sticker. Gradients and photos are not possible.
  • There is no background, only the cut shapes.
  • Very thin lines and tiny text are hard to cut and apply. For text we recommend a line height of at least 2 cm.

How do I order my own lettering?

In the vinyl cutting configurator:

  1. Enter your text, over several lines if you like.
  2. Choose a font, bold or italic where the font offers it, and the alignment.
  3. Enter the width or the height. The other side follows from the lettering.
  4. Choose the vinyl type and colour. The preview shows the lettering on a light, dark or glass background.
  5. Mirror it if needed (for the inside of a window), choose the quantity and add it to the cart.

We cut exactly what you see in the preview, so please check spelling, size and colour before ordering.

How is the price calculated?

The price depends on the area of the lettering (width × height), the number of lines and, for long texts, the number of characters. Several pieces get a quantity discount. The configurator shows the final price including the discount while you design.

How large can lettering be?

Up to 3 m on one side, with at most one side longer than 1.20 m (the width of the vinyl). So lettering can be 3 m long and up to 1.20 m high.

Which fonts are available?

The configurator offers 16 fonts, from plain to playful. Two of them (Ramabhadra and Timmana) contain no German umlauts, no ß and no € sign. They are marked in the list, and the configurator tells you about missing characters.

Can I combine several colours?

Lettering is always one colour. For several colours, add one lettering per colour to the cart, for example a name in red and a tagline in black.

Can you cut my own logo or graphic?

The configurator is made for text. For logos, graphics or vector files, write to us via the contact form and we will be happy to send you a quote.

Applying stickers

What do I need?

A silicone-free cleaner (e.g. glass cleaner), a lint-free cloth, some adhesive tape and a squeegee. An old bank or loyalty card works instead of a squeegee. You will also find suitable tools in the shop under accessories.

Step by step

  1. Clean the surface thoroughly and let it dry. It must be free of dust, grease and silicone.
  2. Position the sticker with its backing paper and fix it at the top with two strips of tape.
  3. Make a "hinge" with tape on one side and fold the sticker away from the surface on it.
  4. Slowly peel off the backing paper. The vinyl stays on the application tape.
  5. Slowly fold the sticker back onto the surface and press it down with the squeegee, working from the hinge towards the edges.
  6. Peel off the application tape slowly at a flat angle. If a part stays on the tape, press it down again and try once more.

Dry or wet application?

Small stickers are easiest to apply dry. For large designs and on glass, wet application helps: spray the surface with water and a few drops of silicone-free washing-up liquid (to about 2 litres of water) so you can still move the sticker. Squeeze the water out with the squeegee from the hinge towards the edges and only peel off the application tape once everything has dried.

What should I watch out for?

  • At least about 10 °C when applying, no direct sunlight.
  • Work slowly and calmly; don't squeegee into vinyl that is already stuck.
  • Glass is a little trickier than other surfaces. Wet application pays off here.
  • Smooth out large designs delivered rolled up from the centre to the edges first.
  • You can cut very large designs into smaller pieces between the parts of the design and apply them one after the other, but don't cut into the design itself.
  • Store stickers you don't apply right away flat, not rolled up.

There are air bubbles. What can I do?

Prick small bubbles in the middle with a fine needle and carefully press the air out with your finger or the squeegee.

Can I take my car through a car wash straight away?

Please wait one week after applying so the adhesive can fully bond. Even after that, don't point a pressure washer directly at the edges of the lettering.

Removing stickers

How do I remove a sticker?

Peel it off slowly at a flat angle so the vinyl doesn't stretch. Short-term promotional stickers almost always come off in one piece this way. High-performance vinyl comes off more easily if you warm it slightly with a hair dryer first.

Careful with glass: don't heat it too much, or stress cracks may appear.

What about adhesive residue?

Residue can usually be removed with soapy water or an adhesive remover. On painted surfaces, test it on an inconspicuous spot first.

Orders, shipping and payment

How long does delivery take?

Every sticker and every lettering is made specially after you order. With DHL Versand it takes 3–8 working days after receipt of payment, with Briefversand 4–9 working days. This includes 2–5 working days for production.

How much is shipping?

DHL Versand with tracking costs €6.19, Briefversand (letter) without tracking €3.00. Orders with a goods value of €50 or more ship free of charge. We deliver to Germany.

When can I order by letter?

Briefversand (letter) is available only for stickers up to 30 cm wide and cut lettering up to 30 cm on its longest side, at most 5 pieces per order and only if there is no other item in the cart.

How can I pay?

With PayPal, credit card or by bank transfer (payment in advance). If you pay by bank transfer, we start on your order once the payment has been received. The connection to the shop is SSL-encrypted.

Can I return my order?

We make stickers and lettering specially for you according to your choice of size, colour and vinyl type. Such goods are excluded from the right of withdrawal. The details are under "Right of withdrawal" at the bottom of every page. If something arrived damaged or wrong, please contact us right away via the contact form, ideally with a photo. We will take care of it.

Can I combine several orders?

No, we cannot merge separate orders afterwards. It's best to put everything in one order, so shipping is only charged once.

Textiles

How do I care for printed textiles?

  • Wait 24 hours before the first wash and wear, 10 days for flock prints.
  • Turn the garment inside out so the print faces inwards.
  • Wash with mild detergent on a gentle cycle at no more than 30 °C.
  • No fabric softener or bleach, no tumble dryer.
  • Don't iron over the print, don't dry clean, don't soak, don't mangle, spin or wring.
  • Drawstring bags (gymsacs): clean with a sponge only, do not wash!

Wash embroidered textiles according to the garment's care label.

The full care instructions with all special cases are at b-schriftung.de/pflegeanleitung.

More questions and larger projects

My question isn't listed here.

Write to us via the contact form. We usually reply on the same working day.

Do you also do vehicle lettering, signs or shop windows?

Yes. klebefux is run by the sign company b-schriftung. There you can get vehicle lettering, signs and banners, shop window and glass decoration, sun-control film and textile finishing, with advice and installation on request.