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Premask is the pressure-sensitive tape used to transfer a cut graphic from its release liner to the substrate or to protect a given surface. The release liner, also called the carrier, backing or backing paper, is the portion of the pressure-sensitive construction that protects the film’s adhesive before it is applied.

Premask is applied to the front of the vinyl before applying the vinyl to the substrate and aids in successful production, handling and protection of the graphic during installation. Premask typically comes in the form of self-wound specialized paper or plastic with adhesive on one side.

“Application tape or pre-mask is an essential tool to doing a professional application, particularly nowadays where most graphics are not just a simple line of copy,” says Nathan Franzblau, founder of the Professional Decal Application Association, an association of independent certified installation companies based in Jacksonville, Fla.

“If you were going to do a wrap on the side of a vehicle where you have a picture of the beach and there are continuous panels, then you almost have to use the pre-mask to hold it rigid so that you can do your match points between panels.”

Installing with premask
So, listen up, practicing vehicle wrappers, before you install the vinyl you need to put the premask over it. Generally it is not necessary to use premask on a film that is four mils thick or thicker, or for any film that has an overlaminate film applied.

However, a premask does prevent stretching and protects the graphic during handling and squeegeeing. With vehicle wrapping, premask is just a fact of life.

Of course, premask comes in various tacks and no one premask will not fit every type of vinyl. What’s a vinyl installer to do? You need to select a premask with enough adhesion to lift the film from the liner but without so much adhesion that you lift the vinyl back off the application surface. Your best bet is to test the premask for adequate tack to lift the vinyl from the liner. Tack is the ability of pressure-sensitive film or premask to stick to a substrate instantly with nominal pressure or contact time.

Avoiding premask mistakes
One of the biggest mistakes installers make with premask is using too low of a tack, according to Julio Burgos, a product specialist for Oracal, a vinyl manufacturer in Jacksonville, Fla.

“A lot of people will buy medium tack tape because it makes it easier to peel on and off,” he says, “but in actuality some vinyls require a higher tack tape so you end up with more headaches then anything else.”

“Application tape, or premask, keeps everything in position,” says Molly Waters, a spokesperson for Avery’s technical marketing department. “So when you are working with letters and you pull the pre-mask off the liner, then the letters are all where they are supposed to be.