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Sticker Academy
Graphic Design Basics
How To Make Stickers, part 1
The quick guide to making your own stickers
So, you've got an idea and you want it on a sticker? Love that. Our How to Make Stickers series covers the whole process in five (pretty nerdy) parts, and this is the short version, from idea to finished order in one read. All five parts are linked at the end if you want to dig deeper.
TL;DR:
How do you make your own stickers?
Prep a print-ready file, choose product, material and laminate, check the cutline, then upload your design and order in our editor.
What file do you need to make stickers?
A vector file (AI, SVG, EPS) or a 300 dpi image at actual print size, in CMYK. Want no border? Add 2 mm (0.08") bleed.
Can you make stickers without a design program?
Yes. Build a simple sticker from text and clipart in our editor, or leave a comment if you need help with effects or cutlines.
Step 1: Prep your design
Start with what the sticker is for. A logo for your packaging, art you want to sell and a sticker for your water bottle all need different things.
Then make the file print-ready:
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Vector beats raster. Vectors (AI, SVG, EPS) stay sharp at any size. Raster files (JPEG, PNG) need to be high-res.
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300 dpi at actual print size. Your screen forgives a 72 dpi image. Printers don't.
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CMYK, not RGB. We print in CMYK, so RGB colors can shift (neon green, we're looking at you).
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2 mm (0.08") bleed. No border? Let the design go 2 mm past the cutline, and keep text and logos 2 mm inside it.
Here are the file types we accept.
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Step 2: Choose your product, shape and size
Next up: what kind of sticker should it be?
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Product. Die-cut stickers follow the outline of your design. Kiss-cut stickers and sticker sheets peel off with material around them, perfect for a whole set.
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Shape. Die-cut, square, circle or rounded corners.
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Size. Big stickers make a statement on walls and windows. Small ones are easy to hand out or tuck into a parcel.
My tip: design at actual print size, so you see right away if the tiny details hold up.
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Step 3: Pick a material and laminate
This is where it gets shiny. Vinyl is our all-rounder, and the special materials include holographic, glitter, mirror, transparent, Pixie Dust, prismatic, brushed aluminum and Kraft paper. See them all on our materials page.
Then pick a laminate, the protective layer on top:
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Glossy: UV-protected, your pick for outdoor stickers.
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Matte: soft finish, no glare and fewer fingerprints, but no UV protection.
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Cracked ice: an icy shimmer with the same protection as glossy.
Laminate options depend on the material, and Kraft paper is uncoated, so it has no laminate.
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Step 4: Add material effects (if you want)
On special materials, you decide which parts shine. Each color can get No effect (solid color), Color effect (color with the material shining through) or Full effect (just the raw material). It works on all special materials except reflective, Kraft paper and Glow-in-the-Dark.
Three ways to set it:
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Click a color in the live editor.
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Leave a comment, like "Full effect on the red hearts".
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Upload a custom effect layer (holographic, transparent, glitter, prismatic, brushed aluminum, mirror).
No idea how? Our graphic support makes the effect layer for you, free of charge.
Step 5: Get the cutline right
The cutline tells our machine where to cut, so it sets the final shape. Usually the editor handles it: upload your design and drag the Border size slider between small and large.
Want full control? Draw your own in Illustrator (1 pt stroke, 100% magenta spot color, 2 mm outside the artwork), or leave a comment and we'll make it follow your design.
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Die-cut (outer cut)
The cut follows the outline of your design, so the sticker gets the exact same shape as your artwork.
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Kiss-cut (inner cut)
The sticker is cut, but the backing stays whole, so it peels off with a little material around it.
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Through-cut
Cuts all the way through. Think letters with the spaces cut out, or a real hole in your donut sticker.
Final checklist before you hit order
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File: vector, or 300 dpi at actual print size
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Color mode: CMYK
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Bleed: 2 mm (0.08") if you want no border
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Safe zone: text and logos 2 mm inside the cutline
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Background: transparent or white for die-cut
Want the full version?
Our How to Make Stickers series goes through every step in detail, in five parts.
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Author
Emma