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Urgent Help Please (Power Support Crystal Film)
- Thread starter maddan
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Basic rule of thumb for this film: You can't clean the adhesive side. You can maybe pick a piece of dust off of it by using a toothpick or some other hard, pointy thing, but this is almost impossible to do without making it worse.
I've gone through a ton of this stuff since the original iPhone came out, so I know pretty much the best way to install it. Here are some tips that will help:
1. Stretch out a white t-shirt on a kitchen counter. This is your work surface.
2. Get a credit card or debit card or some other piece of thick plastic with a straight edge on it. You will use this to apply the film to the phone.
3. Put on a baseball cap. This will help prevent hair, skin flakes, etc. from falling off of you and onto the film while you are applying it.
4. Clean your iPhone's screen thoroughly, with a soft lint-free cloth. If the screen isn't perfectly clean before you put the film on, it's not going to be clean after you put the film on, either. There should be no fingerprints and no dust on the phone's screen.
5. Orient the phone so that the home button is at your right, and the top of the phone at your left.
6. When you peel the protective backing off of the film, make sure the sticky side of the film stays DOWN. NEVER let it face upward; doing so guarantees that you will catch some dust. You may need to hold the film by pressing its edges (not its surfaces) between your fingers.
7. Carefully position the film on the TOP edge of the screen (on your left), so that the earpiece slit aligns correctly. Then, use the debit/credit card to push the film down the length of the phone. This will reduce the chance of air bubbles forming under the film. If you've done this correctly, the home button will properly align with the hole in the film.
One final piece of advice: The anti-glare film is much, much better than the crystal film at hiding marks.
I've gone through a ton of this stuff since the original iPhone came out, so I know pretty much the best way to install it. Here are some tips that will help:
1. Stretch out a white t-shirt on a kitchen counter. This is your work surface.
2. Get a credit card or debit card or some other piece of thick plastic with a straight edge on it. You will use this to apply the film to the phone.
3. Put on a baseball cap. This will help prevent hair, skin flakes, etc. from falling off of you and onto the film while you are applying it.
4. Clean your iPhone's screen thoroughly, with a soft lint-free cloth. If the screen isn't perfectly clean before you put the film on, it's not going to be clean after you put the film on, either. There should be no fingerprints and no dust on the phone's screen.
5. Orient the phone so that the home button is at your right, and the top of the phone at your left.
6. When you peel the protective backing off of the film, make sure the sticky side of the film stays DOWN. NEVER let it face upward; doing so guarantees that you will catch some dust. You may need to hold the film by pressing its edges (not its surfaces) between your fingers.
7. Carefully position the film on the TOP edge of the screen (on your left), so that the earpiece slit aligns correctly. Then, use the debit/credit card to push the film down the length of the phone. This will reduce the chance of air bubbles forming under the film. If you've done this correctly, the home button will properly align with the hole in the film.
One final piece of advice: The anti-glare film is much, much better than the crystal film at hiding marks.
I installed this film on two phones yesterday for the first time with absolutely zero flaws. The key is patience through the entire process. I personally would not recommend doing this on a white t-shirt. There is just too much chance for lint/dust. Find a nice hard surface (clean bathroom counter top). I also don't see a need for a credit card or anything like that. If you have throughly cleaned the glass and it is 100% free of dust/lint the crystal film will lay down perfectly. You just have to ensure that you lay it down so that the left and right sides stay completely level with each other. Only at the very very bottom edge might you have a tiny bubble. If you do just lift it up that area with some scotch tape and SLOWLY lay back down.
Put some tabs of scotch tape at the top and bottom edges before you apply. It will allow for much better control when placing the film down.
Put some tabs of scotch tape at the top and bottom edges before you apply. It will allow for much better control when placing the film down.
The reason for the t-shirt is to spare the back of your phone from getting any scratches. I suppose a microfiber cloth might work as well. The shirts I use have been washed many, many times and are never worn (they're basically cleaning rags), so they are pretty free of lint or dust.
i bend the cover slightly down the middle so as to apply around the holes first, ensuring proper alignment. i also think it's a good way to avoid air bubbles.
Lots of good advice here but my most important element for a dust free installation is missing: do it in a steamed up bathroom. This has allowed me to install 4 films since getting my 3G without any dust under them. Prior to this I had a nightmare trying to install the same films on an iPod Touch but without the steamy bathroom.
E
Eärendil
Guest
You CAN actually clean it. You need hand soap and a lot of patience because you have to wait until it dries. Cleaning it with a towel would well.... you know.
Both sides can be cleaned. I applied the crystal film that came with my silicone jacket for ipod touch. I messed up. I cleaned it and it turned out just fine.
Both sides can be cleaned. I applied the crystal film that came with my silicone jacket for ipod touch. I messed up. I cleaned it and it turned out just fine.