Sticker Printing: How to Print Your Sticker (Step by Step)
- Select a Material for Your Sticker
When it comes to printing your stickers, you have a few distinct options in terms of the material on which they are printed. Almost all stickers will be printed on some type of PVC/vinyl, but the specific characteristics of that vinyl can make a significant difference in the ultimate product.
You may choose whether the material on which your stickers are printed has a matte or glossy appearance. Almost all printing businesses (including FastPrint.co.uk) will provide you an option here, and the final decision is yours. The above stickers have a glossy appearance (as you can see from the slight shine they have). Matte stickers will be less shiny.
When it comes to matte vs. glossy, it’s almost completely a matter of personal choice, although, in some situations, a matte finish may give your stickers a more quality look and feel.
You also have the option of printing your stickers on a transparent sheet of vinyl. As we said earlier in the book, if you want to make a custom-shaped pattern but don’t want to pay a premium for a die-cutting procedure, this might be a wonderful choice.
- Select the proper size and resolution.
It is also critical to verify that your file size and resolution are appropriately configured since failure to do so can frequently result in an undesired outcome.
The majority of printing firms (including ours) need a resolution of 300DPI. If you’re using Photoshop, InDesign, or Illustrator, any new project will most likely be set to 72DPI by default, so make sure you alter this before proceeding with your sticker design. This is something you can do when you start a new project (as pictured in the Photoshop screenshot above).
You must also select the appropriate size for your project. Fortunately, this is a simple process; as long as you know how big you want your stickers to be, you can specify this in inches, centimeters, or millimeters (whichever you prefer). There should be no problem as long as you keep the resolution at 300DPI.
- Correctly set up your bleed/trim
Finally, make certain that your bleed and trim settings are accurate. We demand a 3mm bleed (the area outside the trim) on all stickers at FastPrint.co.uk to accommodate for any inconsistencies. We also demand that any text be kept within a safe region 3mm within the trim line.
On the figure above, you can see a depiction of the bleed, trim, and safe regions. If you choose a different printing business, the bleed and trim requirements may differ, so speak with them before proceeding with your design.
These restrictions are in place to ensure that no text is unintentionally chopped off during the trimming process. The bleed guarantees that you don’t end up with an unsightly white/clear line around the edge of your sticker design if the trimming procedure is off by one or two centimeters.
