Here are some tips and common questions asked about hydrographics
Which side goes down when hydrating?
The best way to tell which side of the film needs to be facing down to hydrate is to wet your finger and thumb and then firmly grab a corner of the film. When you let go of the film. one side will stick to either you finger or thumb. The sticky side goes facing down.
Are all activators the same?
No, not all activators are the same. Some are a single pass while others are a double pass. Some work better with select films while others can work well with most all films. Make sure you are buying a good, quality activator. We recommend HydroVator brand activator with the films on this site.
Does my base coat color really matter?
Yes, it will determine the coloring of the design in the finished product. The coloring of on a film is partially transparent (some more than others) and will combine with your base coat color to make to final color on the item you dip. Many films are designed to be dipped over a white base coat while many can work with any color base coat. If your film is printed with only black and the rest of the design is transparent, then you can most likely use any color base coat. If you are working with something like blue flames, then you would want a white base coat. If you laid the blue flames over something like a red base coat then you would end up with blue and purple colored flames.
Film sizing:
Most film designs will be either 19"(50cm) or 38.5"(100cm). There are a few odd sizes with select film designs such as 31.5"(80cm) and 35"(90cm) as well.