Ready to learn how to make stickers that’ll cling to your customers’ hearts?
From vibrant designs to selecting the right materials, this article is your guide to turning these sticky little pieces of art into a consistent cash flow.
Keep reading to learn how to make stickers to sell with Print on Demand (POD) and enter the sticker market one adhesive masterpiece at a time.
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Key takeaways
- Target a niche: Tailor your sticker designs to a specific group of people, like cheese lovers or vintage car fans.
- Understand your competition: Analyze what other sticker makers in your niche offer to find market gaps you can fill when creating stickers.
- Craft buyer personas: Develop detailed profiles of your ideal customers to understand their needs and wants.
- Choose a sticker type: Consider kiss-cut (affordable, easy peel) or die-cut (durable, precise edges) based on your design and application.
- Select a finish: Depending on the desired look, opt for matte (subtle), gloss (shiny), woven (reusable fabric), holographic (rainbow effect), or transparent.
- Explore sticker formats: Sell sticker sheets for thematic packs or individual stickers depending on your target audience.
- Pick your sales channels: Use POD services like Printify and sell through your own website, established marketplaces (Etsy, eBay), social media, or influencer collaborations.
- Market your brand: Build an online presence, optimize listings for search engines, engage with your audience, and explore partnerships.
- Leverage POD’s benefits: Avoid home printing costs and hassles, focus on design and creativity, use POD fulfillment and shipping services, and check out integrations with popular sales channels.
Get to know your market
Before you start designing and selling stickers, you need to get to know the market and your customers. Doing this research will help you know exactly what stickers to sell, how to sell them, and what you can do better than other sticker sellers.
Choose a niche
Target a niche. Instead of selling to everyone, identify a specific group, like cheese aficionados or vintage car fans. This lets you design stickers for a focused audience, increasing your sales success.
Imagine your ideal customer – who are they? What are their interests? What kind of stickers would they love?
Understanding your niche helps you attract the right customers to your sticker business.
Analyze competitor performance
There are tons of sticker shops, but you only need to look at a few leading players to get a good sense of the market.
Analyze other sticker makers, such as Sticker Ninja, to gain valuable insights into the existing offers within your chosen niche. Check their products, designs, marketing methods, prices, and other business aspects.
Read customer feedback
Go through sticker business reviews and browse related social media pages and forums to get an accurate picture of what customers want.
Pinpoint market gaps and new product demands, then create unique stickers to fill those needs.
Create buyer personas
Making well-defined buyer personas is a tried-and-tested strategy for helping you understand your customers and the specific stickers they need daily.
Check out these 15 print-on-demand niches to get your creative gears turning.
Make it happen today!
Prepare your sticker designs
Once you have a target audience in mind, making sticker designs for your online shop becomes much easier.
Try these design methods:
- Use professional graphics software. Create your custom sticker designs with a digital art program like Adobe Photoshop or free Photoshop alternatives.
- Use Printify’s free Product Creator to access free graphics, a text editor, an AI image generator, and many other tools that simplify the design process.
- Hire a professional. Find graphic design artists on Printify Experts, Fiverr, or any other freelancer programs to help you create stickers that sell.
Follow our guide to finding the best sticker design ideas and see what works best for your sticker shop.
Choose a sticker type
It’s time to pick which sticker types to sell online.
Pay attention to different cuts, finishes, and sticker materials. Stickers come in various shapes, sizes, and types, influencing their appearance and function.
Find the best find the best cut
Before you start sticker printing, choose between two main types of sticker cuts.
Kiss-cut stickers
This type offers a partial cut through the top sticker layer, leaving the backing intact. It provides an easy and smooth peel but less precise edges.
Kiss-cut stickers are high-quality but less durable than die-cuts. They work best on smooth surfaces like paper and glass.
They’re also much easier to produce, making them more affordable.
We offer four sticker dimensions, ranging from 2″ × 2″ to 6″ × 6″, but if you’re looking for different shapes and bigger sizes, go for kiss-cut vinyl decals, which come in a variety of 3″ × 4″ to 8″ × 10″.
Die-cut stickers
These durable vinyl stickers are fully cut into the shape of your sticker designs. This cut gives them precise edges but makes them harder to peel.
Die-cut stickers are high-quality and durable. They work great on both smooth and textured surfaces – they’ll stick to practically anything.
These stickers cost more than kiss-cut stickers because they require more precision.
We offer standard die-cut stickers in five sizes, ranging from 2″ × 2″ to6″ × 6″.
Read our guide on kiss-cut vs die-cut stickers to fully understand the difference between these sticker cuts.
Pick the right finish
Matte finish
It’s defined by a smooth surface that shows minimal light reflection. Matte stickers are usually made from vinyl sticker paper with a UV-protective laminate coating and a waterproof adhesive.
Check out our round vinyl stickers and bumper stickers for durable indoor and outdoor use.
Round vinyl stickers are available in five sizes ranging from 2″ × 2″to 6″ × 6″, while bumper stickers come in three sizes – 7.5″ × 3.75″ to 15″ × 3.75″.
Gloss finish
This sticker finish is characterized by a smooth and shiny surface that reflects a significant amount of light. Stickers with a gloss finish are usually made from water-resistant, self-adhesive vinyl paper.
Printify lets you add your vibrant designs to outdoor stickers with a die-cut, round, or square transparent background.
There are five sizes, starting at 2″ × 2″ and going up to 6″ × 6″.
Woven finish
These are reusable adhesive decorations designed to stick to walls.
Check out our Wall Decals, which are made from 100% woven polyester and come in six sizes, from 18″ × 12″ to 24″ × 36″.
These wall stickers are a great alternative or addition to wallpaper and painted walls.
Holographic finish
Holographic stickers are printed on sticker paper with a captivating 3D rainbow effect that changes when you look at them from different angles.
Our die-cut holographic stickers are made from premium printable vinyl to last over five years in all weather conditions.
They’re available in five sizes, ranging from 2″ × 2″ to 6″ × 6″.
Sticker sheets
It’s just what it sounds like – these custom vinyl stickers are printed on a single sheet, allowing you to create thematic design packs for any occasion or interest.
Vinyl sticker sheets on Printify are available with white, holographic, or transparent coating in two sizes – 6″ × 4″and 11″ × 8.5″.
These stickers sell very well if you stick with a theme. Planner stickers, for example, are usually sold in sheets and are super popular for those who like to stay organized.
Easily add 5-sheet or 10-sheet sticker packs to your online store with Printify.
Make it happen today!
Sell your stickers
Once you’ve found the physical stickers you want to sell and the people you’ll sell them to, it’s finally time to start creating and selling. Choose where to sell stickers based on your business goals and target customers.
Popular sales channels:
- POD sites. Try a POD service like Printify to design and sell stickers. You can even sell without opening a store on a third-party sales channel using a Printify Pop-Up Store.
- Your own website. Creating your own site saves you from subscription fees and gives you control over every part of sticker making and selling.
- eCommerce platforms and marketplace. These can be the best place to sell stickers online. Open an eBay or Etsy shop or set up a Shopify or WooCommerce site to sell your unique stickers through an established sales channel.
- Social media and influencers. Sell directly through social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook. Collaborate with influencers who can promote your stickers to their audience.
- TikTok Shop. This is one of the fastest-growing eCommerce platforms in the United States. Printify offers a seamless integration, making selling stickers on TikTok and managing order fulfillment easier than ever.
Market your sticker store
Wondering how to sell stickers online successfully? Marketing plays an important role in making and selling stickers.
Include these tactics in your marketing strategy:
- Build an online presence. Establish a strong online presence through social media, a dedicated website, or an online marketplace.
- Craft a brand. Consistent branding and engaging content are key to launching successful sticker businesses.
- SEO and keywords. Optimize your product listings with relevant keywords to improve visibility on search engines and eCommerce platforms.
- Engage with the community. Interact with your audience, respond to questions, and seek feedback to build customer trust and loyalty.
- Set up collaborations and partnerships. Partner with artists, influencers, or other brands to expand your reach and tap into new customer segments.
- Sell where your customers are. By strategically choosing where to sell your stickers and implementing effective marketing strategies, you can maximize your chances of success in the competitive sticker printing market.
How to make and sell stickers with Printify
If you get stickers printed with Printify, you won’t need to buy adhesive sticker paper from craft or office supply stores or acquire an expensive printing machine to make stickers at home.
Follow a few easy steps to join the ranks of other successful sticker sellers in just a few minutes.
Create a Printify account
Sign up with Printify for free to access many high-quality stickers at the best prices and start creating, ordering, and selling stickers online.
Pick a sticker
Browse our Product Catalog to find the best stickers for your online store.
Custom stickers come in many sticker paper backings, cuts, and designs perfect for any occasion.
Apply your design
Upload or create new designs with our free Product Creator.
Make stickers with free, high-quality graphics and design tools. Scale, layer, shape, and adjust your sticker art to create quality prints and easily outshine other sticker shops.
Launch your sticker business online
Start selling stickers on Etsy, eBay, Shopify, and other popular eCommerce sales channels through our seamless integrations. Integrating with Printify makes the order fulfillment process seamless so you can focus on marketing and designing.
Market your business
Get the word out about your sticker business by creating social media content, working with influencers, and bringing finished stickers to public spaces and high-traffic areas.
Follow these and other print-on-demand marketing tips shared through our merchant Success Stories.
Make it happen today!
Why choose POD instead of printing stickers at home?
Creating and selling your own stickers is exciting, but printing stickers at home is time-consuming and costly. You have to buy a printer, cutting machine, ink, and other expensive equipment.
POD services like Printify offer a cost-effective alternative. They handle logistics and worldwide shipping while providing high-quality stickers. This lets you focus on creativity and business growth without worrying about expenses and time spent on printing and packaging.
POD lets you:
- Say goodbye to manually fulfilling customer orders. POD companies like Printify will print and ship stickers directly to your customers.
- Order stickers in advance for in-person sales or print them on-demand after a customer places an order.
- Use automated integrations with popular sales channels. Start selling stickers on Etsy, eBay, Walmart, and other eCommerce platforms and online marketplaces.
- Open a Printify Pop-Up Store to sell stickers online in seconds through a unique store link – say goodbye to endless subscription costs and fees.
Some cool sticker design ideas for your sticker business
Have you made it this far but still need a little spark of creativity? We’ve got you covered!
We put together a few sticker design ideas for inspiration. Everything looks good on a sticker, from animals and food to tropical patterns and more.
Vintage stickers
Capture the nostalgia of times long past with retro cars, classic typewriters, vintage cameras, and a strawberry milkshake or two.
Enhance the vibe by going with a matte or holographic sticker finish.
Artwork stickers
Print stickers to celebrate creativity and artistic expression, creating enchanting pieces of art that transport viewers into a completely different world.
Reinterpret your favorite artworks or make something entirely new – the sticker is your canvas.
Social activism stickers
Stickers are a great way to showcase powerful slogans, meaningful symbols, and engaging visuals. It’s an unmatched way to raise awareness about various causes across the political spectrum.
From Pride Month to the climate crisis, choose what matters most and start printing stickers to spread the word.
Personalized stickers
From custom names in different fonts and colors to some more individual designs, sticker personalization might be the best choice for you to successfully sell stickers online.
AI art stickers
Use our AI Image Generator to print unique sticker designs your customers won’t find anywhere else.
Choose a style, describe your idea, and select any of the generated images to add to your stickers.
Check out our blog for the best sticker design ideas, suggestions, and expert tips on making stickers and starting your own sticker shop
Selling stickers FAQ
To print stickers at home, you’ll need a sticker printer, a cutting machine, and adhesive paper suitable for your printer. Some tasks, like cutting stickers, may be challenging and time-consuming, so you may want to outsource some steps to a sticker printing service.
If doing everything by hand at home isn’t your thing, use POD to start your own sticker business without the hassles of production and order fulfillment.
Select a sticker type, upload and adjust your design, and start selling custom stickers in just a few clicks. Once a customer orders one sticker or more, the POD provider will print and ship it.
Selling stickers is extremely profitable. The die-cut vinyl sticker market alone is estimated to reach a value of $191.1 million by 2028.
However, if you decide to go the homemade route and print stickers yourself, you’ll need to buy a printing and cutting machine along with other equipment. This results in much higher operational costs than when using a POD service like Printify and can eat into your profits quite a bit. Selling stickers with POD is definitely the more profitable route.
We recommend a minimum profit margin of 30-40% on each sticker or sticker sheet, but be sure to make adjustments as you see fit. For example, if you have an Etsy store, your margins will differ from a standalone website on WooCommerce since Etsy has several fees.
Tip: Follow our tips to find the best pricing strategy for your store and learn how to price stickers for a profit.
Stay updated with the latest design trends, gather feedback from your target audience, and continuously evolve your stickers to meet your customers’ changing preferences.
Use our Product Creator to easily make stickers and product mockups and access free graphics, design tools, and even an AI Image Generator.
Wrapping up
With these insights into different sticker types and the advantages of POD, you’ll be ready to create your own stickers and sell them both offline and online.
Reach customers using popular eCommerce platforms, marketplaces, social media, or your own website. Unleash your creativity with Printify, where making, selling, and shipping stickers is easy!
