1. OptiPrime's Avatar
    i just got my Best Skins Ever screen and phone protectors in the mail today. i was planning on applying them tomorrow when i have some free time. i read the directions on the BSE website and they seem pretty straight forward. but i was wondering if anyone had any tips to help me out? im afraid i'll put it on all wrong and leave a whole bunch of residue n crap on my phone. like application tips? how long to let it sit? things like that.
    05-16-08 07:27 PM
  2. garbagefairy1967's Avatar
    Great post! I got mine in the mail a couple weeks ago and haven't attempted to put them on yet, let me know how it goes!
    05-16-08 07:49 PM
  3. amazinglygraceless's Avatar
    Once it's on properly, hit it with a blow dryer ON LOW, to reduce the setting time. 20 minutes, and I was good to go.
    05-16-08 09:06 PM
  4. mededitor's Avatar
    Assuming that it applies the same way the Invisible Shield applies, I have a few suggestions.

    1. Make sure you have a lot of light on your work area. It can be hard to see the skin's edges when you're applying it to the BB.

    2. Remove the BB's battery before starting the skin application.

    3. Use liberal amounts of the application solution, which is mostly water (but be careful around the battery-cover area so you don't get liquid inside the battery compartment).

    4. If your BB is a fairly dark color (eg, red or black), be very careful about avoiding lint on the sticky side of the skin. I applied the Invisible Shield to the new black housing of my Verizon 8830 and a few small linty pieces of something---I still don't know what---got stuck onto the skin. I couldn't get all of the tiny lint pieces off the skin and it was driving me crazy on my new black housing. I ended up having to break into another Invisible Shield I had at home that was supposed to go on a friend's BB. I then rinsed my hands between applying each piece of skin and wiped my fingers with a silky microcloth (used for wiping eyeglass lenses without scratching) before touching each piece. That seemed to do the trick. Lint was not a problem at all on the original silver housing, I guess it just blended in.

    5. Squeegee out as much water as possible once you get each piece of skin applied exactly where you want it. If you want to move a piece of skin, do it ASAP and re-wet it with the solution; be careful about getting fingerprints on the skin as you lift and move it (that's where the extra liquid solution comes in handy, you can even make your fingers wet). I found that that rubbery squeegee that came with the Invisible Shield worked much better than using something stiff like a credit card. I don't know if BSE comes with a squeegee.

    6. Small bubbles and imperfections will disappear once the skin dries and sets. I waited the suggested full 24 hours before putting the battery back into the BB and turning it on; the skin looked great by then and got even better in the next 24 hours.

    The skin application really wasn't anywhere near as difficult as it can sound, although I have to admit that the second time I did the process (first on the silver housing, second on the black housing) it was easier because I had a better idea of how to apply the skin and the order I wanted to apply it.

    Remember, the absolute worst thing that can happen if you're not happy with the way you applied the skin is that you take it off and go with another option or just get another skin; I think BSE comes with two skins.

    Good luck, I'm sure you'll both do fine!

    Edited to add: Before applying the skin, I used a very lightly damp lint-free cloth to wipe down the entire BB and then dried and "buffed" it with the silky microcloth.

    I waited the full 24-hours before reinstalling the battery and using my BB only because I was obsessively worried about the potential for some of the liquid getting into the battery compartment and frying my BB if I put the battery back in too soon. I actually took off the battery cover during the 24-hour wait just to be sure that everything was dry. Like I said, I tend to be somewhat obsessive.
    Last edited by mededitor; 05-17-08 at 01:13 PM.
    05-16-08 10:01 PM
  5. garbagefairy1967's Avatar
    Thanks mededitor!!! Thats alot of great info!! I think I may attempt it tomorrow!
    05-16-08 10:04 PM
  6. John Yester's Avatar
    couldn't say it any better.!!!!!!


    Blow dryer works great and take your time. don't rush. It will turn out really good.

    Assuming that it applies the same way the Invisible Shield applies, I have a few suggestions.

    1. Make sure you have a lot of light on your work area. It can be hard to see the skin's edges when you're applying it to the BB.

    2. Remove the BB's battery before starting the skin application.

    3. Use liberal amounts of the application solution, which is mostly water (but be careful around the battery-cover area so you don't get liquid inside the battery compartment).

    4. If your BB is a fairly dark color (eg, red or black), be very careful about avoiding lint on the sticky side of the skin. I applied the Invisible Shield to the new black housing of my Verizon 8830 and a few small linty pieces of something---I still don't know what---got stuck onto the skin. I couldn't get all of the tiny lint pieces off the skin and it was driving me crazy on my new black housing. I ended up having to break into another Invisible Shield I had at home that was supposed to go on a friend's BB. I then rinsed my hands between applying each piece of skin and wiped my fingers with a silky microcloth (used for wiping eyeglass lenses without scratching) before touching each piece. That seemed to do the trick. Lint was not a problem at all on the original silver housing, I guess it just blended in.

    5. Squeegee out as much water as possible once you get each piece of skin applied exactly where you want it. If you want to move a piece of skin, do it ASAP and re-wet it with the solution; be careful about getting fingerprints on the skin as you lift and move it (that's where the extra liquid solution comes in handy, you can even make your fingers wet). I found that that rubbery squeegee that came with the Invisible Shield worked much better than using something stiff like a credit card. I don't know if BSE comes with a squeegee.

    6. Small bubbles and imperfections will disappear once the skin dries and sets. I waited the suggested full 24 hours before putting the battery back into the BB and turning it on; the skin looked great by then and got even better in the next 24 hours.

    The skin application really wasn't anywhere near as difficult as it can sound, although I have to admit that the second time I did the process (first on the silver housing, second on the black housing) it was easier because I had a better idea of how to apply the skin and the order I wanted to apply it.

    Remember, the absolute worst thing that can happen if you're not happy with the way you applied the skin is that you take it off and go with another option or just get another skin; I think BSE comes with two skins.

    Good luck, I'm sure you'll both do fine!
    05-16-08 10:06 PM
  7. Riley2521's Avatar
    Oooh, mines on its way to me. You guys gotta let me know how your applications went.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    05-16-08 10:07 PM
  8. VZWBBnewb's Avatar
    I used the blow dryer on the COOL, LOW setting. I had my BB in my pocket and off to Disneyland (really! I went to D-land that day! ) within 20 minutes.!
    05-17-08 12:59 AM
  9. OptiPrime's Avatar
    UPDATE: it went on pretty well.

    the front screen protecter has a few air bubbles. i couldnt get them out before it set. but i can live with it i guess. hopefully it will become a little less noticable in the next 24 hours.
    05-18-08 01:07 PM
  10. mededitor's Avatar
    UPDATE: it went on pretty well.

    the front screen protecter has a few air bubbles. i couldnt get them out before it set. but i can live with it i guess. hopefully it will become a little less noticable in the next 24 hours.
    I used the Invisible Shield and also had a few bubbles under the skin on the screen. At the end of 24 hours, the bubbles were much less visible and within the next 24 to 48 hours, they were completely gone. The whole skin actually looked much better after 48 hours and was virtually unnoticeable. I love the skin, it makes the new black housing look much more shiny, and I know that my BB won't get any scratches.

    I hope you get the same results I did.
    05-18-08 09:01 PM
  11. jdurante's Avatar
    I just installed/applied my BSE to my Pearl 8130 last night. The process went very smooth and I am very pleased with the end result. I'm only about 16 hours in from when I completed it and there are still some visible air bubbles, but these should get better as the days go on.

    I highly recommend this skin!

    Cheers!
    05-20-08 10:46 AM
  12. ShortStop51001's Avatar
    i have a BSE on my pearl, macbook and IPod Touch. I luckily got no air bubbles on any of em, and months later still looking shiny and perfect.
    05-20-08 11:55 AM
  13. blackops's Avatar
    BSE on mine, but it doesn't come with protectors for the sides. That's where it's going to scratch up/ding if you drop it. Don't worry about air bubbles, it'll be gone in a few days. Unfortunately I have a dog hair on the screen, so I might go for the invisible shield for the replacement to get the side shields too.
    05-21-08 10:26 PM
  14. Riley2521's Avatar
    So I applied my BSE and it went on really well...it def. took some fussing with to get just right. But now it's two days later and it looks awesome, you can't even tell it's there. THe only problem I had was the side pieces...they were so tiny and frustrated me so much I gave up. So it's all on except those two pieces. I carry my BB in a gel skin anyway, so I'm not terribly worried about it.
    05-22-08 09:35 AM
  15. Scooter70's Avatar
    I got my BSE in the mail the other day. I was going to put it on this afternoon until I read the 24-48 hour wait time. Of course, I wondered "How the heck am I going to feed my Crackberry addiction if I have to have the battery out for an entire day?" I'm glad to hear that some didn't wait the whole time and everything turned out ok. I'll probably wait until the kids go to bed one night this week and then leave it off for the night. 8-10 hours is about the best it's going to get.
    05-26-08 02:28 PM
  16. asylvia's Avatar
    i didn't wait at all. i kept the battery in, just powered the thing down, and turned it back on once i dried all the water....no problems
    05-27-08 11:46 AM
  17. rollman06's Avatar
    got my BSE in the mail today! i just finished putting all the pieces on my curve...wow it looks good!

    application went very smooth and the pieces were relatively simple to put in place. once they were in place i let them sit for a minute or two before using a gift card to remove the water beneath. (i found that this method works very well because the skin will have a short period to seat itself on the device and form a slight suction. this makes it much easier to squeegee water out from under the skin without having it slide all over the place.

    i have had my curve for about a week and a half now so it is fully activated on my account. since it is saturday, i need my berry to be alive to recieve calls from friends and family. so i decided to use the blower dryer method a couple of forum members have tried and it seems to be working quite well...the skin is setting very well. its been about 20 mins since i finished and it looks very good. i'll keep my berry sleeping for about an hour before i put everything back together and power it up, but i'll try to limit usage to only neccessary calls or texts for the next 24 hours to let the skin get a chance to fully set.

    cant wait to see how it turns out...looks good so far (knock on wood)
    06-07-08 06:06 PM
  18. MystikPeril's Avatar
    I just got my BSE screen protector in the mail today and it didn't take me long to apply. I was way more afraid of the application process then I should have been because it was really easy and it looks great! It even hides the tiny scratch I already had on the screen! I'm not sure how, because the screen looks crystal clear. No air bubbles, dust, lint or anything.
    08-30-08 05:05 PM
  19. Adam Zeis's Avatar
    Good thing to do is steam up the bathroom and apply it in there. Will get rid of most of the dust in the air so there is less chance of something getting stuck underneath.
    08-30-08 05:10 PM
  20. MystikPeril's Avatar
    Good thing to do is steam up the bathroom and apply it in there. Will get rid of most of the dust in the air so there is less chance of something getting stuck underneath.
    You're right! I forgot to mention that I did that and it worked wonderfully for me. I also used the blow dryer on a cool, low setting tip/trick to help speed up the drying process.
    08-30-08 06:06 PM
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