One of the most daunting aspects of any film product has always been installation. Here at FullBodyFilms, we have constructed a full, detailed, step by step installation guide with additional troubleshooting solutions for most any issue. Once your film is installed correctly, you will have the freedom to enjoy your iPhone without worrying about scratches. Please follow this step by step guide to get the most out of your FullBodyFilms.com Protection Pack.
Screen Film Installation
First you must decide which screen film you want to put on your iPhone, the Glass Film or the Pro-Finish Film. In order to select, first, select which functionality you are interested in by reviewing the different aspects of the two films. This information can be found in The Protection Pack description. Once you have made your decision, hold the two films that come with your protection pack upto any source of light. The Glass Film will be completely transparent while the Pro-Finish Film will have a slight tint.
Once you have selected your film:
1. Clean the screen of your iPhone by putting a small amount of rubbing alcohol or glass cleaner onto a LINT-FREE cloth. These are readily available around the house, optical glasses cleaners and the cloth that comes with the iPhone are the best examples of these cloths.
1a. Ensure visually that there are no dust particles, oils or any foreign material on the screen of the iPhone. This will cause bubbling under the film when installed.
2. Once the screen is 100% clean. Take the film of your choice, and make a mental alignment with how the film will be placed onto the screen to ensure that you have the ear speaker hole and home button hole correctly aligned.
HINTS
3. Start to peel the screen film off of its backing by pushing down on the backing and allowing the film to peel off of it. Start at the top end and use the speaker hole and corners of the film to align the placement of the film itself.
4. Once aligned, allow the rest of the film to peel off and to fall onto the iPhone screen.
5. Rub out any air bubbles by using the lint-free cloth to rub them towards the outer edge of the film.
(Note: the iPhone 3G screen films are equipped with a new special adhesive that will help to minimize air bubbles. If you have any left over air bubbles or haziness that could not be removed through the above methods, please allow the film to set for an hour and most of the smaller air bubbles will disappear.)
TROUBLESHOOTING
Air Bubbles:
There are two types of air bubbles associated with this screen film. Dust and Oil. You can tell these two apart by a quick analys is ofthe air bubble itself. An air bubble caused by dust will be an air bubble with a small piece of debris at the center of the air bubble. An air bubble caused by oil, usually finger oils, will be a very faint bubble that has a distorted fringe around the outside of the air bubble. Any other air bubbles are most likely simple air bubbles that can be rubbed out. If there are any bubbles that cannot be rubbed out or come back, you are dealing with a dust or oil air bubble.
Dust Bubbles:
In order to remove a dust bubble you will need two pieces of transparent tape. Attach the first piece of tape to the corner closest to the air bubble and lift it up. Use the second piece of transparent tape to grab the piece of dust. Once the piece of dust has been lifted off the film, lay the film back down using the lint free cloth to push out any air bubbles. Finally, carefully remove the transparent tape.
Oil Bubbles:
In order to remove an oil bubble you will need a single piece of tape and your lint free cloth. Place the piece of tape on the corner of the film closest to the oil bubble. Lift up the film to the point of the oil bubble. Using the lint free cloth, press down on the film where the oil bubble is located while letting it fall back down onto the iPhone screen. DO NOT BEND THE FILM IN THIS PROCESS. It only calls for slight pressure that will dispurse the oil under the film. Finally, carefully remove the transparent tape.
Misalignment:
If you are noticing that the edges of your film are not staying down or that your ear speaker or home button cut outs are drastically off center, your film needs to be adjusted. To fix this you will need a piece of transparent tape. Be careful not to touch the back side of the film or the iPhone screen during this process. First, you will need to place the film on the corner edge of the film and use it to peel the film off of the iPhone screen. Use the original steps above to complete the rest of installation.
REMOVAL
If you wish to remove your screen film for any reason, place a piece of transparent tape to the corner edge of the film and peel it off.
Body Film Installation
This installation may seem daunting because of the complexity of the film itself, but if you follow these instructions, it can be a very easy and rewarding process.
You will need a small dish of normal room temperature tap water and a credit card. If you want to get the most optimal adhesion, you can mix one drop of baby shampoo with a gallon of water and use that instead of the tap water, however, the tap water has virtually the same effect.
Special Note for Body Film for iPod Touch: The body film for the iPod Touch has two parts, the main body film and the antenna corner film. The instructions below were designed for the iPhone, however they can be utilized for the iPod Touch. There are two main points to consider before continuing with the following instructions. First, install the main body film before the antenna piece. Ensure that the film is extra wet (a couple more droplets of water or solution) in order allow for easy alignment adjustments. Make sure that the film is not only aligned with the entirety of the iPod but also with the ports at the bottom of the iPod and the power button on the top. Once the main piece is installed then install the antenna corner. Second point to remember is that due to the finish of the back of the iPod Touch, the film may seem blurry for the first 24-48 hours. These imperfections will disappear after that settling time period. With these important notes in mind, please start your installation with the instructions below.
1. First, wash your hands. This is an important step because you will be directly touching the adhesive side of the film. Also make sure your iPhone is free from any dirt, dust or contaminates because these will all be stuck underneath the film if not removed.
2. Wet your hands in the dish of water or baby shampoo mixture as mentioned above.
3. Start to peel the film off of the white plastic backing. Start this process from one of the corners. Do this slowly and do not force the film off, rather slowly pull it off. It should come off the backing easily, if it is not, you need to start your peeling again from a different direction. IF YOU TRY TO FORCE THE FILM OFF THE BACKING YOU CAN STRETCH IT! Make sure that the underside does not touch any other surfaces, it cannot be cleaned.
4. Once completely removed from the backing, lay the film on a flat surface with the adhesive side facing up.
5. Making sure that your fingers are still clean, slightly wet them in the water or baby shampoo mixture.
6. Use the side of your finger to spread a small (several of drops) amount of water over the majority of the adhesive side of the film. This will activate the adhesive and will allow you to make adjustments to your film placement. DO NOT WET YOUR IPHONE DIRECTLY. DO NOT SOAK THE FILM WITH WATER. ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OVER THE ENTIRE ADHESIVE SIDE OF THE FILM IS NEEDED TO ACTIVATE THE FILM ADHESIVE.
7. Now that the film adhesive has been activated, place it on the back side of the iPhone making sure to properly align the camera hole and the corners of the film with the corners of the iPhone. Note that the corners of the film do not extend all the way to the screen of the film, but make sure that they are square with the iPhone to ensure that the rest of the film goes on correctly. (Caution: Because of the curvature of the iPhone 3G, improper alignment can lead to small air bubbles in the corners of the iPhone 3G body film. Please take your time during film alignment.)
8. Use the credit card to push out any air bubbles or excess moisture. Also make sure that the film is correctly aligned.
9. Next start pushing down the sides of the film to the iPhone. Make sure that they align with all the buttons and cutouts on the iPhone. NOTE: if the sides do not completely stick, put the iPhone down, give the adhesive about 10 minutes to dry slightly and then push it back down. If it continues to not stick completely, there is an excess of water on the film and you will need to wait to let it dry out.
10. Once the film is completely in place, make sure that all air bubbles and excess water has been pushed out using the credit card.
Note: This process make take a while, but once done correctly, it will be very worth while. Be patient. Air bubbles and haze will disappear after 24-48 hours. You can use your iPhone or iPod touch during that time, but be careful not to peel back the body guard until it completely sets.
TROUBLESHOOTING
Corners fail to stick:
This is caused by an excess amount of water or solution under the film. Do your best to force it out and then let it dry. It will usually take 5-10 minutes for the film to dry enough for it to regain its sticky properties.