Level Up Your Brand: A Complete Guide to Custom Stickers

Introduction to Custom Stickers

Custom stickers are stickers that are designed and produced to meet a customer’s specific needs. They allow customers to create stickers with their own images, logos, text, and more. Custom stickers are commonly used for branding, marketing, events, decor, and more.

Some popular uses of custom stickers include:

• Branding – Adding logos and branding elements to stickers for marketing purposes
• Events – Creating unique stickers for conferences, concerts, parties, etc.
• Mailers – Using stickers to seal and decorate envelopes and packages
• Decor – Custom stickers make great wall art, labels, and decorations
• Gifts – Personalized stickers for birthdays, holidays, weddings, etc.

The custom sticker industry has seen steady growth in recent years. According to Sticker Industry Statistics, the usage of stickers for advertising is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2021 to 2028 as businesses leverage stickers for branding and promotion.

Custom Sticker Materials

Custom stickers can be made from a variety of materials, each with their own unique properties and benefits. Some of the most popular custom sticker materials include:

Vinyl

Vinyl is one of the most common and versatile materials used for custom stickers. Vinyl stickers come in glossy or matte finishes and are extremely durable for both indoor and outdoor use. Popular vinyl sticker options include white vinyl, clear vinyl, and colored vinyl. Vinyl material works well for stickers on cars, laptops, water bottles, and more.

Paper

Paper is an affordable option for custom stickers. Paper stickers work well for short-term indoor use on envelopes, business cards, scrapbooks, and more. There are various paper types to choose from including matte finish, glossy finish, and weather-resistant options.

Clear Stickers

Clear stickers are printed on transparent film or vinyl material. They allow you to add stickers to surfaces while still being able to see through them. Clear stickers work great for car windows, laptops, store windows, and other smooth surfaces.

Other Materials

Some other materials used for custom stickers include fabric, magnets, and more heavy duty options like aluminum. The material you choose depends on the application and how long you need the stickers to last.

Custom Sticker Shapes and Sizes

Custom stickers can be cut into a variety of shapes and sizes to fit your needs. Some of the most popular options include:

Die Cut Shapes

Die cut stickers have a custom shape cut out around the edges using a die cutting machine. This allows you to create unique sticker shapes like stars, hearts, circles, ovals, and more. Die cutting gives stickers clean, smooth edges. It’s a great option if you want your stickers to stand out with an unconventional non-rectangular shape.[1]

Circles, Squares, Rectangles

In addition to die cut shapes, you can also order custom stickers in basic geometric shapes like circles, squares, and rectangles. Circular stickers can be a fun decorative accent. Square and rectangular stickers are popular for branding, labels, and signage. Having stickers cut into uniform shapes creates a clean, consistent look.

Custom Shapes

For a truly one-of-a-kind custom sticker design, you can upload your own vector art and have the stickers cut into that exact shape. Anything from your company logo, to unique illustrations, to abstract geometric designs can be turned into a custom cut sticker. Print shops can cut extremely intricate shapes with precision.

The shape of your custom sticker can enhance its purpose and use. Get creative with die cut shapes, geometric cuts, or your own custom outlines!

Designing Custom Stickers

There are a few different ways to design your own custom stickers:

Using design software – Programs like Adobe Illustrator, Canva, and Inkscape allow you to create sticker designs from scratch. You can use geometric shapes, customize fonts, add effects, and more to design an original sticker. With vector design software like Illustrator, your artwork will be clean, scalable, and print-ready.

Working with templates – Many online printing companies offer easy-to-customize sticker templates you can personalize with your own text, images, and brand colors. This option is great for beginners who want a shortcut to designing stickers.

Uploading your own artwork – If you already have a logo, illustration, or other artwork you want printed as a sticker, most companies allow you to simply upload your file. As long as your artwork is high resolution with no compression artifacts, it can be turned into a quality sticker print.

When designing custom stickers, it’s important to keep in mind production requirements like color formats and bleed. Refer to the printing company’s design guidelines to ensure your artwork will translate well into the finished sticker product. Using the right software and templates from the start will save you from potential printing errors.

File Formats for Custom Stickers

When designing custom stickers, it’s important to use the proper file format for the artwork. There are two main types of file formats to consider – raster and vector images.

Raster images like JPEGs and PNGs are made up of pixels and are resolution-dependent. This means they can lose quality if resized. JPEGs use lossy compression which can create artifacts or blurriness at low resolutions. PNGs are a better option for retaining quality.

Vector images like SVGs are resolution-independent and can be scaled to any size without losing quality. They use geometric formulas to render shapes, lines, and colors. This makes them ideal for stickers, allowing the artwork to be resized for any need.

For the best print quality, vector file formats like AI, EPS, and PDF are recommended for custom stickers. These formats embed high resolution raster images so logos and photos print sharply. Fonts are also embedded to avoid issues.

Top Custom Sticker Companies

There are many great online printing services for custom stickers. Some of the most popular and reputable companies include:

Custom Stickers – CustomStickers.com is one of the best sticker companies in the market. They print high-quality, durable stickers using laminated vinyl. They have fast turnaround times and good customer service.

Sticker Mule – Sticker Mule is known for high-quality stickers with quick turnaround times. They offer die-cut stickers, vinyl stickers, and other specialty options. Their online ordering process is easy to use.

StickerYou – StickerYou allows you to design custom stickers directly on their website. They have tons of shape, size, and material options. Their stickers come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

These are just a few of the top custom sticker printing companies to consider when you need fast, affordable, high-quality custom stickers.

Custom Sticker Turnaround Times

When ordering custom stickers, turnaround time is an important consideration. There are a few factors that impact how quickly you can get your stickers printed and shipped:

Standard vs. Rush Printing – Most online sticker companies offer standard and rush printing options. Standard turnaround is usually around 7-10 business days. Rush printing can get your order turned around in as little as 1-3 business days, but comes with an additional fee.

Order Quantity – Turnaround times are usually faster for smaller orders under 500-1000 stickers. For larger orders of 2500+ stickers, standard turnaround extends to 10-15 business days.

Time of Year – Turnaround can be delayed 1-2 weeks during peak seasons like summer and holidays when sticker companies see higher order volumes.

To get the fastest turnaround, order smaller quantities during non-peak times and pay rush fees. Standard turnaround for a 500 sticker order is about 1 week, but can be as fast as 24 hours with rush printing according to this printing company.

Custom Sticker Pricing

The cost of custom stickers depends on several factors:

Size – Smaller stickers tend to be cheaper per unit than larger stickers. For example, 1-inch stickers may cost $0.20 each, while 3-inch stickers cost $0.60 each.

Quantity – The more stickers you order, the lower the per-unit price will be. Ordering in bulk brings down the per sticker cost significantly.

Material – Vinyl stickers tend to be more expensive than paper stickers. Specialty materials like reflective stickers also cost more.

Printing – Full color printing, especially with multiple colors or photographic images, costs more than simple spot color printing.

Custom shapes and die cuts – Unique die cut sticker shapes cost extra compared to standard circle, square or rectangle stickers.

Rush processing – Expedited turnaround times of 24-48 hours can increase costs by 25-50%. Standard turnaround is usually 1-2 weeks.

According to BoxPrint , basic printable vinyl stickers can cost as little as $0.09 per sticker when ordering in bulk. Custom die cut vinyl stickers may range from $0.50 to $3 per sticker depending on size and complexity. Large volume orders of simple vinyl stickers can cost between $0.20 to $0.30 each.

For custom paper stickers, 48HourPrint.com estimates costs starting at $0.12 per 2″ x 2″ sticker, going down to $0.06 per sticker for larger orders. Unique shapes and full color printing increase costs up to $0.60 per sticker.

Creative Uses for Custom Stickers

Custom stickers can be used in a variety of creative ways to promote your business, brand an event, decorate, and more. Here are some of the most popular creative uses for custom stickers:

Event Branding: Having custom stickers with your event name, date, and logo is a great way to get the word out and create buzz. Hand out stickers to attendees or place them around town leading up to your event. Stickers are an affordable way to turn regular people into walking advertisements for your event.

Mailers: Include a custom sticker in your direct mail campaign and recipients will be much more inclined to keep your mailer instead of tossing it out. The sticker can include your logo, tagline or a call to action.

Decor: Use custom stickers to decorate laptops, water bottles, notebooks and more. Creating your own themed stickers is a fun way to personalize objects. Stickers can also be used to decorate walls, furniture and other surfaces, adding your own branded touch.

Promotional Items: Hand out custom stickers at conferences, networking events, tradeshows and more. Stickers are a great promotional item because they are inexpensive to produce and people are likely to stick them places, spreading your branding and messaging for you.

Design Tips for Eye-Catching Stickers

When designing custom stickers, there are some tips and tricks you can use to create eye-catching designs that stand out:

Use color effectively – Bold, contrasting colors tend to attract more attention. Consider using complementary colors that look vibrant together (e.g. orange and blue). You can also use color to highlight key elements of your design.

Incorporate icons and illustrations – Using relevant icons, illustrations or photographs helps convey information quickly and makes your stickers more engaging. Just make sure any images are high resolution.

Choose easy-to-read fonts – Font selection is key for sticker readability. Opt for simple, bold sans-serif fonts that are easy to read at a glance. Avoid thin fonts or cursive scripts which are harder to decipher.

Focus on a central theme – Having one strong, central element helps your sticker design stand out. Try using a main illustration or icon that represents your brand or message.

Use white space strategically – Don’t overcrowd the design. White space helps highlight the key focus and makes your sticker more visually appealing.