Push the bubble out toward the nearest edge. Press from the far side of the bubble toward the closest edge of the sticker with a fingertip, a fingernail, or the edge of a credit card, and the air will usually travel out. Do it right after applying, while the adhesive is still settling.
A bubble that won't move
- Take a fine sewing pin or needle, not a knife.
- Prick the bubble once, toward one side of it.
- Press the air out through the hole, working toward it from the other side.
- Smooth the sticker flat and press firmly. The pinhole is close to invisible.
If the sticker went on seconds ago, you can lift the nearest edge gently and lay it down again from that edge instead. After that, lifting stretches the vinyl and picks up dust on the adhesive, so the pin is the better tool.
Stopping bubbles before they start
- Hinge it from one edge. Peel back an inch of backing, place that edge, then pull the backing away underneath while smoothing forward. Working from one edge pushes air ahead of it instead of trapping it.
- Lay it down gradually. Dropping a sticker flat all at once traps air in the middle, with nowhere to go.
- Clean the surface. A speck of dust under a sticker makes a bump that looks like a bubble and never pushes out.
- Wet-apply large stickers on glass, paint, and other smooth, hard surfaces (never paper labels). Mist the surface with water and a drop of dish soap so the sticker floats into position, then squeegee from the center outward.
The full method is in how to apply a sticker so it stays on. After wet application, small cloudy patches of water under the vinyl usually dry out over a few days in warm weather. Push them toward an edge rather than pricking them.
Bubbles that appear later
- New plastic bottles: some freshly molded plastic bottles give off gas for a few days after they're made, and it collects under labels as bubbles. If bubbles show up hours after you label a fresh batch, ask your bottle supplier how new the stock is, and try labeling bottles that have stood for a few days.
- Hot sun on a fresh sticker: air trapped underneath expands as it warms. Once the sticker cools, press the bubble toward an edge, or use the pin.
- A bubble that keeps growing: usually an edge has lifted and is letting air or water in. Press the edge down firmly, and if it won't stay, see why won't my sticker stick?