Physical guide for applying stickers?

[badbob001]

Has anyone come up with a physical way to allow for stickers to be applied in the same position for multiple pieces? For example, if I'm applying stickers to multiple 2x2 plates, I would want the stick on each to look like they are in the same position. I don't think just eye-balling it will work.

Back to the multiple tiles example, I built a lego frame that rests over the bottom edge of a row of plates and tried to use that as a guide for the sticker, like a ruler, so that at least one side of the sticker is in the same position across all plates. But the problem is that there is always a gap between the tile and the frame so the sticker can sometimes slide into the gap during application. I guess I could replace the lego frame with a strip of tape to eliminate the gap, but now I have to worry about aligning a very long strip of tape.

They should print sticker sheets with a border around each sticker where the border matches the exact size of the target piece, if possible. There is a cut around the border itself, so the border is essentially a sticker frame around the center sticker. Then to apply the sticker, we just lift up one side of the border sticker and center sticker, align the border to one edge of the piece, which automatically aligns the center sticker, and then only press down upon the center sticker onto the piece. The border stick then can be discarded.

Yes, the five sticker sheets from the xtras set is giving me anxiety.

[deraven]

Eyeballing it works pretty well for me, but it does drive me a little crazy as well since I also really want the stickers to be perfectly placed!  There are products you can get (meant for waterslide decals but work fine with Lego stickers) that you can put the tiniest drop of onto the tile before you apply the sticker that will keep it from immediately adhering so you have a short period of time to move it around and get the placement just right.  If you're doing a lot of them that you want to exactly match, that will probably be a more realistic and less-frustrating way to approach it than trying to build guides that work consistently, etc..

[JopieK]

You could use some soapy water to apply them. Another option is masking tape as a way to transfer the stickers.

[1963maniac]

13 hours ago, deraven said:

 There are products you can get (meant for waterslide decals but work fine with Lego stickers) that you can put the tiniest drop of onto the tile before you apply the sticker that will keep it from immediately adhering so you have a short period of time to move it around and get the placement just right. ..

That works. the water wicks away or evaporates, leaving nothing behind. Soap concerns me, but I have not tried it. The masking tape could hold the edge of the sticker before placing it.

[MAB]

The soap trick works fine, you only need it very diluted but it gives a little slide better than just water.

 

But if they are 2x2 stickers on a 2x2 tile, just looking should be fine if you put the first edge in the same place each time.

[TeriXeri]

I recently started to use water with some dishwashing liquid soap and it works well applying the sticker on a wet part, less to no air bubbles and sliding really helps aligning things better.

Edited September 27, 2019 by TeriXeri

[AmperZand]

Window cleaning solution. On the rare occasion I use stickers, I place them using Windolene. Works a charm.

But don’t take my word for it, take LEGO’s. Window cleaning solution is the method they recommend. The following is from lego.com:

Best way of applying decals or stickers to LEGO® models

Our designers have shared this trick for applying decals: lightly spray a window cleaner on the surface of the parts to be decorated. This will allow you to adjust the decal without damaging it. Once you have the decal in the right place, use a flat edge to smooth out any bubbles and let it dry.

Edited September 29, 2019 by AmperZand