The best installs we run are the ones where we arrive knowing everything. Right material, right surface, right contact at the door. The job closes and the only thing your client sees is a clean result with your name on it.

Most install problems aren’t install problems. They’re handoff problems. This is what makes the difference.

The one thing most briefs miss

Tell us what you printed on.

Manufacturer. Product name. Laminate if applicable. Not “vinyl.” Not “the usual stuff.”

3M IJ180Cv3 with DOL 1360 OL · Avery MPI 1105, matte lam · Drytac Polar Grip, no lam · PhotoTex EX

Manufacturers are specific about how their materials install — squeegee pressure, heat protocol, wet vs dry, repositionability window, seam technique. We’ve gotten good at reading unknown film in the field. Good at reading it is not the same as knowing it, and on a job where a mistake means a reprint, that gap belongs to no one.

One line on the job ticket. That’s the whole ask.

The checklist

Five categories.
Scan before you brief.

The Job

Material specManufacturer, product name, laminate if applicable
Surface typeDrywall, glass, concrete, Dibond, Coroplast, exterior cladding
Graphic dimensionsFinished size and panel count
Install heightHow high it runs and from what floor level
Panel overlapConfirm amount and direction — overlap faces away from primary sightline

The Site

Full addressUnit, floor, and specific area within the building
Site contactFirst name and direct mobile — not main reception
Access detailsParking, loading dock, elevator, security check-in
After-hours contactNight installs only — often a different person, always a different number
PPE requirementsHard hat, vest, steel-toes, WHMIS, anything site-specific

Materials

Location confirmedPhysically, by the person who put them there — not assumed
Panels numbered in sequenceWith orientation noted — not just P1, P2, P3
Panel overlap notedAmount and direction confirmed on the panels themselves

Surface Condition

Paint cure statusSee note below — flag anything under 30 days
Texture or patchingBrick, stucco, repaired drywall, any non-smooth surface
Previous graphic residueAdhesive left from a prior install affects bond quality
Silicone-based paint finishRejects most standard adhesives — flag it early

Admin

PO numberOr explicit confirmation one isn’t required
Billing entity and contactWe invoice the trade partner — always
Site contact loop confirmedThey know we’re coming, on the right day, at the right location

A note on fresh paint

Thirty days is where adhesion risk drops significantly. We know that’s not always the timeline you’re working with — and we’ll install on fresh paint when that’s the call.

What we need is the heads-up. Under 30 days, the risk isn’t getting the graphic up — it’s what happens when it needs to come down or be repositioned. Pressure-sensitive adhesive on fresh paint can pull a finish clean off the wall. That’s not an install problem at that point. It’s a conversation your client wasn’t expecting.

Tell us what we’re working with and we’ll plan accordingly.

If you have one minute — these five.

What material? What surface? What size?
Who’s the site contact — direct mobile?
Where are materials, physically confirmed?
Are panels numbered in install sequence?
Any access, PPE, or timing restrictions?

The Install
Handoff Guide

Tell us what you printed on.

Five categories.
Scan before you brief.

A note on fresh paint

If you have one minute — these five.

The project intake form
covers all of the above.

The InstallHandoff Guide

Tell us what you printed on.

Five categories.Scan before you brief.

A note on fresh paint

If you have one minute — these five.

The project intake formcovers all of the above.

The Install
Handoff Guide

Five categories.
Scan before you brief.

The project intake form
covers all of the above.