How to Print Vinyl Stickers

You can easily print your own vinyl stickers at home, with just a few simple devices. After you’ve designed your labels on your computer using photo editing software, print them out onto vinyl paper (also known as decal paper). Lamination laminate to make the sticker waterproof and colorfast to UV rays from sunlight. Once done, simply peel off the back of the label and stick it on. It is done!

Table of Contents

Design

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Check out these vinyl sticker designs for inspiration. Search for keywords “vinyl stickers”, “vinyl sticker designs” or “vinyl sticker designs”. Note what you like and dislike about those designs. Try to find something similar to what you envision.

For example, if you want to make vinyl stickers to decorate laptop cases, look for patterns that other people have made with their computers. This will give you an idea of the size and color of the design.

Sketch design on paper. You don’t have to draw all the details, you just need to sketch out the basic idea before proceeding on the computer. You should adjust the design so that the design is small enough to print on decal paper with dimensions of 8 x 11 inches (20.3 x 27.9 cm).

If you’re making vinyl stickers for the first time, keep the design simple.
If you still can’t come up with an idea, you can use graphics or images from the internet.

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Create designs on your computer with photo editing software. If you don’t have Photoshop or Illustrator, you can use photo editing software like GIMP. Sketch the design with the software’s drawing and editing tools, or scan and upload the sketch to complete. If you’re designing multi-color stickers, choose bold and vibrant colors to make them look appealing when printed.

Choose a minimum resolution of 300 ppi (pixels/inch) for the image.

Print stickers

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Open an 8 x 11 inch (20.3 x 27.9 cm) document in photo editing software. If the software you are using does not allow you to specify the size when opening a new document, you can edit the size later. Look for the Size button in the software’s menu bar.

Paste the design you created into the new document. If you want to print multiple stickers on the same page, paste the design in multiple times and then align it in rows. Check to make sure that no images are outside the margins of the template, or they will be cropped out when printed. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Click the “print preview” button to preview the print. If any copies of the design are cut off by the margins, move them away from the edge of the template. Also, don’t forget to check if the design copies overlap.

Insert the 8 x 11 inch (20.3 x 27.9 cm) vinyl paper into the printer. Place new vinyl paper in the printer’s paper tray with the adhesive-free print side facing the direction the machine will print on. If you are not sure whether to place the paper facing up or down in the tray, you should print a test sheet to check. ^{[2] X Research Source}

You can buy vinyl paper online or at your local stationery store. The printer paper needs to be compatible with the type of printer you are using. If the paper is designed for laser printers, but you use it with inkjet printers, the print quality will not be as good (and vice versa).
Use transparent vinyl paper if you want the background of the label to be transparent.
Vinyl stickers are suitable for outdoor use because the material is resistant to the elements. Besides, laser printers will be more suitable for printing stickers than inkjet printers, besides, you can also laminate the labels for labels if you want the design to be waterproof.

Lamination and sticker cutting

Place laminate film on label paper. Peel off the backing in the corner behind the laminate and align it with the top edge of the paper. Use your fingers to press the laminate film onto the vinyl paper to apply. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

You can find laminate film online or at your local stationery store.

Slowly peel off the remaining backing of the laminate film. You need to peel and stick until the backing layer is completely removed and the entire laminate film has been applied to the paper. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

To limit air bubbles, use the edge of the ruler to laminate the laminate onto the decal paper.

Cut laminated stickers. Use a ruler and a paper cutter to make precise cuts. If the sticker has a circular design, you can use scissors to cut it in a circle or square background. After you’ve cut all the stickers off, throw the rest of the scraps in the trash.

Peel off the backing of the label to paste. The vinyl backing will be below the design image, behind the side that you laminate. Use two fingers to peel off the corner and then peel off the vinyl backing completely from the sticker. Then, stick the label on a flat and dry surface.

Vinyl stickers can stick to most hard and smooth surfaces, and you can use them both indoors and outdoors.

Things you need

Pencil or ink pen (note: with a pencil you will be able to correct sketches more easily than with an ink pen)
Computer or tablet. You can use any electronic device, as long as the screen is large enough and the appropriate software is available (note: the device must be able to connect to a printer).
Image editing software (Krita is great for professional design, but Paint or Gimp usually comes pre-installed on the computer)
8 x 11 . vinyl printing paper
The inkjet printer is compatible with the type of paper printed on
Laminate sheet 8 x 11
Scissors or paper cutter
Ruler
Large printer

Advice

Cricut is the right program for designing vinyl labels, but you have to buy a large cutter. You can also use this software for many other purposes, not just designing stickers.

Steps

Design

Print stickers

Lamination and sticker cutting

Things you need

Advice

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