Guide · artwork
How to make stickers, at home or printed from your design
To make stickers, design them at the size they will be used, print them on sticker paper or printable vinyl, and cut them out by hand or with a cutting machine. That works well for a handful. For stickers that go outside, get handed out or sold, printing on vinyl is usually cheaper per sticker and lasts far longer.
In one paragraph
Design your sticker at its real size, with the artwork running a few millimetres past the cut and the text kept inside it. At home, print on matt sticker paper for indoor use or printable vinyl for something sturdier, cover it with clear laminate if it will get wet, and cut with scissors, a craft knife or a cutting machine. Printed for you, the same file becomes die-cut stickers on outdoor vinyl, from $32 for 10, with a proof before anything is made.
Step 1: design the sticker
Whichever way you make it, the file decides how good the sticker looks. Get these right first:
- Size. Decide where it goes and measure it: a laptop sticker, a jar label and a car window sticker are very different sizes. The free sticker size visualiser shows a size at real scale on your screen.
- Resolution. A photo or drawing needs about 300 pixels per inch at the printed size, or it prints soft. Check yours with the print resolution checker. A logo is best as a vector file (PDF, SVG or AI).
- Bleed. If the colour runs to the edge, extend it about 2mm past the cut line, so a cut that lands slightly off still shows no white sliver.
- Safe area. Keep text and anything important at least 2–3mm inside the cut.
- The cut line. A square or circle sticker needs nothing extra. A sticker cut to the shape of your design needs an outline to cut along, usually with a white border around the artwork. The free cut contour generator draws one from your file in the browser.
Canva, Illustrator, Affinity and free tools all work. If you design in Canva, the Canva print checker catches the usual export problems.
What we print for this
Proofed before they run
Step 2, at home: print and cut
What you need:
- Sticker paper or printable vinyl that suits your printer. Inkjet and laser sheets are different products, so check the pack.
- Clear self-adhesive laminate, if the stickers will be handled, washed or used outside.
- Something to cut with: scissors, a craft knife and a metal ruler, or a home cutting machine.
Then:
- Lay out as many stickers as fit on a sheet, with a few millimetres between them.
- Print a test on plain paper first, to check the size and colour.
- Print on the sticker sheet at the printer’s best quality, with the paper type set to match. Let the ink dry fully.
- Laminate the sheet if you need it, smoothing from the centre out to avoid bubbles.
- Cut out each sticker, or let a cutting machine cut along the outline using its registration marks.
Making stickers without a cutting machine
Choose simple shapes, squares, circles and rectangles, and leave a white border so a slightly wobbly cut does not show. A paper punch makes neat circles, and a craft knife against a metal ruler gives straight edges far cleaner than scissors.
Home-made or printed: which suits you?
| Made at home | Printed on vinyl | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A few stickers, crafts, planners, a one-off | Brand stickers, packaging, giveaways, anything outside |
| Outdoors and water | Inkjet runs when wet unless laminated, and fades in the sun | Vinyl rated for years outdoors; laminated stickers for longer still |
| Cut | By hand or a cutting machine, one sheet at a time | Square, circle, die-cut to your outline, or kiss-cut on a backing |
| Cost | Sheets, laminate and ink, plus your time | From $32 for 10, falling fast per sticker as the quantity rises |
Step 2, printed: send the file
On the stickers page, choose the shape, size and quantity, see the price with GST and delivery included, and upload your design. You get a proof showing the sticker and its cut line before anything is printed, and setting up the artwork is free with the order. What stickers cost explains why 500 cost so much less each than 50.
For stickers that live outside for a long time, on a car, a bin or a boat, laminated stickers add a clear protective layer. For a short-term job like event labels or packaging seals, budget stickers cost less.
Making stickers from a photo
Use the largest version of the photo you have, not one saved from a message or social media, which are shrunk. Crop it to the shape you want, check it at the sticker’s size with the resolution checker, and for a cut-out shape remove the background first so the cut line can follow the subject.
Common questions
What paper do you use to make stickers?
Sticker paper (paper with an adhesive back on a peel-off liner) for indoor stickers, or printable vinyl for something tougher and more water-resistant. Buy the version made for your printer: inkjet and laser sheets are not interchangeable.
Can you make waterproof stickers at home?
Water-resistant, yes: print on printable vinyl and cover it with clear self-adhesive laminate. Inkjet ink on its own runs when wet. For stickers that live outside, printed vinyl lasts much longer than anything made on a home printer.
How do you make stickers without a cutting machine?
Keep the shapes simple, leave a white border around the artwork, and cut with a craft knife and a metal ruler for straight edges or a paper punch for circles. Scissors are fine for a handful.
What file format is best for stickers?
A PDF or SVG for logos and text, so the edges stay sharp at any size, or a PNG at about 300 pixels per inch at the sticker’s printed size. For a cut-to-shape sticker, a PNG with a transparent background lets the cut line follow your design.
What size should a sticker be?
It depends on where it goes. Around 5 × 5 cm is the most common size for laptops, bottles and packaging, and car and window stickers run much bigger. Measure the spot, then check the size at real scale with the sticker size visualiser.
Is it cheaper to make stickers or have them printed?
For a few, making them at home is cheaper if you already have a printer. Once you need more than a couple of sheets, or they have to survive water and sun, printed vinyl usually costs less per sticker and saves the cutting. The smallest printed order is 10 stickers from $32 delivered.
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