6 Things To Look For In Sticker Papers

Hi guys!
I'm going through a Sticker Phase right now, and if you've ever wondered which paper to use, here's some pointers on what to look for.

 I tried several brands and types of paper (MOST of them available through Amazon - supplies list at the end of this post).
When purchasing sticker paper, there's some things you have to look for besides the price, depending on its use. Here are some those aspects:

You want to focus on:

1. Price (per sheet)
2. Printer compatibility (Inkjet, Laser)
3. Transparency (Clear, Semi transparent, Opaque [try to check the coverage %, this usually has to do with the thickness of the paper])
4. Finish (Matte, Glossy)
5. Adhesive Property (Permanent, Repositionable)
6. Printing Quality

FACTS:

• If you are looking for something repositionable, you have to be aware that the printing quality of that paper may not be that good for white paper and that the unprinted parts of the sticker will show on dark cardstock for the clear ones.
• If you need a truly clear material, Silhouette paper is completely transparent, although a lot thicker than the other two, so it may not adapt well to curved surfaces. Avery clear papers are almost unnoticeable on white paper and less expensive than Silhouette paper.
• Glossy papers tend to print better, except if you buy an expensive photo quality matte paper.
• All papers, except for the local Photo paper (similar to Canon matte photo paper) can be easily removed from glass or acetate.
• All Avery Products have a slit liner for easy removal, but this may not be good for kiss cut stickers. (check out this video on how to create kiss cut stickers)
• LD Photo Paper is may go to white sticker paper as it delivers great Printing Quality and is very affordable.
• All plastic based papers (clear ones specially) deliver great resolution, but color richness may vary.

Be sure to watch the video to find out more about how these papers perform.

And before I forget, I would love for you to visit my brand new Etsy Store "omARToro" where you can get the stickers I used to sell through the late OAK Tree Stamps; there will be a lot more to come and other cool stuff. Please keep in mind I will still post free SVG files here on my blog, the store will be mainly for digital art. Use code LAUNCH to get 20% off your order.

Here are some photos of the tests applied. Test PDF files are available at the end of this post for you to download for free and compare the papers that you may have. If you want, you can click on the pictures and will give you the full size version for a closer look.

Chilean Brand Photo Paper

Avery Clear Shipping Labels

Top: Avery Clear Shipping Labels
Middle: Avery Clear Sticker Project Paper
Bottom: Silhouette Clear Sticker Paper

Top: Avery Clear Shipping Labels
Middle: Avery Clear Sticker Project Paper
Bottom: Silhouette Clear Sticker Paper

Left: Silhouette Clear Sticker Paper
Center: Avery Clear Sticker Project Paper
Right: Avery Clear Shipping Labels

Left: Avery Clear Shipping Labels
Center: Avery Clear Sticker Project Paper
Right: Silhouette Clear Sticker Paper

Silhouette Clear Sticker Paper

Avery Clear Sticker Project Paper

Avery Clear Shipping Labels

From Top to Bottom:
Avery Sticker Project Paper
LD Premium Sticker Photo Paper
Adetec Photo Paper
Cricut Vinyl

From Top to Bottom:
Avery Sticker Project Paper
LD Premium Sticker Photo Paper
Adetec Photo Paper
Cricut Vinyl

From Left to Right:
Avery Sticker Project Paper
LD Premium Sticker Photo Paper
Adetec Photo Paper
Cricut Vinyl

From Top to Bottom:
Avery Sticker Project Paper
LD Premium Sticker Photo Paper
Cricut Vinyl
Adetec Photo Paper

Adetec Photo Paper

LD Premium Photo Paper

Cricut White Printable Vinyl

Avery Sticker Project Paper

From Top to Bottom:
Avery Sticker Project Paper
LD Premium Sticker Photo Paper
Adetec Photo Paper
Cricut Vinyl

From Top to Bottom:
Avery Sticker Project Paper
LD Premium Sticker Photo Paper
Adetec Photo Paper
Cricut Vinyl

Supplies List Downloads:

Download Click here

Color Printing Test

Download Click here Transparency Test

If links don´t seem to open, please right click and select "open link in a new tab", it should take you to a save file dialog. Let me know in the comments if links don´t work, thanks.