What does 'weeding and masking' mean when ordering vinyl decals?

Weeding and masking are two finishing steps in producing cut vinyl decals. Together they turn a printed and cut sheet into a decal you can apply cleanly in one motion.

• Weeding: removing the excess vinyl from around the design so only the cut graphic remains on the backing.
• Masking (also called application or transfer tape): a layer placed over the weeded design so you can lift every element off the backing at once and apply it with all pieces still aligned.

Masking matters most for multi-part designs and lettering, where keeping spacing and alignment intact by hand would be nearly impossible.