Stickers best practices

Create high-quality sticker artwork with these design and file prep tips

Stickers are an easy way to personalize your shop and give supporters something fun to rep while promoting your brand. This guide covers best practices for creating artwork for all three on-demand sticker products available in your shop.

Fourthwall offers three on-demand sticker options:

1. Kiss-Cut Stickers - single stickers in various sizes
2. Kiss-Cut Sticker Sheets - a sheet with multiple stickers and an optional custom background
3. Kiss-Cut Holographic Sticker Sheets - a sheet printed on a reflective holographic substrate for an iridescent, eye-catching finish

You can create and manage all three sticker types directly in Designer.

What "kiss cut" means

Kiss cut means the sticker is cut around the shape of your artwork without cutting through the backing paper. If your sheet includes multiple designs, each one is cut individually.

With kiss-cut stickers, you can choose from three sizes of printable area for a single sticker or multiple smaller ones. Sticker sheets (both standard and holographic) come in one size, accommodating stickers of various sizes, and you can customize the sheet background.

tip

For kiss-cut stickers, we recommend using the full printable area.

File preparation guidelines

• Use high-resolution images - Your final sticker's quality depends on the quality of your artwork. Use at least 300 DPI (Dots per inch).
  • PNG: Recommended for designs with transparent or cut-out areas.
  • JPEG: Works best for full-background designs.
• Create files in sRGB color profile - This ensures your printed sticker colors match what you see on-screen.
• Define clear-cut lines - Since kiss-cut stickers follow your artwork's outline, ensure there's a distinct visual boundary between the design and the background.
• Simplify small details - Tiny shapes or text may not cut cleanly. If your design includes fine lines or small objects, enlarge them slightly. Leave at least 0.25 in. (0.64 cm) between separate elements.
• Note on backgrounds - The sticker paper is white (or holographic, for holo sheets), so transparent backgrounds aren't truly transparent. On standard stickers, they print on white. On holographic sheets, the holographic pattern shows through.
• Fill the printable area - Make sure your design extends to all edges of the printable area. Any empty or unused space is trimmed during production, which may result in the final sticker being smaller than the listed size. For example, if you choose a 3x3 in. sticker, your artwork should fully cover the 3x3 in. print area.
• Sticker sheets only - Avoid placing sticker designs too close to background artwork. They might overlap and print as one element.

tip

Tips for best results:

• Clean up your design: Remove stray pixels or artifacts. Anything visible will print and cut.
• Cut-out elements: For shapes with hollow or "see-through" areas (like a donut), make those parts transparent in your PNG file. Leave enough white border space around them (at least 0.25 in. / 0.64 cm).
• Test placement: Preview your sticker layout before finalizing to make sure cut lines align correctly.
• Surface use: Stickers are durable and waterproof, ideal for laptops, bottles, notebooks, and other smooth surfaces. Avoid dishwashers or constant outdoor exposure.

Holographic sticker sheet design considerations

The kiss-cut holographic sticker sheet uses a reflective, iridescent substrate instead of plain white paper. This creates a shimmering rainbow effect that shifts as you tilt the sticker. Keep these points in mind when designing for holographic sheets:

• Transparent areas reveal the holographic pattern. Any part of your artwork without ink lets the holographic substrate show through. Use this to your advantage by leaving intentional transparent sections where you want the rainbow shimmer to appear.
• Colors look different on holographic material. The reflective base can shift how colors appear, especially lighter tones. Bold, high-contrast designs tend to look best. Test with a sample order before launching.
• White ink is not printed. White areas in your design will appear transparent on the holographic sheet, allowing the iridescent pattern to show through. If you need a solid white element, add a colored outline or border for definition.
• Dark backgrounds work well. Dark or saturated colors contrast nicely against the holographic shimmer, making your design pop.
• Same template size as standard sticker sheets. The holographic sticker sheet uses the same dimensions as the standard kiss-cut sticker sheet (5.83 in. x 8.27 in.). You can use the same templates and layout tools in Designer.

caution

Important: Because the holographic substrate is reflective, artwork previews on screen won't perfectly represent the final printed result. Order a sample to see how your design interacts with the holographic finish before going live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the stickers waterproof?

Yes. Fourthwall stickers are made of durable, waterproof, scratch-resistant vinyl. They hold up well on bottles, laptops, and other smooth surfaces. They're intended for indoor or light outdoor use. Extended exposure to sunlight or rain may affect their lifespan.

Can I use a transparent background?

You can upload designs with transparent areas (PNG files), but the sticker base itself is white on standard stickers, or holographic on holo sheets. True clear stickers aren't available at the moment. Any transparent sections in your artwork show as white (standard) or reveal the holographic pattern (holo sheets).

Can I use white in my design?

Yes, but white elements can blend into the white sticker base on standard stickers. To make them visible, add a colored outline or background. On holographic sheets, white areas become transparent, revealing the holographic pattern.

Can I have multiple designs on one sticker sheet?

Yes. Both the standard and holographic sticker sheets allow multiple stickers of various sizes, plus the option to customize the background. Make sure each sticker has enough spacing between cut lines (at least 0.25 in. / 0.64 cm).

Are there size or file limits?

Sticker files should be at least 300 DPI and saved as PNG or JPEG. For both standard and holographic sticker sheets, use the provided template size (5.83 in. x 8.27 in.).

What is a holographic sticker sheet?

A holographic sticker sheet is a kiss-cut sticker sheet printed on a reflective, iridescent substrate. The holographic material creates a rainbow shimmer effect that shifts when viewed from different angles. Where your artwork has transparent areas, the holographic pattern shows through. You can create holographic sticker sheet offers directly in Designer, using the same layout tools as standard sticker sheets.

How is the holographic sticker sheet different from the standard sticker sheet?

Both sheet types use the same template size (5.83 in. x 8.27 in.) and support multiple kiss-cut stickers with custom backgrounds. The difference is the base material: standard sheets use white paper, while holographic sheets use a reflective iridescent substrate. This means that transparent areas reveal a rainbow shimmer on holo sheets rather than plain white. Colors may also appear slightly different on the reflective surface, so we recommend ordering a sample first.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at support@fourthwall.com.