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Learn the Ins and Outs of Die-Cut Stickers

Die-Cut Stickers – Are they actually cut with a die?

We’ve been printing stickers since 2005 and during this time we have seen popular terms, production methods, terms and of course fads come and go. One that seems to confuse customers the most lately is Die-Cut Stickers.  Die-Cut stickers has become the industries way of saying that [insert sticker company name here] can cut your stickers to any shape and size that you need, basically around your logo and not just round or square.   The term has become so widely used but really doesn’t offer much education to the you, the consumer.

The reality is, that many companies today don’t actually use dies to cut your stickers, but rather computer controlled cutting equipment, so where did the term come from?   The term came from the early days when the companies did have to build a die to cut your stickers to a custom shape, this required extensive setup time, hands on labor and most of all, cost.  The term stuck, and here we are, most companies have replaced dies with lasers or computer controlled cutting equipment, but the term still remains popular and widely searched.

All of our sticker types can be cut to a custom shape, so do we call all of our stickers die-cut stickers?  We don’t, so lets cover the one sticker type that we do call die-cut stickers (but are really computer-cut stickers, plotter cut stickers, vinyl cut stickers or pro cut stickers).

Our Die-Cut Stickers are single color, computer cut vinyl that have no background when applied.  The transfer of the sticker from sheet to surface is done using an application tape that’s applied to the sticker after it’s machine cut.  This allows for a sticker with no background when it’s applied, which gives a unique painted on appearance.  Many customers confuse this with a clear sticker.  A clear sticker has a clear vinyl background that uses a printing process to print the ink onto a clear media.  Our Die-Cut Stickers are only 1 color because there is no printing involved, the color of your stickers is based on the color of pre-colored material that’s loaded into the machinery.

Matte Black Die Cut Stickers

There is no background when the sticker is applied, note the wood finish coming through cleanly between the letters, no clear material is present.  The sticker was made with no printing, only cutting of the material from a matte black vinyl.

 

Products Shown:  Die-Cut Stickers
Cut Type:  Single color stickers with no background applied
Artwork Provided:  Customer provided, we redrew the file for a clean look

Learn all about our Reflective Fire, Search and Rescue and Police Department Stickers

Our stickers allow your departments logo to be seen during the day or night

Our Reflective Stickers are most popular among customers who need their logo to become an extra measure of safety.  These stickers are made to any shape and size, and have been utilized for Fire Departments, Search and Rescue, Police, and more.  Being able to see is critical for these operations and our Reflective stickers are the answer to night time visibility in all weather conditions.

 

Products Shown:  Reflective Stickers
Cut Type:  Cut to custom shape at no extra cost
Artwork Provided:  Customer provided artwork

Indoor Wall Stickers add style to home and office walls

Brand any wall and remove later without residue or wall damage

That freshly painted office wall that you just spent hours in the Lowes store picking out the perfect shade of grey sure is missing something.  You can hang a picture on the wall, you can put some trendy items you found from Ikea on a shelf that’s bolted to the wall, these are the standard options everyone goes with.  What if you could add your actual company logo to the wall with just as much ease, without having to worry about even putting a hole in the wall?   Indoor wall stickers are an excellent way to achieve this.

Our wall stickers are printed onto a wall-specific material that’s designed to remove cleanly to painted drywall or any smooth wall surface without residue.  Application doesn’t require any special tools, it’s simply a matter of setting the sticker in place, then rubbing your hand over the surface of the sticker to push out any large air bubbles.   You applied the sticker sideways the first time?   No problem at all, we understand your friend was never good at hanging pictures straight –  this material is designed to be removed and reapplied as many times as you like regardless of your friend choices.  Take it from wall to wall and you’ll be able to change the look of your office weekly.

You have a really big walls, we understand.  We can produce our wall stickers up to 50″ wide by nearly any length as one large sticker.   If you need an even larger sticker, we can always make them even wider, allowing you to apply the sticker in separate panels, much like wallpaper.  We think this material is an excellent option for your wall projects, and all you need is high-resolution artwork.  Have any questions about artwork?  We’re always available!  Contact Us!

 

Products Shown:  Large Format Stickers – Indoor Wall Stickers
Cut Type:  Cut to shape around logo with our computer controlled cutting process
Artwork Provided:  Customer provided

From design to Large Format Stickers to outdoor masterpiece

Large Format Outdoor Pole Stickers

Large Format Stickers can turn drab into fab

A customer contacted us and wanted to turn a new PVC pipe into something that looks artistic.  We had never done a project like this before, but knew we could make it happen after they explained what they were after.  The customer provided their high-resolution artwork,  and we printed their design onto our high-quality wrap vinyl, which is perfect for wrapping around curved surfaces with ease.  They were understandably a little uneasy about the installation, because after all, installing vinyl can be difficult if using the wrong materials for the job.  Our wrap vinyl is compliant and forgiving to work with, which is why we recommend this material for large format installs.  With some basic instructions over the phone on how to install the material to the pipe, the end result was perfect!  They will have many years of enjoyment out of their project and we love to see customers turn something so basic into something artistic with a simple sticker installation.

Products Shown:  Large Format Stickers – Our custom Wrap Vinyl for curved surfaces, Glossy Laminate
Cut Type:  Cut to rectangle shape, no outside white border
Artwork Provided:  Customer provided artwork

Custom service stickers can help save the day

Custom Service Sticker Sheets

When your customers need help, remind them who to call

Electrical Safety Specialists maintain their client base by applying one of our Premium White Vinyl Stickers to each piece of electrical equipment that they have come in contact with.  This simple sticker install can make the difference between the customer calling them to fix a issue, or trying to Google a completely different company who may or may not be best for your client.  ESS uses Premium White Stickers knowing that they are laminated to protect the print from grease, grime and mild chemicals and have a 3+ year outdoor life to ensure their stickers will last for the long term outdoors.    A customer may not even know the sticker is applied until an issue arises, so be sure that the stickers are applied in an easy to find, safe place for the client to find it.

 

Products Shown:  Premium White Stickers with Glossy Laminate
Cut Type:  Cut into 8.5″ x 11″ sheets for easy transport
Artwork Provided:  Customer provided artwork

Face Adhesive Stickers – Labels that are Tamper Proof

Face Adhesive Stickers are perfect inside (the glass!) window stickers

Bluffs Landing Marina and Lodge uses our Face Adhesive Stickers to identify who has a launch permit for each boating season.  With our simple to apply and identify Face Adhesive Sticker solution, Bluffs is able to quickly check who should and shouldn’t be using the boat launch areas.   Each season a new color is ordered to make the identification process simple and straight forward.   This sticker type is perfect for this application as they are applied inside the glass and show outside the vehicle.   If your stickers need to be applied as a long term solution, no need to worry, our stickers are printed onto high-quality vinyl with outdoor inks, making them ready for a harsh life in the sun.

Bluffs Landing and Marina

Bluffs Landing and Marina Face Adhesive Stickers

Products Shown:  Face Adhesive Stickers
Cut Type:  Cut to rectangle shape, no outside white border
Artwork Provided:  Customer provided

Die Cut Stickers for Advertising

Applied Die Cut Sticker

Your car is an ideal rolling billboard

RC Performance LLC utilizes our Die-Cut stickers to advertise their company name on car windows, motorcycle gas tanks and even apply them to customers racing motorcycles.  A single Die-Cut Sticker can be viewed thousands of times over it’s lifespan.  With a few seconds of application time, a customers vehicle can quickly and easily be turned into your companies rolling billboard.  A customers car could potentially pass by thousands of vehicles a day, making your company sticker visible to potential clients.  If you handed out stickers to 500 customers, who then applied the stickers in the same manner to their vehicle, you now have 500 rolling billboards.   Over the years our customers have proven that company window stickers generate returns for their business, and they sure do look nice while doing it!


Products Shown:
  Die-Cut Stickers
Cut Type:  Single color – Black, Dark Grey, Gold, Red, White Vinyl used in photo above.
Artwork Provided:  Customer provided fonts

Sticker visibility can be critical

TTI Speed Shop Reflective Stickers Glowing

Doing your homework to ensure your logo stands out

Standing out in the business world is an ever changing challenge, but many of our customers recognize that even the small details matter to standing out.  Recognizing how, where and when you want your stickers to be seen can be critical to giving your brand that extra bit of visibility.  A larger sticker could be needed to be legible from so many feet away, or a smaller sticker may be needed to be a subtle compliment your brand, while still getting your message across.  More people may look at a certain area of your product more, so a label would be best applied to the most visible area.  You may want your logo to be seen during the day and night, which is where our Reflective Stickers would be a great solution.

Not ready to move to stickers quite yet?  Print your logo at the desired size on standard white computer paper before moving to printing custom stickers.  This will allow you to establish an overall size, look and feel before moving to sticker production.   First, design your logo at the exact size you think you need it made into stickers in.  Next,  load in  some standard computer paper, print your design, then cut your logo out with scissors and hold it up your application area!  Adjust your logo as needed, and reprint until it’s perfect.  Bingo, you have made a perfect sticker preview with no wasted resources.

Products Shown:  Reflective Stickers with Gloss Laminate
Cut Type:  Contour cut to outside shape, slight outside white border
Artwork Provided:  Customer provided, we setup the cut line

From Hand Drawn to Sticker Form

When using what you’ve got is the best option

Getting the best result doesn’t always require expensive software or expensive design services, there are many design programs available that are free of charge that allow you to use your skills or establish new ones.   Free to download design software like InkScape and Gimp are a great way to get started!   Some of our customers also choose to hand draw their images, sending us the scanned in images for print.  We have the ability to print the images directly from their hand drawings, making some beautiful results.  Whether you start with the most expensive software or the Free software, we always recommend getting into graphic design, it’s an extremely rewarding way to express your ideas!

Products Shown:  Premium White Stickers with Gloss Laminate
Cut Type:  Cut to a circle
Artwork Provided:  Customer provided, we added in circle cut.

When Matte Laminate on Custom Stickers Matters

Matte-Premium-White-Stickers

Matte Laminates can give your stickers a different look

We offer two laminate options for our Premium White Stickers, Matte and Gloss.  Customers going for the brightest color pop and brightest colors,  focus on our glossy laminates.  Matte laminates remove the color pop from your design, which isn’t always a bad thing when your design requires a more subdued look.   These Sheri’s Sweet Shoppe stickers had to match a flat black surface they were being applied to, so a matte laminate was perfect for this application.

Products Shown:  Premium White Stickers with Matte Laminate – High Tack Vinyl
Cut Type:  Cut to rectangle shape, rounded corners, no outside white border
Artwork Provided:  Customer provided, we redrew the file for a clean look

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