Do you ever struggle when creating labels for your projects or organizational tasks? Whether you're a small business owner, a marketing executive, or a designer with an Etsy shop, labeling is a crucial aspect to an organization’s brand and brings clarity to its products.
Fortunately, there are services that offer custom labels online. You can also go the old-fashioned route and create some manually with paper, colored pencils, scissors, and a little creativity. Either way, you can create unique and personalized labels that add a personal touch to your projects.
What Are Label Stickers?
Label stickers are labels with an adhesive back. They’re used to cover surfaces, offer information, identify items, and organize products. Label stickers also increase brand awareness and help attract more attention from customers.
They are used by many local and global organizations for many purposes and come in multiple forms, sizes, colors, and materials.
Ways to Create Label Stickers
Here is some information about how to design label stickers using software or manually with readily-available items.
Use Software
If you are using software like Photoshop to create label stickers, there are a couple of different ways to approach it. If you can’t wait to pour your ideas on your screen, choose a blank surface. It’ll allow you to select elements like backgrounds, shapes, text formats, and other design elements.
If your creative chops are taking a break, going with a template or a ready-made label and customizing it to your requirements will help you get the job done. Once you’ve drawn up your label plan, here’s what to do:
- Insert essential information using a font you like and change the colors.
- Add other elements such as shapes, images, or text to make your label more unique.
- Export or download the design.
Go Manual
If you don’t have access to software to design your labels, here’s another way to do it:
- Select the appropriate supplies, such as pens, markers, cardboard, and label paper, based on your preferences.
- Think about the desired size, shape, and color palette.
- Use text, pictures, shapes, and colors that draw attention to your design.
- Cut out your labels and make the final touches.
You can check out our post on making sticker labels without sticker paper for more information if you find yourself in this position.
Keep in mind, though, the manual method is suitable only if you need a few labels. If you need labels in bulk, designing them digitally and having them printed is more efficient and cost-effective.
How to Design Customized Label Stickers
Now that you know how to create label stickers, let’s find out how to design your own:
- Identify the purpose: The purpose of your stickers will guide your design decisions. Understand why you’re using label stickers (e.g., to promote your brand, mark your products, or add a decorative touch to your products) before doing anything else.
- Determine the size and shape: Figure out if your stickers will be circular, square, rectangular, or a custom shape. You can do that by considering the surface area you need to cover and the visibility of your design.
- Choose the material: A suitable material is essential for creating durable, high-quality label stickers. Your choice will depend on the label's function, the environment in which it’ll be used, and the type of printer you have access to.
- Select the color and font: Selecting the color and font for your label stickers is the fun part. Decide if you want bold, eye-catching colors or a more subdued palette and what font best represents your brand or message.
- Choose a print method: Once you've finalized your design, you need to choose a printing method that will bring your vision to life. You can go with a professional sticker printing company such as Sticker It or take a do-it-yourself (DIY) approach if you have access to the right printers.
- Consider the legalities: Make sure you have permission to use the logos or images you selected and that your design doesn't infringe on any trademarks or copyrights.
How to Convert DIY Designs to Professional Stickers
If your label sticker design is just like you want, it’s time to make it a reality. Here’s what to do:
- Find a professional label sticker-making company you like and trust. This is better than printing labels on your own because professional printing companies offer quality and speed that are difficult to match. In other words, a professional printing service like Sticker It is the way to go if you want to make professional labels.
- Reach out to their customer representatives and learn how to get your design printed or browse their blogs and knowledge centres - a great printing company will provide you with useful tips.
- Choose the materials, style, and colors you want.
- Finalize the design.
Once you hand your design to the sticker printing company, they’ll create a prototype, a so-called design proof they will email you. If it’s what you want, give them the go-ahead to print the rest of the batch. If it isn’t quite what you had in mind, you can make some quick changes and get the printing on track.
If you aren’t satisfied with your self-made label, you can also reach out to an expert graphic designer at Sticker It to help bring your design to life!