What exactly is a sticker?
Okay, this one seems easy. A sticker is a printed, self-adhesive material that you can apply to a surface. But once you start looking into printing stickers, you’ll quickly discover there are surprisingly many options to choose from.
Are you using them as product labels or sealing stickers for packaging? Do you want to hand them out as promotional material? Or do they need to stay put outdoors on a window, wall or sign? There’s a suitable sticker for every application.
That’s why it’s a good idea to ask yourself one question before ordering: what are you going to use your stickers for? This determines which material is best, how we cut your stickers and whether you receive them individually or on a sheet.
Let’s start with the material.
Paper or polyester: which sticker material should you choose?
At Print&Bind, you can choose from different sticker materials, including paper and polyester. The main difference? How durable your sticker needs to be and the conditions it needs to withstand.
Using your stickers indoors on a dry surface? Then paper stickers are often exactly what you need. Think product labels, packaging stickers, address labels or sealing stickers. Practical, versatile and ideal when you need lots of stickers.
Need something a little tougher? Go for polyester. Polyester stickers are stronger, last longer and are more resistant to moisture and different weather conditions. A QR code on a terrace, a sticker on an exterior wall or one that needs to stay on your work laptop for a long time? Polyester is the better choice.
So, it’s actually pretty simple: paper for lighter applications, polyester when your sticker needs to last longer or withstand more.
Material chosen? Then it’s time for the next decision: how do you want your stickers to be cut?
Kiss-cut or die-cut stickers: what’s the difference?
Kiss-cut and die-cut might sound like terms from an action movie, but luckily, the difference is much simpler. It’s all about how we cut and deliver your stickers.
What is kiss-cut?
With a kiss-cut sticker, we only cut through the sticker material. The backing paper underneath stays intact.
For example, if you order several round stickers, we cut each sticker into a neat circle while they all remain together on one backing sheet. You’ll receive multiple stickers on a sheet, which you can easily peel off one by one.
Perfect when you have lots of labels to apply or want to work through your stickers quickly.
What is die-cut?
With a die-cut sticker, we take it one step further. We cut through both the sticker material and the backing paper, so you receive each sticker individually.
Choosing a sticker in the shape of your logo? Both the sticker and its backing will follow that shape. This makes die-cut stickers perfect for handing out, adding to orders or using as promotional material.
The difference is easy to remember: kiss-cut stays on the sheet, die-cut comes individually.
But who says a sticker has to be round, square or rectangular?
What are contour-cut stickers?
Sometimes a standard shape is perfect for your design. And sometimes you want something that stands out just a little more. That’s where contour-cut stickers come in.
With contour-cut stickers, the cutting line follows the shape of your design. Got a logo, illustration, text or another unique shape? We can cut the sticker along its contour, so you’re not limited to a standard circle or square.
This instantly gives your sticker a more distinctive look. Especially if you’re handing them out, adding them to orders or using them as promotional material, a unique shape can give your stickers that little something extra.
Your design determines the shape, and we make sure it’s cut just right.
Do you want to know how to add a contourline?
Bleed and margins: how to prepare your sticker file correctly
Material chosen? Check. Shape decided? Check. Then it’s time to get your design ready for print.
When preparing your file, you’ll probably come across the terms bleed and safe margin. They might sound a little technical, but don’t worry: the idea behind them is actually very simple. Both help make sure your sticker turns out exactly as you designed it.
What is bleed?
Bleed is the extra part of your design that extends beyond the final cutting line. For example, if you have a yellow background that needs to run all the way to the edge of your sticker, make sure the colour extends slightly beyond the final size. Why? There can always be a tiny variation during the cutting process. Without bleed, this could leave a small white edge around your sticker. And of course, we don’t want that.
In short: anything that needs to run all the way to the edge should extend into the bleed.
No graphic background? No problem. You don’t have to add bleed to your file. If your file doesn’t include bleed, we’ll enlarge it by 1% to give us enough room to cut your sticker neatly.
What is the safe margin?
While the bleed extends beyond the cutting line, the safe margin stays neatly inside it.
Important elements such as text, logos and anything else that needs to remain fully visible shouldn’t be placed too close to the edge. Keeping these elements within the safe margin prevents them from ending up too close to the cutting line or even being partially cut off. That way, everything important stays exactly where it should be.
Easy to remember: let backgrounds and images extend into the bleed, while keeping important text and logos within the safe margin.
File all set? Then your design is ready to become a real sticker!
Ready to print your sticker?
