Clear Coat Vs. Decals

I have had good success using a urethane clearcoat over cut vinyl decals. I think it makes them look a little more like actual painted-on letters since it tends to blend the sharp edges slightly into the surrounding area. It also provides some limited physical protection to the decal. A finishing touch if you will. I have only used this combination over a urethane single stage color that was compatible with the clear coat and that was applied within the clearing time window of the color coat. In my case that was 4-6 hours after application of the color coat. I am aware that some decals advise against application prior to full cure of the color but if you are going to clear without scuffing the color (at least in urethane) you don't have much choice. Some enamels, especially those w/o hardeners may not fair well with another coat of anything that soon so make sure you are using compatible color and clear materials that are of the same manufacturer and that are specifically recommmended for use together. Anything else is a crap shoot unless you find someone that has done it successfully with the exact same materials and process. You could also do a test sprayout and waste a decal just to be sure. That's what I did. In any event, a clear coat is not necessary and I suspect that most don't bother to do it since it adds time and cost for somewhat minimal benefits.

Rod