I'm working on a very important beer pong project.
The top of the table will consist of two pieces of plywood that have been sealed and decorated with a massive 4X5 custom vinyl sticker.
So, the plan is to to seal the wood, apply the sticker, which covers the entire piece, and then coat the whole thing in polyurethane (mostly to eliminate any dampened bounce from the sticker, but also to give it a nice glossy sheen).
Here's the key question:
How do I apply a 4X5 vinyl sticker to a flat piece of wood without getting bubbles?
It's possible this is easy or obvious, but based on my experience with iPhone-sized stickers, I'm guessing it's tricky, and only have one shot.
Best Answer
There are a number of methods to apply large decals and stickers to surfaces while avoiding bubbles and wrinkles.
Most professionals prefer a wet method. Clean the surface first. Then coat the surface, or the adhesive side of the sticker, or both, with slightly soapy water. Then lay it down slowly and use a squeegee while laying it down. The soapy water enables you to lift it back up a little if you introduce a bubble or wrinkle. The squeegee squeezes the soapy water out from under it.
A number of videos show the process, search for "decal wet method" or "vinyl wet application" for some. I think http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSVk0C_NLpc is probably most applicable to your specific usage.
Also, ask the shop you're buying the decal from for their suggestions.
Note that unless you've purchased high quality plywood, and spent some time sanding, sealing, and filling, it's probably not going to be a very smooth surface anyway, and a high quality vinyl decal will look pretty lumpy on it. Consider getting a better surface, or seeing if you can have a matte vinyl decal made, which reduces the glossy reflections which will show surface defects very clearly.