What Is a Die-Cut Sticker?
Building a brand doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time and the right marketing moves.
One of the easiest ways to create buzz for your brand is with custom die-cut stickers.
It’s a clever way to inject brand opportunities everywhere.
Die-cut stickers offer more customization, allowing them to stand out and leave a lasting impression on potential customers. They can also be tailored to perfectly match your brand’s logo, colors, and aesthetics, ensuring consistency across your marketing strategy.
Learn more about what die-cut stickers are and see if it’s the right fit for you.
What Materials Are Die-Cut Stickers Made From?
Die-cut stickers can technically be made from any material since the term die-cut refers to how a sticker gets cut. They’re cut into the exact shape of the design itself.
Some of the most popular materials include:
- Vinyl: Vinyl is a durable and cost-effective material. It’s water-resistant and can be used on a variety of surfaces.
- Paper: Paper-based materials are used for indoor applications such as crafts or home decor. They’re also easy to recycle, making them environmentally friendly.
- BOPP: Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene ( BOPP) is a type of plastic used for enhanced durability. They’re great for cosmetics, medication, and food labeling since they resist harsh chemicals.
Kickstart your designs with AI
Leverage the power of AI to streamline your design process,
turning your ideas into polished, production-ready products with ease.
How to Make Die-Cut Stickers?
Creating die-cut stickers requires extensive printing, laminating, and slitting. That’s why the best way to receive custom stickers is to lean on the experts from THE/STUDIO, who have all the specialized equipment and expertise to bring your sticker ideas to life.
However, here’s what the process of making die-cut stickers looks like.
Printing
You’ll need to print your artwork onto the sticker material. You have two printing options – screen or digital printing.
Screen printing is widely preferred because of its rich glossy colors and outdoor durability. The ink is pushed through a mesh screen onto the sticker, and multiple rounds are needed for precise color layering.
Digital screening is where you use laser printing technology (like a computer printer) to reproduce the design onto the sticker.
Laminating
Once printed, they’re laminated to achieve specific finishes and protect the printed ink from outdoor elements. The lamination helps to provide an appealing glossy, or matte look.
Slitting
Slitting is where you cut through the backing material, allowing easy peeling and application. From there, you can cut the adhesives to your desired shape. You’ll need a die-cutting machine that can precisely cut through vinyl and other materials.
Elements to Consider When Designing Die-Cut Stickers
Certain design elements must be considered to ensure the final product looks visually appealing. Let’s break down what these elements are and why they’re essential.
Safe Zone
Your die-cut sticker must have a safe zone around the sticker design. This is intentionally left blank to account for potential variations during the die-cutting process. Typically, you want to avoid having crucial graphics or texts along the edges.
While die-cutting is highly accurate, leaving room to factor in potential misalignments or minor shifts that can impact the final cut is good.
White Border vs. Full Bleed
You can choose between a white border or a complete bleed design during the design process.
A white border is when you leave unprinted white space around the edges of your sticker design. This creates a clean and polished appearance. The stark contrast between your design and the surface makes it easier to read, especially on darker backgrounds.
A complete bleed design extends your artwork all the way to the edges of the sticker with no clear border. This blends in better with the surface they attach to since there’s no white border between the design and the edge.
Interior Die-Cuts
Interior die-cuts are holes in the middle of the sticker design. They’re used when a sticker needs to fit over or around a pre-manufactured part without covering it completely.
Let’s say you’re adding a sticker to the back of a phone. The sticker must align with the camera lens using interior die-cuts.
Popular Uses for Die-Cut Stickers
Whether you’re starting a custom sticker business or want to incorporate it into your print marketing strategy, there are many popular ways to use die-cut stickers, such as:
For Your Business
- Branding
- Promotional
- Giveaways at events
- Product labels
- Window Decals
- E-commerce businesses
For Home
- Laptops, tablets, and phones
- Water bottles
- Wall Decor
- Scrapbooks and crafts projects
- Gifts inside party favor bags
For School
- Classroom decor, such as on walls and bulletin boards
- Notebooks and folders
- Locker decorations
- Art projects
What Other Styles of Stickers Are Available?
Die-cut stickers aren’t the only option you have for expressing yourself or branding your company. There are different styles and formats to print your design on, such as die-cut, kiss cut, sheet, and roll.
Die-Cut Stickers vs. Kiss-Cut Stickers
Among the most popular sticker styles are die-cut and kiss-cut stickers.
Die-cut stickers are cut through both the vinyl and paper backing – leaving the exact shape of the sticker without the excess material.
Kiss-cut stickers are cut only through the sticker vinyl, not the paper backing. This means they have a backing that’s larger than the sticker, usually in a rectangular shape around the sticker.
If you have unique logos you’d like to put on display, die-cut will help your design stand out immediately. Kiss-cut stickers are more cost-effective and great if you want to peel many stickers quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Die-Cut Stickers Used For?
Die-cut stickers are often used for branding, product packaging, food packaging labeling, company signage, bumper stickers, and other promotional purposes. However, they’re also used for decorating personal belongings. Since these stickers are custom-cut to the shape of your artwork, there are hundreds of applications for die-cut stickers.
What Does It Mean To Die-Cut a Sticker?
To die-cut a sticker means to cut it out of a sheet of material using a die-cutting machine. The die-cutting machine uses a sharp steel blade to cut out the design from the material. These stickers are cut around the contour of your design, giving them a custom shape.
Final Thoughts
First impressions matter. Seeing your sticker can get first-time potential customers to notice you. A beautiful logo or eye-catching design, with an impeccable call-to-action, can decide what gets customers to buy your product.
Die-cut stickers are highly versatile to use in just about any situation, from branding and promotional material to event giveaways and even personalizing belongings.
When considering die-cut stickers, you want to turn to experts. THE/STUDIO is the easiest way to order custom stickers, labels, and other printing online. Use our online creator tool to customize your stickers and turn your designs and illustrations into beautifully crafted die-cut stickers. We offer all types of sticker styles, such as shiny, rustic, classic, clear, and holographic.
Shop THE/STUDIO to create custom stickers to help make your brand stick in your customer’s minds.
