If you’ve started a business, organised an event, or even mailed something the chances are you’ve needed stickers at some point. You can’t avoid them – they’re on everything! If the moment has arrived and you need stickers for a product launch, stag party, promotional event or just to organise your closet here’s 4 easy ways to get the job done…

 

Print at home

If you’ve got a desktop printer then printing your stickers could be as straightforward as a quick trip to Staples. A range of label sheets are available for desktop and inkjet printers, with different sized labels and finishes. Printing your own labels on a desktop printer is an easy and convenient solution, but be warned – there are downsides. Your labels won’t be waterproof, smudge-proof or hardwearing, and you’re limited by the size and shape of the label sheets on offer. Desktop printer ink is notoriously expensive as well, so printing your own labels is only really economic for super-low runs and prototypes.

Avery are market leaders in pre-cut label sheets, and offer a wide range of sizes, along with a clear label option. Unfortunately desktop printers don’t come with white ink to back up your design – any colours you print will be semi-transparent, and won’t be visible when applied to darker coloured surfaces. For clear stickers it’s best to go to a professional printer. You can use also circle cut roll labels for your branding startegy. It is quete cheap and the advantage is that you can design your custom labels.

 

Use a Label Maker

Everyone loves a label maker! The unique sticker strips embossed with text are iconic, and fashionable again in hipster circles. Label makers are available from a variety of brands from around £30 upwards. They can only print text and basic symbols though, so if you need a logo or any specific formatting these aren’t for you.

There’s a couple of different types of label maker available – impact printers, which produce the famous embossed type, and the more common modern thermal printers which use heat to transfer ink from a ribbon onto the blank sticker roll. Both can be used to print onto paper and plastic sticker materials.

 

Off the shelf

Before you rush out to order custom stickers it’s worth considering whether an off-the-shelf design will work for you. There’s a vast array of warning signs, safety stickers, and fun decals for all kinds of applications available on marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay. Purchasing an off-the-shelf sticker will save you time and money, so if you’re not wedded to any specific colour scheme, or don’t require any custom branding this could be the option for you.

 

Professional Printers

If you need stickers to brand a production product, promote your company, or have specific requirements in terms of durability or materials it’s time to go pro. It might not be as expensive as you think either. Professional sticker printing companies such as Diginate offer custom printed stickers with low or no minimum orders; perfect if your company is just starting out and you only need a handful of prints. You’ll be able to match the material to your application (e.g. waterproof or metallic stickers), and specify the size and shape you require. The print quality should also be higher than the print at home option.

Many online sticker printing companies have built in design apps, so no specialist software is required to put together your artwork and layout. This can be a great option as the template is set up specifically for that provider, saving you the headache of wading through their artwork specs. However, if you’d prefer to design your stickers offline most printers will accommodate native AI and PDF artwork.