When creating custom stickers for your business, event, cause, or any other need, you have many options regarding shape. Traditional shapes like squares, rectangles, circles, and ovals are commonly used. However, if you want a sticker that is the precise outline of your art or text, die cut vinyl stickers are the best option.
What Is a Die Cut Sticker?
Die cut vinyl stickers have a custom shape and are cut around the edge of a design through both the vinyl and backing layers. Die cut simply refers to the form of the final decal. Die cuts can replicate any shape, including pointy corners, wavy edges, curved sides, and everything in between.
How Die Cut Stickers Are Made
A sticker printer uses advanced technology to control blades and high-speed lasers to make these precision cuts. The process is very fast and scalable, so companies can produce die cut stickers at a high volume.
Die Cut vs. Kiss Cut Stickers – What’s the Difference?
With a die cut sticker the cutting machinery cuts right through the vinyl and the backing material to the exact shape of your sticker, so what you see is what you get when you peel it off. The backing paper comes in two parts to make it easy to crack, peel, and separate from the design.
Customized kiss cut stickers have all the same features and functionality as custom die cut stickers with one major difference. When removing it from the backing material, a kiss cut sticker is not fully cut through the backing paper. It cuts only through the vinyl of your kiss cut sticker itself – hence the light touch or “kiss” naming device.
Generally, kiss cut stickers are easier to handle and apply, while die cut stickers can have more intricate shapes and designs, giving users a clean, precise look.
Benefits of Using Die Cut Stickers
Die cut stickers offer some valuable benefits beyond other types of stickers. Chief among them is the potential for unique designs that truly stand out and represent your business, event, or activity. Die cut stickers are also easier to envision on a surface before applying since the backing paper is the same shape as the sticker itself.
Versatile Applications
There are no limitations on the shapes for custom cut stickers – only the imagination of the artist creating the sticker graphic message. Custom die cut stickers surround the messaging with a predetermined design that is often as unique and impactful as the sticker message itself. They complement the design and visual impact of the sticker messaging better than conventional circles or squares, which often have a lot of unused white space.
Durability and Weather Resistance
High-quality die cut stickers are made from material like 3M vinyl, which features a protective laminated layer for waterproof protection and resistance to scratches. This makes them a versatile choice for indoor or outdoor applications.
Choosing the Right Finish
Typically, die cut stickers come in either matte or glossy finish. This choice is essentially an aesthetic one, so it’s important to understand the difference in order to find the best match for your design.
- Glossy: A glossy finish is shiny, which will help make your sticker stand out. With glossy stickers, you get a lot of color contrast due to the shine, so colors really pop.
- Matte: A matte finish has a soft satin appearance with a very low sheen. It’s ideal for stickers that have a photo image or a lot of detail. This finish provides low glare, so stickers blend in well to any surface they’re adhered to.
From a professional sticker company, both finishes should hold their color and offer the same UV resistance. Deciding which finish is simply based on your personal taste.
Best Uses for Die Cut Stickers
There are many applications for die cut vinyl stickers. Since they are completely custom, how you use them is up to you. Here are some of the ways to use them:
- Brand exposure: Die cut vinyl stickers can be a branding tool for any type of business, from startups to large enterprises. Your sticker’s messaging can influence potential customers and reinforce your company’s brand and purpose every time someone sees it.
- Events and occasions: Stickers are an excellent way to celebrate. You can create your own die cut vinyl stickers for holiday parties, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, and any other special occasion.
- Product labels: Die cut stickers are also useful as product labels when you want something more interesting than a square or rectangle. As long as you have a smooth surface, these stickers will adhere. Use them for candles, health and beauty items, food and beverage containers, soaps, and more. Add some character and whimsy to boring packaging with your die cut stickers.
- Sports activities: Another use for die cut vinyl stickers is for sports. Use them as helmet stickers with the team logo or mascot outlined. Remember, these stickers are waterproof and durable, so they’ll make it through the game intact.
Since die cut stickers are cut to match your design, their uses are limited only by your imagination.
How To Order High-Quality Die Cut Stickers
Once you’ve settled on a design and material for your custom die cut sticker, it’s time to order them. When buying custom stickers online, it’s important to choose a reputable company. Since you’ll be using your own design, you’ll want to be sure the design looks right on a sticker. Look for a company that offers a digital proof for review. It’s important to know you’re satisfied with the design before ordering.
