How to Find the Best Sticker Printer Paper for Your Product Label

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There are 30.2 million small businesses in the United States.

If you have a small business, from a brick and mortar store to a humble Etsy shop, you want to have professional-looking products without breaking the bank.

Though sticker companies such as Stickerit.co offer affordable stickers in bulk like die-cut, holographic or clear stickers; what if we told you that you can print product stickers yourself?

Not all sticker printer paper is created equal, however. Keep reading to learn the differences so you can pick the paper that suits your needs.

Sticker Printer Paper – Matte vs. Glossy

Matte paper is the cheapest and simplest type of sticker printer paper to use. Think of it like regular 8.5″ x 11″ printer paper with an adhesive backing to it. It is the cheapest and simplest option for stickers.

This paper is easy to write on with a pen or pencil, which may be ideal for your project. If you are making food labels with expiration dates, for example, it will be more cost-effective to write the dates by hand on premade labels.

The downside of matte paper is that it’s not as smooth as glossy paper, nor are the colors as bright. Especially for lighter colors, the quality can really suffer.

The image may look grainier or more dull on matte paper than it would on gloss paper. If your print stickers are of an image or logo, opt for gloss paper.

Glossy sticker printer paper is like photograph paper with adhesive backing. These are extremely hard to write on, but they will yield better prints.

Note that sticker paper comes in different colors, like white, clear, colored, or metallic. Think carefully about your product and the best way to present it. For example, the best options for beverage labels include: clear film, matte finishes and shrink sleeves.

Waterproofing

Neither matte nor glossy sticker printer paper is waterproof.

To waterproof your stickers, you could use pigment ink with matte label paper. Note that you would need a special pigment ink printer to use this ink.

You could also use a laminate and clear coat to weatherproof your business stickers.

To Cut or Not to Cut

You have the option of buying either pre-cut or whole sticker printer paper.

Pre-cut stickers are already cut into shapes, like circles or rectangles. This is a good choice if you are using the stickers for things like Mason jars.

However, you must be sure to design your sticker to be the correct dimensions on the computer before printing it out. If the design is the wrong shape or misaligned, you’ll waste your time and paper.

Many people choose to instead buy 8.5″ x 11″ sticker printer paper and cut the stickers out themselves. That way, you don’t have to use trial and error to properly align your design to the pre-cut template.

These full sheets often have slices in the backing material for easier removal. Be careful because sometimes, this pre-cut slit could create a crease in your stickers.

Adhesive

There are three types of adhesive for sticker paper: removable, permanent, and aggressive.

Removable adhesive can be peeled and repositioned. This is usually the best choice for sticker printer paper, especially for planner stickers. Click here to find some adhesive paper for creating planner stickers.

Permanent adhesive cannot be peeled after placement. Aggressive adhesive is specially-designed to stick to textured or oily surfaces.

Print Your Business Stickers at Home 

With the right sticker printer paper and ink, you can print professional-grade labels yourself.

Do you have experience printing your own labels? What other DIY things do you do for your small business? Let us know in the comments below!

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