How to Print Stickers at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide

Brands of all sizes use stickers as gifts, promotional items, or as part of their product catalog. Thanks to contemporary printing technology, it’s easier than ever for business owners and hobbyists to design and print stickers at home. 

There are many reasons you might choose to print stickers at home. If you own a design business, DIY printing allows you to print small batches and limited edition or custom stickers affordably. You can also create prototypes of your designs before commissioning higher-volume orders from a professional vendor. Retail business owners or creators can use at-home printing to create stickers for custom product packaging, promotional materials, and branded merchandise.

Read on to learn what you need to print stickers at home and how to sell stickers as part of your online business. 

DIY sticker printing vs. traditional printing vs. print on demand

There are three main ways to create professional-looking stickers using your own designs. Here’s an overview:

• DIY sticker printing. You print your own stickers using a home printer and a digital design file. At-home printing is a low-cost option for small projects, but it can be less affordable and more time-consuming for higher-volume orders. 

• Print on demand.Print-on-demand (POD) companies are digital printing services that accept orders of any size. Partnering with a POD service is a more efficient option than at-home printing for higher-volume projects, but per-item costs increase for smaller orders.

• Traditional printing. Traditional printing has high start-up costs due to the creation of an offset printing plate, which is an aluminum plate etched with the print’s design. Once the plate is created, however, you can affordably create high volumes of stickers.

How to print stickers at home

1. Create your sticker design
2. Gather materials
3. Prepare your design file
4. Print and finish your stickers

Use these steps as a guide to start printing stickers at home:

1. Create your sticker design

You can use professional design software like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, or a digital design tool like Canva to design your stickers. Shopify also offers Shopify Logo Maker, a free tool that can help business owners create branded artwork and other sticker designs.

You could alternatively hand-draw designs, scan them, and use a design tool like Procreate to polish your digital file.

2. Gather materials

Here’s what you need to start printing stickers at home:

• An inkjet printer. Although it’s possible to print stickers with a laser printer, inkjet printers produce brighter colors and crisper designs. They’re also the more popular and affordable home printer option.

• Printable sticker paper. Purchase the right sticker paper for your project, choosing an inkjet-compatible material and selecting a glossy, matte, or speciality finish based on your desired look. Vinyl sticker paper is one popular and durable option. 

• Cutting device. You can use scissors, a paper cutter, or a craft knife to separate your stickers. For complex shapes, you might also consider purchasing a Cricut or similar cutting machine.

• Self-adhesive laminate. If you’ve opted to print regular paper stickers instead of using a water-resistant material like vinyl, consider purchasing laminate sheets and applying them to your printed designs.

3. Prepare your design file

Here’s how to prepare your designs for print:

1. Create a document. In your design tool, create a document with the same dimensions as your sticker paper, such as 8.5 inches by 11 inches.

2. Paste your design into the document. If you have extra space, copy and paste your design to print multiple stickers per sheet, leaving a cutting allowance between images.

3. Save your design. Use a print-optimized file format, such as a PNG or PDF, at a high resolution, like 300 dpi (dots per inch). 

4. Print and finish your stickers

Once you’ve configured your printer settings, it’s time to bring your stickers into the world. Here’s how to do it:

1. Print a test sheet. Print a single sheet first to confirm that layout, colors, and sizes render as expected. Consider also cutting out your test stickers to confirm that you’ve given yourself enough space for the task.

2. Print your batch. If you’re happy with your test print, print the rest of your batch.

3. Allow your stickers to dry. Allow about five minutes for your freshly printed stickers to dry completely.

4. Cut your stickers. Once your stickers are dry, cut them out by hand or using a Cricut or Silhouette machine.

Ways to turn sticker printing into an online business

• Give away stickers as free branding
• Sell your stickers online
• Carve out a niche
• Scale your business with print on demand (POD)

Here are a few tips to help you use stickers as part of your business: 

Give away stickers as free branding 

If you already own a small business, you can print your own stickers with your logo or brand name to delight your customers with a freebie. Stickers are an easy way for customers to share their love of your brand, and turn their laptops, water bottles, or notebooks into an advertisement for your product. 

Once you’ve identified successful designs, you can also apply those design templates to other product categories, like tote bags and t-shirts. 

Sell your stickers online

If you’re selling stickers as a core part of your business, use Shopify to create a branded store. Unlike selling on marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon, Shopify lets you fully control the branding. You also pay lower transaction fees and have full access to your customer data and analytics. If you’re selling on multiple platforms, you can centralize your sales and inventory using the Shopify Marketplace Connect app.

Carve out a niche

Carve out a niche for your sticker business. For example, focus on custom labels for outdoor use or quirky stickers for water bottles rather than generic stickers covered by competitors. Regularly create social media content promoting your stickers and consider running paid ads to direct traffic back to your online store. 

Scale your business with print on demand

As your business grows, consider increasing your capacity with a POD partner. POD services are typically a more efficient and affordable choice than home printing for higher-volume orders. Many also ship orders directly to your end consumer so you don’t need to store inventory. 

You might continue to home-print prototypes and limited-run collections and use a POD service to meet increased demand for popular products. Look for a POD application that integrates with your online store. Gelato and Printful are two leading options available through the Shopify App Store.