Magnetic Signs FAQ & Care Guide

Welcome to our extended FAQ and information section for customers who use our printed magnetic signs. This helpful information will provide a thorough guide into making sure your magnetic signs last longer, keep your graphics crisp and new, while minimizing wear both to your signs and your vehicle's surface.

Care & Maintenance Information

It is important to regularly clean your sign magnets with warm water and a mild detergent, then dry completely with a soft cloth as trapped moisture, dirt or chemicals may harm your vehicle's finish. To protect the clear coat/base coat and vinyl surfaces present on some new vehicles, it is recommended that your signs be removed daily. A generous waxing of both the surface where the signs will be placed and the back of the sign itself (allow 2 days to cure) will help prevent damage. To prevent uneven paint fading, we recommend periodically removing the sign and leaving the vehicle under direct sunlight for at least 24 hours to ensure an even distribution of UV rays.

Once removed, store in a cool dry place - rolled out completely flat on a 100% flat surface with nothing under or on top of the signs - always store your magnetic signs flat. A great place to store them is stuck to the side of a filing cabinet or refrigerator. To avoid cracking or breaking, do not fold or crease your magnetic signs. Never roll your signs tighter than 8 inches in diameter. Slight curls in the magnetic material can be removed by placing your magnetic signs onto the flat part of the roof or hood of your vehicle on a warm and sunny day. Be careful not to let the magnetic signs overheat or they may stretch.

Care Summary

• Remove your magnet signs periodically to help ensure that they may still be securely fastened to the vehicle, and to perform and necessary cleaning. The sign's surface may be cleaned with a mild soap and water solution. Cleaning products like Windex® can help with removing small smudges or stains.
• To help prevent the accumulation of moisture and dirt between the magnet and the metal surface, remove your magnetic signage at regular intervals. Clean both the sign and metal surface with mild detergent then wipe with a soft cloth or allow both to air‐dry.
• Weekly cleaning is recommended when attached to surfaces other than vehicles. Daily cleaning is recommended when magnetically adhered on vehicles—new vehicles in particular—to help protect the vehicle's clear coat, base coat and other paint finishes.
• Weekly removal and cleaning of the vehicle helps avoid magnetic polarization of the vehicle’s surfaces under the sign.
• It is recommended that all magnetically adherable signs be removed, inspected, and cleaned after every major rain or snowfall event.
• Make sure to completely dry your sign's front side and magnetic side and the vehicle surface after cleaning.

Clearcoat Finish Information

Be sure all surface paints, clear coats and waxes are fully cured or hardened - this is very important. Automotive paint takes a minimum of 90 days to cure; clear coat a minimum of 60 days. Magnetics should never be used on cars, trucks or vans that have custom paint jobs or aftermarket finishes such as airbrushing or vinyl wrapping. If you place the magnet in the wrong position, completely remove from the surface and reaffix. Do not pull the magnet across the surface, or it may negatively affect the automotive finish due to the magnet's resistance. Always remove your sign before going through a car wash.

Avoid use on horizontal metal surfaces that are exposed to direct sunlight (such as automobile hoods) or temperatures exceeding 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Exposure to cold weather has the potential to make the magnetic side brittle, so exercise caution when handling during winter months. Be aware that long-term use on surfaces frequently exposed to sunlight can result in uneven fading of the surface finish (paint, clear coat) because the magnet-covered area is shielded from ultraviolet rays.

When removing your signs, be careful not to bend or crease the rounded corners - always lift along the sides and never from the corner edges. Magnets should be at room temperature when removed, or cracking may occur.

Installation Information

When planning to install a vehicle magnet, first determine what type of material is your designated spot made of? A wide variety of body materials are used to construct modern cars, but most of them consist primarily of one or more of these common material types:

• Steel
• Aluminum
• Plastic
• Carbon Fiber
• Fiberglass
• Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP)

In order to determine what type of material the surface area consists of, you can consult the manufacturer specifications or owners manual that came with the purchase of the car. If these do not yield results, a quick call to the car dealership should answer the question. Another way of quickly determining whether or not an area is magnetic is to use a common refrigerator magnet to test it. Although the vast majority of vehicles on the road today are manufactured with a steel body and chassis, aluminum has slowly but surely found a home in the automotive industry.

Before installing, first identify the desired placement area - preferably a flat or moderately curved rectangular area, free of ridges, moldings and badges. This same area should be available on both the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle. The vehicle's surface and the magnet should be clean, dry and waxed (optional) prior to applying. Once ready, follow these steps to putting the magnet on the car:

• The magnet itself should be at a room temperature of 60°F or above when installed to achieve best results.
• Affix to smooth, at or gently curved metallic surfaces.
• Make sure the entire magnet is flat against the metal surface. Do not place over protrusions (molding, decals, pinstriping, etc.) or concave areas. There must be no air pockets.

Touch one edge of the sign to the vehicle surface in the desired location and then let the rest of the sign slowly contact the surface until the entire sign is held magnetically in place. If your sign is not in the desired position, remove and repeat above. (Do not try to straighten the sign by pulling on it when it is attached to the vehicle as this may stretch the material.) Do not rotate the sign while it is attached to the vehicle or you may scratch the vehicle’s paint.