Attractive Decals for Your Bikes and Cars

Today, decals are very important parts of decorations on bike, cars and other automobiles. They enhance of looks of vehicles and made them more impressive. Racing cars and bikes are given ostentatious looks by the decals pasted all over them. However, regular bikes and cars can also have decals on them. There are decals for every part of the vehicle, and they come in every color, size and shape you can image. In fact, there is a mind-boggling number of decals you can choose from.

A decal is made from paper, cloth, plastic or ceramic. It has a printed pattern or image on one side, and a layer of adhesive on the other side. It can be transferred to another surface with the aid of heat or water. Also called transfer, decal stands for decalcomania, which comes from the French word "decalquer", coined by a Frenchman name Simon Francois Ravenet. There was a craze for decalquer in the late 19th century, hence the word decalcomania. People used them for decorations on anything from clothes to household items. Now, they have become so universally available that we rarely give them a thought.

A decal is usually made of four different layers. On one side of the decal is a face-stock of paper or film on which a pattern or image can be printed. The pattern or image is covered by a thin layer of silicon or some other coating material. On the other side is a layer of adhesive, which is covered by a paper of film liner. Decals come in two types: water-slide (also called water-dip) and vinyl peel-and-stick. On a water-slide decal, the image is screen-printed on a water-resistant paper. On the opposite side of the image is a layer of water-soluble adhesive. Before it is transferred, this decal is submerged in water to loosen the glue allowing the decal to be peeled off from its backing and pasted on another surface. The second type of decal, called the peel-and-stick decal is, in fact, a vinyl sticker with an adhesive backing. It can be stuck on another surface by peeling it off. This type of decals are used by the sign industry.

You can find decals on everything from (clothes, cups and plates, and plastic ware to guitars, cars, bikes and all sorts of automobiles. You can also see them on your television, refrigerators and cell phones. You can also find them on banners, posters and signboards. You can see them everywhere and in all shapes, sizes and designs. They are so ubiquitous that we we hardly give them a minute's thought. But contemplate a world without decals and you will see a world with less colorful and attractive.

If you are on the lookout for decals for your bike or car, online sites are the best places to find them. They have every type of decals on offer. Because decals give your vehicle a distinct identity you should always go for the design or theme that best reflects your own personality. If you are uncomfortable with bright and flashy decals, then choose the ones that are not too extravagant. If you are a quiet type of person, then you should go for the ones with modest colors. But, no matter how much they cost, buy decals for your car or bike, because they add color to your vehicle, and ultimately to your life.