Vinyl Sticker and Label Printing
We all know stickers well. When we were young we found them in lucky packets. They are all around us and on most of the products we use. Sitting in traffic reading the bumper sticker on the car before you or the “my family” window sticker decals of everybody and the dog.
Vinyl labels allow for so much. From waterproof labels for water bottles to paper packaging labels.
For examples of sticker we have printed, please click here
Vinyl Colours
The most commonly used labels are made from white adhesive vinyl. White is used as personalized label designs are printed in colour on these labels.
You do get vinyl in colour also. There are hundreds of colours from many manufactures. From standard colours to metallic, neons, reflective and even carbon vinyl. The sky is the limit. Even chalkboard vinyl has become popular these days.
Colour vinyls are typically not used for printing but mostly used for signage and car decals. The design is cut from a roll of colour vinyl stickers using a vinyl cutter machine. The pieces of different colour cut vinyl are applied together to make up the final design of your choice. Many of the racing stripes on a sports car or even the whole car can be wrapped in these interesting colours
Stickers Types
Adhesive stickers have many functions.
Paper Product Labels
Cheap labels are used for example on fruit and veg packaging. Some of these cheap stickers say thing like “Freshly Packed” or “A Class”. Cheap labels are used to keep the cost down of the packaging and because the sticker has a single use and do not have to last that long. These labels are often made from paper or a very cheap vinyl
Typically vinyl stickers have a longer lifespan. Sticker vinyl material are also graded by quality and durability. Digital wide format vinyl are graded from 1 year monomeric to 8 year polymeric vinyl. They are water proof and can be laminated to extend the lifespan even further.
Monomeric Vinyl
Monomeric reverse to the structure of the vinyl. These vinyl are cheaper to manufacture therefore cost less to buy. This vinyl is ideal for short term and indoor use. This type of vinyl is normally thicker and more rigid. The vinyl does not expansion and contractions very well outdoors causing it to peel and crack.
Polymeric Vinyl Stickers
Polymeric vinyl has a more complex structure. It is also a more expensive product to make and therefore more costly. The complex structure allow for it to be shaped, for example the curves of a car. The structure also allows for the vinyl to contract and expand therefore do not crack as easily. This vinyl is ideal for vehicle wrapping and outdoor use.
Vinyl Cutting and Custom Shapes
Die Cut Stickers
Die cut or kiss cut labels are made using a die cut block. The vinyl is run through a machine and the die cut block punches each sticker according to the shape required. This method is most often used with high volume label printing. There is however a setup fee and a cost for the die block itself making it very expensive solution for low volume and once off sticker runs. Cutting circle or square stickers are easily done.
Vinyl Cutting Labels
Vinyl cutters are machines that cut any shape according to the artwork supplied. A special colour is use in the artwork to indicate where the artwork should be cut. This allows for very complex shapes to be cut. Although this method allows a lot of flexibility and possibilities, the custom stickers are cut one at a time making this method very slow. More complex the design the longer it takes to cut.
Printing Methods for Stickers
Get stickers made are fairly easy. Most designs are exported to a print that printed on a media like vinyl for example. There are however several types of label printers. The right method will depend of the type of sticker
There are many types of printers but the methods below are the more popular ones
Wide Format Vinyl Printers
These printers can use solvent or UV inks. Wide rolls of self-adhesive vinyl are loaded and printed on. The roll can be anything from 600mm to 3.2m wide. Stickers for car wraps and signage are printed on these machines due to the size required. These machines are ideal for big surface low volume printing. One can print small stickers on these machines however high volume small sticker may take a long time to produce.
Thermal Label Printers
These printers are often used for barcode and pricing labels at the shop. These printers use heat to print on the labels and print in black and white on a pre-branded label. For example, the sticker used on the container for the salad you bought at a Spar. They print the price, salad type and weight as needed. The logo of Spar was printed beforehand. This is typically printed on as-needed bases.
Flexograph
A flexography printer is an industrial printer use to print high volume labels at a high speed. A plate is made for each colour in the design and loaded on the machine. Cans of ink are poured into the machine. As the label runs through the machine, the plate rolls through the ink and then presses on the label. Once the label has gone through all the plates, all the colours together make up the final image. The more you print the cheaper it gets
Sticker Uses
Popular Labels
Sticker for personal use can be anything for water bottle labels to be used at weddings and events or thank you stickers or bumper stickers. Window stickers are popular these days like your license disc sticker.
Company stickers
Companies would make use of promotional stickers to mark down products for a special or even company logo decals to brand products.
Dome stickers are normal stickers with a resin layer on top. The resin not only protects the sticker but also gives it a high end feel. Companies that manufacture appliances and other devices use a dome logo sticker to brand the product.
Custom Wholesale Packaging and Product Labels
In the packaging industry, there is a high demand for labels. From barcode to labels for jars and custom product labels. Chemical and safety labels are also important, the user will know the content of the product and how to handle it.
Real Estate Agent stickers
The real estate agent uses many kinds of stickers. Personalized vinyl name stickers and number decals are among the favourite. Custom design sticker like To let, For Sale, Sold and other stickers are not far behind. These stickers are easy to peel and stick on a sign or a correx board, updating the sign and changing the function or message.
Design of your labels
We supply a wide range of stickers to many industries. From private once-off use for a wedding or party sticker to long-term signage and high-volume wholesale packaging and product labels.
You may supply us with artwork or we can assist you in designing the perfect sticker to match your needs. With over 10 years experience in label printing, we can advise you on the best material and print method to use
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