Stickers have become increasingly popular for personalizing personal items like laptops and water bottles. With the rise of DIY culture, creating your own stickers at home has never been easier, thanks to innovative tools like the Cricut machine and Cricut Sticker paper products.
Whether you’re a seasoned sticker maker or just getting started, having the proper sticker paper is crucial for achieving the perfect results. In this guide, we’ll delve into the world of Cricut sticker paper, exploring the different types available and how to choose the best one for your projects.
Understanding Your Cricut Machine Compatibility
Before diving into the world of sticker paper, it’s essential to know which Cricut machine you’re using or planning to use. While this guide will focus on the Cricut Maker, it’s worth noting that you can use Cricut’s sticker paper on various Cricut machines.
When making printable stickers, remember that your Cricut machine must be able to utilize the Print Then Cut function, including the Cricut Joy Xtra, Cricut Explore Air, Cricut Explore, any Cricut Maker model, and Cricut Venture. The original Cricut Joy does not have the Print Then Cut feature, so it cannot create Print Then Cut stickers.
Not sure which Cricut machine you should buy?
Check out this article:
Cricut Maker Vs. Cricut Explore: Everything You Need To Know!
What is Cricut Print Then Cut?
Cricut Print Then Cut is an excellent feature that lets you print your designs at home and have your Cricut machine neatly cut around them. The software adds these little black registration marks around your image to show where to cut. After that, your machine scans these marks and cuts your design precisely. It’s like magic!
As I mentioned above, it’s essential when making stickers because the sticker designs must be printed on your printer before being inserted into your Cricut machine. If the machine can’t read the registration marks, it won’t know where to cut around each sticker.
Exploring the Range of Cricut Sticker Papers
Cricut offers a diverse range of printable sticker paper with unique characteristics and applications. Before we continue, however, I wanted to clarify what I mean by “sticker paper.”
When I mention “sticker paper” in this article, I’m referring to Cricut’s Printable Vinyl products. Cricut also manufactures a Sticker Paper product comprising thick cardstock paper with an adhesive backing, primarily used for standard crafting purposes rather than water bottle stickers. That’s not what this post will cover.
Now that we’re all on the same page let’s take a closer look at the eight different types of “Cricut Sticker Paper” available:
Printable Vinyl White: You can use this solid white vinyl with any home inkjet printer and cut it with a compatible Cricut cutting machine. (12 sheets per package)
Printable Vinyl Transparent: Same as the previous but transparent. (12 sheets per package)
Printable Vinyl Silver: This is the same as the previous items but in silver. It’s more holographic than silver, but I still love it! (10 sheets per package)
Printable Vinyl Gold: This is printable vinyl in a rich gold color. It would work great for specific designs! (10 sheets per package)
Printable Waterproof Sticker Set White: The package contains printable white vinyl and laminate. First, print designs on the vinyl, then apply the laminate before inserting it into the cutting machine. (6 sheets of both vinyl and laminate per package)
Printable Waterproof Sticker Set Transparent: Same as the White Waterproof Sticker Set but with transparent printable vinyl. (6 sheets of both vinyl and laminate per package)
Printable Waterproof Sticker Set White Holographic: Same as White Waterproof Sticker Set but with holographic vinyl laminate. See my hints below for tricks on use. (5 sheets of both vinyl and laminate per package)
Printable Waterproof Sticker Set Transparent Holographic: Same as Transparent Waterproof Sticker Set but with holographic vinyl laminate. See my hints below for tricks on use. (5 sheets of both vinyl and laminate per package)
Choosing the Right Sticker Paper for Your Needs
When selecting sticker paper for your projects, consider durability, finish, and intended use. For example, if you’re making stickers for water bottles or other high-wear applications, you’ll probably want to use a waterproof option.
Another factor to remember is if you apply transparent stickers to a background with a busy design of multiple shapes and colors, the stickers will be challenging to see. I love the look of the printable vinyl silver and gold, but some designs might also be hard to see when printed in those colors.
Ultimately, you should factor in the stickers you plan on making and their intended use when deciding what sticker paper to go with.
Designing and Cutting Stickers with Cricut
Once you’ve chosen the right sticker paper for your project, you can design and cut your stickers using Cricut Design Space software!
If you’re a member of Cricut Access, you can use their new Create Sticker function to quickly and easily turn almost any image into a sticker. Of course, you can choose to upload image and create your stickers by using the flatten and offset feature, but the Create Sticker function makes it so much easier!
Of course, if you have a Cricut Access subscription, you’ll also have access to over 750,000+ images to make stickers. I’m part of their Contributing Artist Program, so you can use the “Fantasy Believer” images I created for these stickers. Click on the link below to follow me!
I’m a contributing artist on Cricut Design Space, so follow me there for tons more SVG files and projects!
Die Cut or Kiss Cut?
When using the Create Sticker function in Design Space, you’ll encounter the kiss-cut or die-cut stickers options. If you choose die-cut, the machine will cut all the way through the backing sheet (like the stickers on the right side of the image below). Kiss-cut stickers will only be cut deep enough through the sticker layer to pull off the backing sheet.
Kiss-cut would be a good option if you’d like to print an entire sheet of stickers without storing them individually. Within the kiss-cut option, there’s also a toggle button to add a Die-Cut Edge. When used, it’ll create stickers with an outer border around the kiss cut (as seen on the stickers to the left in the image below).
Keep in mind that the Kiss-Cut Stickers with the Die-Cut Edge will use up more space on your sticker sheet but they also make it super easy to remove the sticker from the backing. It’s your call!
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Stickers are so much fun to make, but they can be frustrating when things don’t work how they should! I’ve assembled a few hints and tricks I’ve picked up along the way to help.
Make Sure to Plan Ahead: Evaluate what you’ll use the stickers for before choosing the correct product. If you don’t need them to be waterproof, don’t pay extra for the laminate.
Do a Trial Run: It would help if you did a trial run of your sticker design before printing on the silver, gold, holographic, or transparent options. They look fantastic when done well, but not all colors and designs will work.
Use the Correct Printer: Remember to use only inkjet printers. Laser printers may damage the material or printer!
Feeding Hints: If your printer has a rear paper feeder, use it. If not, remove all the standard printer paper from your tray and add the sticker sheet one at a time.
Buy the Best Printer Possible: A high-quality printer will make all the difference in the world! You can set your printer to the highest output quality, but invest in a superb printer if you want great-looking stickers.
Registration Line Issues: If your Cricut machine has trouble registering the Print Than Cut registration lines with the holographic laminate, try going over the lines with a permanent black marker.
With the information in this guide, you’re well-equipped to embark on your sticker-making journey confidently. Whether creating custom decals for personal use or starting a sticker business, Cricut sticker paper offers endless possibilities for unleashing your creativity.