How To Personalize the Cover on a Macbook

MacBook skin

Apple's philosophy treats computers as more than instruments for a user's purpose--the increasingly popular brand has positioned its hardware as a personalized identity statement. But though its computers are attractively designed, a user swayed by the Apple brand's fashion aesthetic might want to further personalize the hardware. An Apple MacBook's monochromatic black or white shell may be plain, but the smooth plastic is accommodating to surface decorations. Any stickers will do, be they bought from a retailer or hand-made with materials and designs.

Things You'll Need

• Digitized image file
• Static cling paper
• Printer
• Microfiber softcloth
• Compressed air duster
• Ruler
• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Decals/stickers

Instructions

1. Design your skin. Load your printer with decal-specific static cling paper. Set the paper up so that the image will print onto the coated side. Scale the image to be print to the laptop's dimensions. Print the image file onto the cling paper. Alternatively submit an image file of your desired look to a computer decal site, proceed to checkout and pay for the service, and wait for the site to ship the decals to you.

2. Clean your MacBook's shell if necessary. Spray with a compressed air duster, then wipe with a soft cloth to eliminate dust and grease.

3. Measure the size of your computer with a ruler or measuring tape. If needed, use the scissors to trim the decal to the computer's dimensions.

4. Peel the decal off of its backing paper smoothly and evenly, leaving it only slightly attached to the backing.

5. Align the loosened decal with the desired part of the MacBook's surface, then attach the decal to the laptop via its sticky side. Attached to the appropriate sides; some sets will be designed for the sides of the computer, while others are only meant for the top or bottom of the machine. Skins for the top and bottom of a MacBook are easier to attach because those are perfectly flat surfaces. The sides slightly curve and will take more precision to correctly apply.

6. Smooth over the decals by hand to remove any surface volume bubbles. When the sticker is satisfactorily flat on the MacBook's surface, peel off the remainder of the backing.

References

• LaptopSkins.Net Blog: How To Apply A Laptop Skin
• Dexpel: How To Apply Laptop Skins To Your Notebook
• Hemmi Papilo Supplies: Static Cling Inkjet Printable

Resources

• Gelaskin Decals for Computers
• Schtickers