Car modifications range from using different car accessories to entirely re-doing the car’s body, cabin, and powertrain. Trendy car gadgets and eye-catching car body graphics are the most commonly sought after car alterations.

Automobile graphics are the cheaper means of alteration as compared to the other types. Different types of car graphics are available in the market today such as race car graphics, vinyl car graphics, and other custom car graphics.

A good amount of car stickers can completely change the looks of a car and provide it with a unique identity.

Here are some tips on how to apply and remove car stickers:

• Applying a Car Sticker:

1. Before applying the sticker, it is important to clean the surface using a little alcohol to make the area dust-free.

2. Do not remove the wax paper behind the sticker yet. Hold the sticker on the surface in the required angle and across the required horizontal in a proper manner. Try using a measuring scale for better precision.

3. Apply masking tape through the full distance across the top, half on the sticker and half on the surface.

4. Now, slowly lift the sticker and remove the wax paper as well as the masking tape. Be careful while doing this as there is a chance that the sticker might fall onto the tape.

5. Press the squeegee outwards and inwards (on the sticker) without skipping any area as there is chance for bubbles and wrinkles forming (squeegee is the T-shaped window glass cleaning tool with a wide rubber strip at the end)

6. Press firmly and slowly remove the masking tape from one corner. Keep the tape close to the surface area as it reduces the risk of pulling the sticker out along with the tape. After this, slowly wash and wipe the sticker area clean with window ceaner liquid. Make sure that you give a proper soap wash to the area within a few days from applying the sticker.

• Removing a sticker:

1. You can remove the sticker using only your fingernails. This is easy but requires plenty of patience as the sticker will not come out easily.

2. You can also use a hair dryer to blow hot air onto the sticker to melt the glue to make the peeling process easier. Make sure that the gush of air is not so hot that it'll damage the paint.

3. Spraying diluted alcohol over the sticker is also useful as the mixture of ethanol and water of fixed proportions will soak the sticker well and make peeling easy. Be sure to rub off the residue with a mild cloth and wash the area with mild soap before starting to peel the sticker off. In case the soap in not mild enough and damages the luster of body paint, using body wax to polish the body back to its former sheen. This is called ‘touching’.

4. A word of caution with touching up the car’s body - before waxing make sure that the area is properly washed and wiped dry. Some brands of waxes contain small particles known as abrasives which can damage the clear-coat and lacquer paint finish and may be harmful to dark-coloured paint. Try and get hold of wax that is marked ‘non-abrasive’.

A car without any scratches or dents is a rare sight on the road these days. Car owners either don't have time to notice it or put up with it due to lack of time to take the car to a mechanic. Applying car stickers or touching up the body of the car are easy and quick ways to cover the scratches on the paint.