Steps to Design Your Own Stickers and Labels

If budget is not a concern, you can easily get a skilled graphic designer to create professional-looking and high-quality custom labels for your brand. However, if that’s not an option, you can also try your hand in designing your own custom sticker for your product.

It doesn’t matter if you have limited graphic design experience. With the help of the steps below, you can create the perfect custom label for your brand.

Know Your Customers

Before you even open PrintRunner’s free online design tool, you have to know the audience that you’re targeting. Designing your product’s label is easier if you have an idea of what resonates with your customers. Here are some questions that you can ask if you have conducted market research or have access to user data:

• What are the general demographics of your customers (age, gender, location, relationship status, etc.)?
• Why do they buy your products? Or, why are they buying your competitor’s?
• Is there something that they dislike about your competitor’s packaging?
• What colors or shapes are they drawn to?

Pick the Right Size

The next step is picking the right label size for your product. Consider the information that you want to include in the label design and also, the size of your actual product packaging.

Here are some guide questions that you can ask yourself before deciding on the right label size:

• What is the industry standard (if there’s any)?
• Is there enough space in your label to include all the information that you need?
• What are you looking for in the label design – a minimalist one or a design that covers the whole product?

Choose Your Label Material

Choose from PrintRunner’s wide selection of label and sticker materials. Depending on the intended purpose of your product, you can select the best label or sticker material for it. Consider the following when picking the right label material for your product:

• If your product is for the bathroom or shower, or it is a product that requires refrigeration (will be exposed to moisture), consider a waterproof label.
• An attractive label material can help attract the customer’s eye.
• Your label material should complement the container. If you’re using a clear glass or plastic container, a clear label material might be your best bet.

We divide the materials we use for our labels into two categories: for Indoor Use and those for Outdoor Use. See the list below:

Indoor Use

1. 1. White sticker paper
      This type of material has a texture that is very similar to printer paper.
   2. White premium sticker paper
      The most popular indoor label, this comes with a smooth, semi-gloss finish.
   3. Estate adhesive paper
      An uncoated adhesive paper with a subtle texture feel, this kind of material is a popular choice for wine bottles and product labels.

Outdoor Use

1. 1. BOPP labels
      Like thin plastic that easily adhere to different forms, these are tearproof, waterproof, and resistant to oil
   2. White Vinyl
      Our thickest and most durable sticker material, this comes with a UV-resistant gloss laminate.

Select a Label Template

If you’re new to designing labels, you can opt for templates from your label company. PrintRunner provides blank templates for its print products for a variety of configurations.

Prepare Your Label Canvas

While PrintRunner ensures hassle-free printing for its custom labels and other print products, it’s important to keep in mind that designing for web and for print are two different things. Make sure that your custom label design comes out of the printer as perfect as possible by following these tips:

Keep Folds and Overlaps in Mind

There is a sliver of overlap at the end for wrap-around labels. These are the labels that you’ll find covering jars, bottles, and containers.

Mark how much overlap you’re going to have on your canvas. This way, you’ll know that important elements of your label’s design shouldn’t be on this space.

Ensure the Presence of Safe Zones and Bleed Area

A safe zone refers to the area on your label design that’s most likely to stay within the die cut during printing. On the other hand, everything outside of the safe zone until the margins of your design is called the bleed area. This acts as a buffer, making sure that you’re not left with blank or unprinted edges when your label sheets shift during printing.

Start Designing Your Product Label

Now that you’re done with the preliminary items in making your own custom label, you’re ready to design. The design that you’ll eventually create should be unique and should match the overall style and feel of your brand. Here are some reminders that you should keep in mind when designing your own custom label or sticker:

Consider Adding Imagery

Use images to show your customers certain characteristics of your product or to make them associate your brand with things that they find important. For example, milk brands typically use an image of alpine mountains or cows, while tea products usually have tea leaves on their labels.

Don’t Forget Graphics

If done right, your branding can get a leg up with the help of patterns, backgrounds, and other graphic designs on the custom label you designed.

For luxury items, choose a more refined design with subtle patterns. On the other hand, a utilitarian design with sharp edges will be more apt for products tagged as necessities. If your product is targeted to young users, use a more colorful and playful design.

Colors Tell a Story

Use your brand colors in designing your product label to maintain brand consistency and improve recognition and brand recall. Furthermore, this can help keep customers loyal to your brand.

If you have a product with multiple variations, keep the design uniform but use different color schemes to differentiate them. For example, use brown for a chocolate-flavored product, white for vanilla, and red for strawberry.

Same with labels, you can easily make your own custom sticker even if you have limited graphic design experience. Using PrintRunner’s online design tool and free design templates, you can produce high-quality stickers to showcase your brand. To start making your own custom stickers, follow the steps below:

Check out Our Free Sticker Templates

Still not sure where to start? Browse our free sticker templates for inspiration. All of our sticker products come with a couple of free templates that you can use for your custom sticker design. These templates also come with easy-to-follow guidelines that will help you properly position your sticker design.

Use Our Online Tool to Create a Custom Sticker Design

You don’t need to be an expert in Illustrator or Photoshop to create your own custom sticker design. With PrintRunner’s free online design tool, you can design one even if you’re a complete beginner. Choose any template and customize it to your heart’s content: upload images, artwork, text, and your logo. Once you’re done, save the design, and proceed to the checkout page.

Choose Your Trusted Online Printing Company

Once you’re done with your sticker design, you can proceed to have it printed at your trusted printing company. Select the best material for your sticker and get the best price for your order at PrintRunner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find free design templates for custom stickers and labels?
You can find the free design templates under each type of print product that you’ll order, be it stickers or labels.

What if I don’t have graphic design experience, can I still use your free design tool?
Yes. Our free online design tool is geared towards beginners who want to design their own custom labels and stickers. You’ll have plenty of easy-to-use tools at your disposal when creating your own design.

Can I use custom shapes for my print orders?
Yes. All our sticker and label products come with a custom option, letting you upload your artwork in any shape. This way, you can be more creative in your designs and will make customers easily remember your brand.

How can I reach PrintRunner if I have concerns abouts my order?
You can get in touch with our customer service team at 888-296-5760 from Monday to Friday for 24 hours and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

When will I receive my order?
Your sticker or label order will be ready for shipping as early as the next business day, if you completed checkout and proofing. Shipping schedules will depend on the courier that you picked on checkout.