The minis are now glossy and dry. I've selected, inspected, and separated the decals. I have warm water in a relatively shallow bowl, tweezers, and all the other tools and supplies handy. The decals I'm not immediately going to use are located well away from the work area.
I've learned from experience that if the decals are close to the water, the Micro Sol, or the Micro Set, then something will spill and hit the decals!
The first decals go into the warm water for a few seconds, and then I rest them on the edge of the bowl.
While the soaked decals are resting, I apply Micro Set to the mini.
I then slide the decal onto the mini. I normally use an old paintbrush to pull the decal off of the carrier paper and onto the mini. Then I use a toothpick to position the decal.
To help maintain decal position consistently between decals, I'll use a drafting compass to check the distance of the decal from a known point (wing tip, panel line, leading edge, etc.).