Why doesn't vinyl stick to all paints?

"I was wondering if you have had any customers notify you of issues with the Oracal 631 not sticking well to certain semi-glossy or glossy paints?  Is there a better vinyl to use for these types of painted walls?  Just wondering if you have any suggestions so I can avoid having to re-do wall art orders."

We always tell customers that semi gloss and gloss paint works best.  We've only ever heard of it not working a couple times ... one was in a kitchen where they determined there was an oily residue on the wall.  The other one had an oil-based paint that was rather old and didn't stick well. 

Vinyl lettering does not adhere well to all flat and satin finishes and wallpapers.  It also doesn't hang well if the wall is soiled with grime or damp from humidity and cooking oils.  It is best to encourage customers to hang a couple sample letters on their wall first, before hanging a finished design, just to see if the vinyl lettering hangs well.  It's also a great way to use those letters from the designs messed up during the cutting or weeding process. 

If a wall is really stingy about sticking, you can use Oracal 651 vinyl (but it does have a little shine to it).  Or you can use a heat gun on the lettering once it has been applied.  An embossing gun works great.  Just go along the letters and heat them up a little (not too much or they will melt) but enough to activate the adhesive on back and then press the letters into the wall.  It cools stick to the wall and works great in the most difficult situations.

CLICK HERE for suggestions in helping customers with finished vinyl orders