How to properly stick the film on your smartphone
How to glue a security tape without bubbles
Why the salons stick a protective film on your phone or tablet evenly (but for a fee), but at home nothing works, no matter how hard you try? Because you’re doing it all wrong!
It is impossible to avoid bumps when placing the film on the screen of the device, if there is a lot of dust in the room. If you are not prepared, the micro debris will stick to the surface of the protective coating and form unmanageable bubbles. So before you start decorating your phone or tablet, you need to consider the following:
- Living rooms are full of furniture, textiles and other dust collectors, all of which are not suitable for us. The best place for a sticker. the kitchen or bathroom. True, you’ll have to get all the towels, tablecloths and rugs out of there.
- In dry air, light dust particles float all over the place. Which means you need to work with a spray gun. The dust will get wet, get heavy and sink to the floor.
- Wipe down all horizontal surfaces with a damp cloth and wash the floor. Done, the room is dust-free.
Common mistakes
In order for the material to lie flat, and the result to be really qualitative, one should avoid the mistakes of novice craftsmen:
- do not apply the film on a dirty substrate;
- When slicing, don’t forget to keep a small margin;
- think about the overlap of the pattern on the film right away;
- Cut the material carefully without leaving jagged edges;
- Get rid of air bubbles, do not leave their removal for later;
- don’t forget about drying the film after attaching it because it has the ability to absorb moisture.
In some cases, it is necessary to sprinkle a little self-sticker with talc, which will reduce the rate of adhesion. Usually it is advised to do so if the pasted surface is large in size.
Buy a protective film for your mobile device
Naturally, before you begin to stick a protective film on the phone screen, you need to buy it. You should buy the film according to the model of your mobile device, the size of its display and the properties you want. Read more about this in the article: “How to choose a protective film for your smartphone”.
It is important to properly prepare the place where the entire work process will be carried out. It must not be covered in dust, dirt, etc.ะด. It is also desirable to choose a room where there is the least amount of dust or there is a good ventilation system. On the table there should be two microfibers (you can replace it with a soft lint-free cloth), a special scraper (you can replace it with a plastic card) and a cleaning agent (not necessary). As a rule, everything you need is included in the set with the protective film (except the cleaning agent).
How to properly glue the protective film
The sticker process itself does not contain any complicated operations, but to get a result that will please your eyes for a long time, you must consistently follow all the recommendations.
Choosing a room for work
The main problem with self-screening is dust, which gets under the film coating, creating bubbles and “bumps” on the surface of the protected screen. Therefore, before you start sticking a protective film, you need to choose a room with a minimum amount of dust. For this purpose the kitchen or bathroom will suit best, but beforehand it is desirable to take out textile towels and other elements of a decor collecting dust, and also to wipe with a damp napkin horizontal surfaces and to wash a floor. It is also helpful to moisten the air with a sprayer. This will reduce the dust, and the air will be as clean as possible. Now that the room is prepared, you can proceed directly to the sticker protective film on the phone screen.
Preparing the necessary tools
To stick the protective film designed specifically for your model of device, it will be enough to prepare the following tools and materials:
- antistatic, display wipe liquid or alcohol;
- A thick plastic card (you can use a regular bank credit card);
- a microfiber cloth (usually supplied with the film);
- Scotch tape or packing tape.
- protractor and a ruler that is not made of wood, 15-25 cm long
- A razor blade, thin office knife or scalpel;
- A mat, which protects the table surface where the “cutting” the film from damage will be done;
- Fine marker pen or marker pen for marking the film.
It will also be worthwhile before most gluing a protective film on the phone display carefully wash your hands with soap and water, thus removing all traces of dust.
How to glue a universal protective film on your smartphone
If you purchased a universal model of protective film, before sticking it on the display it must be given the size of the smartphone screen, taking into account its contouring features. To do so, it is necessary:
- Measure the screen with a ruler and draw its contours on the film with a fine marker. To simplify this step, you can take a photocopy of the phone, which will show the actual size of the device display. Also when attaching the film to a brand new phone you can use the original film as a template.
- Put the film on the mat and using a knife (scalpel or blade) make cuts in the contours marked in the marker. When cutting out the film, allow 1 mm of distance from the edge of the screen for an even placing of the protective cover on the phone. It is easiest to cut out shaped elements using a protractor;
- Make holes for buttons and speaker.
Degrease the surface of the screen
Screen must be dusted and degreased to ensure a protective film adheres firmly to the display surface. Use antistatic, a special liquid for cleaning screens or ordinary alcohol. After that, using a microfiber cloth, remove small dust particles. Now the screen is ready for sticking the film and should not be touched with your fingers or even items of clothing.
The process
The protective film has three separate layers. In doing so, remove the first layer when connecting the accessory to the surface of the display, the second. At the end of the procedure to open the final coating. The middle layer is actually a protective coating which remains on the phone. The top and bottom layers are usually marked with the numbers 1 and 2.
- Orient the film with the side marked “1” downwards and line up its outlines with the screen of the device;
- Carefully separate the first layer from the film by holding it at the edges;
- Carefully glue the film to the screen surface starting from one edge and help to arrange the film evenly with a plastic card. At the same time it is necessary to monitor the absence of warping. It is better to separate and pull the film with tweezers;
- After placing the entire film on the display, “pop” the resulting air bubbles with the card in the direction from the center to the edges;
- If you notice dust particles under the film, use scotch tape to remove them. In this case two strips are cut off. One serves to partially peel the protective film from the surface of the display, and the other to remove the dust. After that the film is laid on the screen and carefully smoothed out with a plastic card;
- After a satisfactory result remove the second, outer layer of the protective film.
How to properly stick a protective film on your smartphone
If you’ve ever wondered how to properly stick a protective film on your smartphone screen without annoying bubbles or dust particles, then read on. The process does not require any special tools and skills and all you need is. Attention and neatness.
The first thing you need to do before sticking a protective film on your smartphone screen. Is to minimize the amount of dust in the room. To do this, choose the cleanest room without drafts, such as a bathroom. You can also try additional methods. for example turn on a hot shower, the hot steam from which will clean most of the dust in the air.
The next thing you need to do. is to make sure your hands are clean, so wash them with soap and water.
Finally, you need to make sure that the screen of your smartphone is clean and free from dust. Take a microfiber cloth and thoroughly clean the screen of your smartphone. The use of alcohol and other cleaning liquids are not always approved by experienced users because of the risk of damaging the screen of the device.
Some users also advise to use ordinary scotch tape to remove dust.It is also a good idea to make sure that there are no smudges or fingerprints on the screen, otherwise they will remain under the film.
Once you have done all the above, it’s time to gather your materials and start working. You will need: Your smartphone or other mobile device, a screen protector and a bank card. Let’s begin:
Take the screen protector and place it on the display without removing the protective film. you need to try it on the screen of your device first and know what the ideal position of the film is.
Place the end of the protective film at the bottom of the display, aligning the edges. The sticky side should be placed facing the screen of your smartphone or tablet, and the smooth side should be facing you.
Start removing the protective layer of the film by slowly pulling the edge away from you. When the sticky part opens you need to stick the film on the phone display. For the film to stick neatly, you have to slowly remove the film by immediately gluing the exposed part to the display, in other words you remove the protective layer with one hand and immediately smooth out the film with the other hand. That way the dust does not adhere to the film.
If you do everything correctly, the film should stick on the screen evenly. If there are a few bubbles on the screen, don’t panic. Use a pre-prepared bank card to get them out from under the film.
If something goes wrong, like there are too many bubbles, too much dust on the screen or the film is not sticking properly, then you have to try again. Protective film is often sold in sets of two or three, so do not be afraid to start from scratch.
Don’t worry too much if there are a few tiny bubbles left after everything. if you leave your smartphone overnight they will disappear and you will have a flat and shiny screen. You will only have to enjoy your protected smartphone.
) Prepare your workspace
The film should be applied in a clean, lit and dust-free room. If dust or debris gets under the film, it will cause air bubbles. To remove such a bubble, you can only redo the entire process of sticking.
The most suitable for the procedure is a desk. Some advise to use the bathroom, pre-puffed in it and wait until it settles (due to this wet steam will nail the dust). This is an easy way to stick the film in a dusty room.
So you have chosen and bought a protective film.
Now let’s get ready for pasting. It’s best to stick the film on a flat, hard surface. Clean dust off the surface beforehand. To prevent greasy fingerprints from being left on the inside of the film, wash your hands with soap and water before applying the film. Also you will need a card from a heavy cardboard or soft plastic for squeezing out the air bubbles after attaching the film.
If you already have a film on the screen, carefully remove it. Do not use a sharp object to remove the film as you will scratch the screen. Take two pieces of tape, stick them on the top and bottom edges of the film, and gently pull the film upwards.
Now you need to clean the screen of your smartphone from dust and adhesive residue from the previous film. For cleaning it is best to use a special antistatic spray and a microfiber cloth. A wipe usually comes with a quality film. If you do not have the opportunity to use a spray, alcohol wipe will do. Some film manufacturers include both a microfiber and an alcohol wipe in the kit.
Do not use alcohol, medical alcohol, or abrasive liquids to clean the screen!
Spray a small amount of the film onto the screen of the smart phone. Do not worry about getting the spray in the cracks of the chassis. the spray will not harm the microchips since it is dielectric (does not conduct electricity).
Use a microfiber cloth to gently wipe the screen until it shines. Try to remove all visible traces of dirt and any small particles of dust.
After cleaning the screen take the film and remove the bottom layer covering the adhesive surface of the film. Gently holding the film over the smartphone, align it according to all the notches and buttons on the screen. Slowly lower the film onto the screen and let it line up.
If you let the film down a little, that’s okay. Just gently lift the film and try again.
Now you need to smooth the film on the screen while squeezing out the remaining air bubbles. Take the card and smooth the film from the center to the edges. Do not apply too much pressure. you could scratch the film.
If after attaching the film you notice a speck of dust or a hair under it, take a piece of tape and gently use it to lift the film. Use a second piece of tape to remove the dust particles from the film and smooth the film anew. Some manufacturers come with special adhesive strips that are designed just to remove the dust particles. It is better to use them.
That’s all! You have successfully glued the protective film with your own hands. As you can see, it’s quite simple, and it won’t take you much time.
How to stick a film, or some useful tips from the editors
There are several recommendations which will help you to apply the protective accessory correctly and allow you to prolong its lifetime. Useful tips from the experts:
- It is not advisable to stick the film against the edge of the screen;
- If the sticking is unsuccessful, it is allowed to remove the protective layer and rinse under water to remove dust particles;
- It is best to install the accessory immediately after you have purchased a new device;
- To completely remove dust from the screen you can use paper tape;
- In the process of operation it is recommended to wipe the film with wet wipes.
Protective glass is much stronger than film and can withstand more severe damage
