Stickers are one of my favorite things to buy at a convention, because they are small, cheap, and I can stick them on things. In this article I will discuss a few of your options for making stickers yourself, and ordering from a company. This is not a review article, because I have not used the companies mentioned in this article. I include these companies to help you discover which may be the best for you to use if you choose not to make your own.
Create your Sticker Image
Whichever method you choose, you will need to make an image to turn into stickers.
Size
Think about what size stickers you want to sell. The typical price point for a single sticker is $1, although when I first made stickers I made a batch that was really small, so I sold those for 50 cents, and sold the large stickers for $1. I recommend making your sticker 2.5 inches to 3 inches at their widest point. The size lends value to your sticker. Sticker sheets usually go for around $5 and up depending on the size of the sheet and quantity of stickers.
Resolution
Now that you know how big you want your sticker to be, you need to set your resolution. Resolution will determine how clear or fuzzy your sticker will print. PPI(pixels per inch) is how many pixels will be in each square inch of space. The more pixels you have in one inch, the clearer your image will be. You should set your resolution to at least 300 PPI(pixels per inch), unless you are working with a printer that uses a higher resolution, like 1,200 DPI (dots per inch). You will want to start your image at the largest intended print size and resolution, because if you try to increase your size from a smaller image, it will become fuzzy.
Color
After you have created your image you should print it out to see if the colors print as you intended. Monitors are not a good judge of color, because from monitor to monitor the brightness, saturation and hue may differ from each other, and will be different from the printed product. My monitor for example does not display colors as vibrantly as they appear on my phone, It also does not does not display yellow correctly, and I often discover a bit late that the yellows I've been using are too bright. When I print my art I've noticed that the colors do not appear as dark as they are on screen, and again my yellows don't turn out right. So make sure you print out a test page so you don't print out 30 discolored prints.
Pros and Cons of Making Stickers vs Ordering Stickers
Making Stickers + You do not have to order 100 stickers of the same image, which allows you the freedom to experiment and see which designs sell the best. + You do not have to conform to a specific size and shape + This can be the cheapest way to make individual stickers with unique shapes, and it is a good place to start if your new to artist alley. Don't invest too much money your first year, make sure to follow your budget. - You invest a lot more time in making them Scissors vs Cutting Machines +You probably already own a pair of scissors - Cutting them out by hand takes a lot of time and will give you hand cramp + Cutting machines consume less time and save your hands - Cutting machines are a large upfront cost + If you produce a lot of merchandise that requires cutting, this is a good investment + Cutting machines like the Silhouette Cameo can make sticker sheets by creating a "kiss cut", only cutting through the sticker layer, and not the backing | Ordering Stickers + Stickers may be made of Vinyl, which makes them water resistant and durable + Saves on time: You only have to design the art for your sticker - Many companies do only offer stickers in specific shapes - Ordering die cut stickers (uniquely shaped) is often more expensive - You have to order large batches of a single sticker design + You get discounts for ordering larger batches - You can order "kiss cut" sticker sheets from some companies |
Making your own stickers
There are many different methods of making your own stickers, using all kinds of materials. I will not be covering all of these methods, because many of them do not create a good quality sticker. A good quality sticker should not be made of thin paper that tears when removed from the paper backing, it should be glossy, and the print quality should be clean and sharp, not fuzzy.
Method #1 (recommended)
Materials: sticker paper (not label paper)
color printer or print service
(make sure the printer and paper are compatible)
scissors or cutting machine
Pros and Cons
+ Stcker Paper is not cheap, but it is cheaper than refills for the Xyron sticker machines)
+ Takes less time than method #2.
- Sticker Paper may only work with certain kinds of printers, like ink jet, or ink jet photo printers, which means 2 things: using the paper in a incompatible printer may result in smudging, flaking or rubbing off and print services will not print on paper that is not compatible with their printers.
- Time consuming if you cut by hand
- Costly if you purchase a cutting machine
Method #2
Materials: color printer or print service,
sturdy glossy paper (67 lb or higher) or vinyl,
Xyron sticker machine(preferably 9"),
scissors or cutting machine
Print your stickers close together on glossy paper. Run your sticker sheets through the Xyron sticker machine. If you have a 9" machine you can run the whole sheet through. If you have a smaller machine you will have to cut the page into smaller strips to fit the width of the machine. Lastly cut out each sticker, and do not remove the backing.
Pros and Cons
+ Makes a really nice looking sticker
+ You can choose the type of paper you want to turn into a sticker
(which is especially great because some sticker paper is not compatible with laser printers and a print service will not print on incompatible paper because it will ruin their machines)
- Time consuming if you cut by hand
- Costly if you purchase a cutting machine
- Using the Xyron Sticker Machine is more expensive than buying glossy sticker sheets
Ordering stickers
In order to get the best deal you need to research which company is best for you. When searching for stickers cut to match a unique shape or outline of your image use the keyword "die cut", "contour cut". If you are looking for companies that make sticker sheets, use the keyword "kiss cut". Because I have not ordered stickers from these companies I cannot give you a review or recommend the quality of their stickers. If you make stickers and you would like me to review your stickers, please contact me through the information on the Request a Review Page, with a sticker sample and information you would like to highlight about your stickers.
Company lists
I only included a few of the many possible companies. You can also check with other artists who make their own stickers, they may offer sticker printing services. Search Etsy too.
Zap Creatives
Vinyl Disorder
123 Sticker
Sticker Mule
Stand Out Stickers
I hope you found this article useful. If you have a question on this topic please comment below. If you would like to contribute your knowledge on this topic, please fill out the form in the Contact page.
Did you like this article? Please Share, Comment and Subscribe.
There is no better way to say thank you!
There is no better way to say thank you!