Have you met someone who said, “I hope my sticker looks terrible!” Of course not! Why would someone purposely want to purchase something to represent their brand in a bad light? Many well-known and respected companies unknowingly make this decision every day. Of course, this decision is made from a misunderstanding of what makes for a good looking sticker.
We print for a variety of industries and customers – from high school parking stickers to mega Fortune 500 companies – and bad stickers are represented across the entire spectrum of business.
We are looking at the four main characteristics of a good sticker. Today, we will dive a little deeper into the visual elements that make for “a good sticker.”
The Five Main Aesthetic Characteristics of a Good Looking Sticker
Does the Sticker Look Good?
When you first look at the the sticker, does it look good? Does it catch your eye? Is there anything attractive about the sticker that makes you want to take it home and use it on your new computer? Does it look like a graphic designer created the sticker? These are questions you need to ask yourself when designing all aspects of your sticker.
Is the Gloss Level Enhancing or Distracting?
Does the finish of the sticker (matte vs. gloss) help to add value to the brand element or design? Or does the finish simply distract from the brand? Matte and Gloss finishes can be added to most designs. Only add different finishes when appropriate. It’s possible the finishes could confuse the user of the product, reducing its effectiveness.
What Is the Print Quality of Your Sticker?
Does your sticker appear to have obvious registration issues or cutting issues? Do the colors look rich or washed out? Are there streaks in the print? Make sure the printer does a quality job on your stickers.
Sticker Printed on the Right Material?
Ask yourself a couple questions about the material used for your decal. Does the material look and feel like a quality product? Or is it flimsy and feels cheap?
Does the Final Cut Add Value?
What is the final shape of your sticker? Have you chosen a well-contoured die cut sticker? Is it a straight cut bumper sticker you’d never use? (more on this later: effectiveness of a sticker). The shape of the final product can help or deter from your final design.
You need to start with these 5 elements in order for your sticker to have a chance at being labeled a good sticker. You need to have a good designer who cares, and a printer who can execute, or else it’s likely your well-intentioned sticker will fall short of being labeled as a good sticker.
Please, check out the other posts in our mini-series on what makes for a good sticker.
