Hey Twoturn...

The commercial outfits I've dealt with supply the graphics in a three layer sandwich. Starting closest to the aircraft surface: a layer of "paper" that the letters barely stick to the letters then a top semi sticky piece. The letters are arranged/aligned already. There is usually a margin around the whole "word" or whatever. Use masking tape to tape down the top with the sheet aligned where you want it. The pros probably could flip it up and remove/peel off the bottom sheet (the one the sticky side of the letters are attached to) and wiork it all down as one. Depending on the size, I cut between letters up to the tape remove the bottom layer for letter and work it down from the top. In a plong enough name like Temptation, after the first couple of single letter cuts (and it's going well...) I may cut for two letters and put them down at the same time. Only after all the letters are stuck down does the tape and top layer come off. The tape keeps everything lined up the way the shop layed them out.

Hope this is what you're looking for and that it helps. I got the advice from the guy who did the work at the shop and I have done a grand total of 5 planes! but they all came out fine.

Good luck with it!
Tom