Seven Things to Consider When Making Your Own Stickers
Practical Pointers to Craft and Create Great Custom Stickers
Stickers are among our most popular products and our customers use them for a wide range of things including product labelling and marking personal possessions. However, how do you make stickers that are strikingly attractive, durable, and highly visible? While it’s easy to order custom stickers, creating them – from choosing what form they take to specific design details – can be a challenge.
Here are several key points to help you make great-looking and effective custom stickers.
Top Packaging Mistakes to Avoid
Things to Take Into Consideration
- Roll or Individually Cut: A Question of Form The first thing to consider is exactly what kind of stickers you need. Roll type stickers are produced in large numbers and are produced in large spools that fit most industrial labelling devices. These are the stickers of choice for large manufacturing facilities as application can be automated and done faster. Individually cut stickers, on the other hand, are produced in smaller amounts and are applied by hand. As such, these are used by small businesses and artisans to label micro-batches of products or bespoke items.
- Location Matters Where you put your stickers can actually determine how visible and impactful they will be. The background color of the product should also be taken into consideration so that the colors on the sticker can stand out. Also, consider whether items are exposed to certain temperature changes (case in point: refrigerated items) in order to see what materials and finishes should be used.
- Materials and Finishes of Choice The materials used for stickers matter and we have a wide selection to choose from
- Vinyl The thickest and most durable material we have is recommended for products that are exposed to outdoor conditions. Adding a glossy coating boosts color saturation on your designs and keeps prints protected from the impact of extended use.
- Biaxially-Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) These gloss-laminated self-adhesive polypropylene stickers are best for products that are exposed to extreme temperature between -65? to 200?F, as well as water, oil, moisture, and refrigeration.
- White Premium Sticker Paper Made of smooth, semi-gloss, pressure-sensitive adhesive paper, this material has a writable surface and is appropriate for general indoor applications. Lamination makes it both oil- and water-resistant.
- Uncoated white vellum texture Uncoated paper with a subtle linear texture. Ideal for hand-written/hand-drawn labels or those embellished with fine calligraphy.
- Image Resolution Standard resolution for stickers should be at least 300 dpi so that images are visible and any text printed on the surface is legible.
- It’s All in the Shape of Things Stickers can be cut to any shape, but it is recommended that rectangular or square stickers have rounded corners to prevent fraying over time.
- What Colors Work? It is important that colors used for sticker design should be aesthetically pleasing, reflective of the brand identity, and work well with the base colors of the product to which they will be affixed.
- Points on Proofing Manual proofing is vital in the production process as this will help pinpoint errors or areas for improvement which can be addressed prior to production and printing to ensure a smooth work process and faster production turnaround.
The appearance of stickers may be further enhanced with laminated
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of stickers do you offer?
We offer Roll-type (sticker reels wound around a cardboard spool) and Individually-cut or cut-to-size stickers.
Roll stickers are usually ordered in larger quantities starting at 250 pieces and can fit in most label dispensers. These stickers are easiest to peel in a hurry.
Cut-to-size or individually cut stickers are recommended for smaller quantities that start at 25 pieces. Every cut-to-size sticker is cut according to your chosen shape for quick and easy hand application.
What are the best applications for either roll-type or individually-cut stickers?
As roll-type stickers can easily fit into most industrial dispensers, these are normally used for bulk labelling purposes in a manufacturing context.
Individually-cut stickers, on the other hand, are commonly used by artisans and small businesses for labelling small batches of items such as vintage wines, bespoke cosmetics, and gourmet preserves.
What options do I have with regard to printing?
Full-color printing options are available for both types of stickers. We also offer a selection of laminates with which to enhance the appearance of finished stickers.
Can I request for a PDF proof before you print my stickers?
Yes, you can. We provide a PDF proof of your stickers upon request so you can go over your artwork to check for errors before it goes to production. Rest assured, even if you opt not to request for a PDF proof before printing, our team of print experts will perform a thorough review of your files before printing – a special service that we offer our customers at no extra cost.
What does “printing turnaround” mean?
Printing turnaround is the number of days allotted to print your order but does not include weekends and holidays. Shipping transit time is not included in the turnaround time.
How quickly will I receive my order?
Click on "Get Delivery Estimate” below “Printing Turnaround” on the online calculator to determine how soon you can get your stickers. This will show the available delivery dates and total transit time based on your ZIP code.