Purchasing custom stickers is difficult, especially when one is unaware of what to check on a company to buy from. Some potential problems are selecting improper material, color, or size and stickers with short life expectancy and low visibility.
Low-grade stickers tend to fade, peel off, or become unattractive, thus wasting/time and money. Still, it is possible to ensure the custom stickers are as durable, noticeable, and suitable for use as you need. This guide will aid you in making better decisions for the best outcomes.
Choosing Low-Quality Materials
Another foolish decision is getting low-quality stickers for your custom sticker printing. While using low-quality paper or vinyl materials will seem cheaper, the result is stickers that are easily peeled off or don’t stick at all.
The use of high-quality vinyl, for instance, in production expands the durability and product life. When it comes to longevity, especially in its usage, like in automobiles, outside trading places, and various reliefs, among others, investing in high-end stickers is a must. Low-quality works also lack strength and fade quickly, defeating a design’s purpose.
Overlooking Adhesive Strength
Another factor seldom considered is the sticker’s adhesive quality. Not all stickers have the same sticking power. Some are used for a short period, while others provide long-term solutions.
If your stickers are being placed outdoors, you must ensure they stick well on the surface used for them. If ignored, this can lead to stickers coming off too early or not sticking to some surfaces as they are supposed to. Remember to consider the expected kind of adhesive that applies to the particular task.
Ignoring Design Resolution
Here’s some wisdom for you: Your sticker design is no better than your chosen resolution. The problem with low-resolution images is that they produce stickers with blurred or pixelated images that look unprofessional.
Whether you are designing logos, artwork, or text-based stickers for t-shirts, ensure your design resolution is 300 DPI and above. Skipping this step may result in enormous disappointment when you develop stickers that could be clearer or sharper.
Not Considering Sticker Durability
This is an essential concern if you want stickers that can survive a test of rigorous use. Since stickers will be applied on car surfaces or bottle surfaces that people touch all the time or other small, easily movable items, the stickers must be scratch-resistant, water-resistant, and generally should not fade away quickly.
Pay attention to the element you intend to use so that it can withstand the kind of use you plan to put it through. For instance, if your stickers are positioned outside, then vinyl with lamination will be more appropriate.
Forgetting to Test Sample Prints
It is an approach of great value that many disregard, namely preproduction testing before mass sample production. And this can help prevent you from making more expensive errors. When you pay for sticker prints in bulk, you can only estimate the stickers’ colors, resolution, and print quality.
It also assists in ensuring that the material has the correct feel and adheres to your intended substrate. The main disadvantage of forgetting this step is that it is easy to be dissatisfied with what has been produced.
Skipping Waterproof or UV Protection
If your stickers are for outdoor or high-wear-and-tear applications, it would be a big mistake not to add waterproofing and UV protection. Printed stickers will likely come into contact with sunlight and rain, so they have to endure the danger of water and Ultraviolet radiant outflow to avoid fading, peeling, or disintegrating. You should make these protective layers to ensure your stickers do not fade away or get destroyed in bad weather. Please do so to avoid a short sticker life, thus wasting your money.
Misjudging the Size of Stickers
A significant and instead frequently made a mistake is the wrong estimation of the size of stickers. When designing for something, it’s not hard to believe that a specific size will give the desired look, but when you print it, you find it’s not as effective as you thought.
Stickers that are too small may be difficult to read, and those stickers that are too large may dominate the surface on which they are placed. Depending on the nature of your sticker, always think about the final usage and quickly choose the most appropriate size.
Ordering the Wrong Quantity
Last but not least, the standard error is the wrong order quantity, which is typical for clients who have decided to order custom stickers for the first time. Either way, one is stuck in a situation where the supplies will either be used and remain unused or be bought but finished before you expected.
Depending on whether you use your stickers on once-off occasions or constantly for promotion, you should order accordingly. Some suppliers always give discounts during bulk buying season, and therefore, you can reap benefits by planning your orders in advance.
Conclusion
Ordering custom stickers entails severe consideration to ensure you get the best stickers. When deciding ‘which tape’, let alone where to place it, what adhesive strength to use, how many layers to apply, or even its overall thickness and recognition, every process alters the outcome for the better. By considering these aspects, you will produce custom stickers that are attractive outwardly, durable, and practical to use.
