Screen Printed Stickers

April 5, 2023

The ins and outs of screen printed stickers

We love screen printed stickers here – they produce great results, are high quality and offer a very practical way of promotion. And they look great!  However, despite being a super awesome product, they may not be the best option in all cases.  In this blog post we’re going to break it all down, so you can learn the ins and outs of screen printed stickers, and help you decide if they are right for you.

Are screen printed stickers right for you?

Step 1 – determine the quantity needed

The main reason to use a screen printed sticker process is large runs of bumper stickers where high-quality finish is needed.  So, the first point to start in your sticker selection process is to ask yourself a very simple question – “how many stickers do I need, and do I need these to last outside??”  If you land on 500 plus, then these could be a good bet.  If you land on 1000 plus, screen printed stickers are likely to be your best bet.  If these don’t need to last outside, for example, if you want cheap promotional stickers for a band, or to label a package, then you may be better looking at options with a lower total cost, such as digital print stickers (with a smaller minimum order), or pre-sized stickers (which come in lots of 1000).

Step 2 – determine your budget

If your budget is less than say $750, you’ll probably need to use a different product – check out our digital print or pre-sized sticker options instead.  If your budget is more than $750, then screen printed stickers could be the way to go.

Step 3 – what will they be used for?

We mostly commonly see screen printed stickers used for bumper stickers, however they are way more versatile than that.  These stickers are great for giveaways and promotions, special events, general brand awareness, as well as product and packaging labels.  Screen printed stickers can be used for pretty much any sort of job.  However, whether these will be used indoors or outdoors will have an impact on the stock we’d recommend you use, or the process for your stickers, so we will need to know this in order to give you an accurate quote.

Step 4 – what sort of finish do you need?

If you’re looking for a bold and sharp print, or a particular pantone matched colour then screen printed stickers could be the answer.  The use of solid inks and the screen-printing process gives a great finish that can be pantone matched easily.  These stickers have the sharpest, boldest prints of any sticker, but they are most suited to designs with only a few different colours.

If you want your sticker die cut to a custom shape, then that is also possible – we can make custom dies to almost any shape.

Screen printed stickers can be made with a gloss or matt finish, and are typically supplied with a peel tab so you can peel the sticker easily.

How are screen printed stickers made?

Screen printed stickers are made with screens for each colour used and layers of ink (which we can pantone match if need be) are laid over one another to produce a final result. These stickers have a one off setup cost (removed from any future orders) for preparing the screens as a by-product of this process – and are therefore significantly cheaper per unit to run in larger quantities. One bonus of these however, is we can use a custom die to punch die cut these stickers to shape, which looks epic…! We can make these dies in any shape you want – see the pics for some examples of some recent work. A custom die adds to the cost, but only once as we can store these for you so any future re-orders will not incur this cost, further reducing your per unit costs.

How long do screen printed stickers last?

It does depend on the stock you use, and how harsh the environment is where it is placed, but our standard stock will generally last at least 3+ years outdoors.  We also have higher grade stock which will last longer or withstand harsher conditions.

Are screen printed stickers waterproof?

Yes!  All our screen printed stickers are printed on vinyl which is a waterproof product.  They can take a beating and do! Our stickers have ended up on surfboards, skis, snowboards and cars in an alpine environment (see our Cardrona and Mt Ruapehu stickers), on machinery and tools, as well as fleets of cars and trucks.

What are the benefits of screen printed stickers?

  • They are easy to apply due to them being a slap and stick sticker – you simply peel off the backing and stick it up!  Because of this, we see screen printed stickers planted all over the place – on road signs, fences, walls, windows, cars, sports equipment, tech devices etc.
  • They are waterproof and can last years outdoors – giving you good bang for your buck, or return on investment (ROI) for our marketing nerds.
  • They give the best possible print quality – colours are bold and pictures are sharp.
  • They can offer the lowest per unit price for large volumes!

What are screen printed stickers good for?

So in short, screen printed stickers are good for…

  • Runs of 750 stickers or larger, up to however many you want – we have printed hundreds of thousands of these!
  • Limited, solid (spot) colours – the more colours used, the more expensive the sticker will cost.
  • Custom punched shapes where the WHOLE sticker ends up in a custom shape with a split back if you choose .
  • Where high quality finish is a must – these stickers tend to be valued highly!

How much do screen printed stickers cost?

Not all stickers are created equally!  And as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.  Screen printed stickers are a high quality, premium product, but they are very economical in large quantities.

The cost will depend on a number of factor such as:

  • Quantity ordered
  • Size of sticker
  • Vinyl stock used
  • Number of colours
  • Complexity of the die cut (if any)
  • Whether it is a first order or re-order

How long will it take to make my screen printed stickers?

Once you sign off on the artwork proof, you will typically need to allow 6+ business days for us to make your stickers.  We then dispatch your stickers on an overnight courier service and email you with the tracking details.  Sometimes we can accommodate more urgent jobs – if your job is urgent please call us and check if we can bump you up in the queue and get your order out any faster.  Please always let us know of any deadlines you have BEFORE you place your order!

How do I get a quote or order screen printed stickers?

We need to prepare a custom quote for screen printed stickers, so please fill in our quote form with all the details and attach your artwork.  We’ll then get back to you with some different options and prices.