How to Design Custom Sticker Sheets with Illustrator — Complete Tutorial
Designing custom sticker sheets with illustrator
Want to create a super-cool sticker sheet template for custom printing? To help with your next crafts project for the kiddos, we’ll guide you step by step to create a custom sticker sheet, using a Adobe illustrator. But let’s start by understanding what a sticker sheet is first.
A sticker sheet comprises several stickers that are grouped in a theme on a sheet of paper. They could help promote specific products, or they could also be used in art fairs or as elementary school projects. You can actually make your own full sheets using Adobe Illustrator for a 100% custom sheet.
Once you have your design planned out, you can take it to a local printer to have them print vinyl sticker sheets, or look for online options that allow you to interact with a designer from home.
We have outlined a step by step procedure that will guide you on creating a custom sticker sheet in Adobe. Before we get started though, there’s a lot of terminology in this article, so be warned! If you’re new to working with this software, there’s a helpful terminology sheet you may want to reference.
1. Set up the sheet artwork
The first thing you should do is to prepare your sticker artwork. After doing this, go to the artwork layer in Adobe Illustrator. To locate the layers section, go to the window, select Layers, and then drop the designs into the sheet. When you do this, you can adjust sizes according to your specifications, provided that the sticker does not go outside the sticker sheet layer. A proper sticker should have good measurements, and should also have sufficient space around it of about a quarter an inch. Please make sure that the measurements are not from the artwork itself, but from the sticker.
2. Outline the text that you wish to display on the sticker sheet
To clearly outline any text that you want to show on the sticker sheet, right-click on it and select create outlines. Ensure that your text is the appropriate size because when you use texts that are smaller than 10, they may lose some resolution. Be sure to check text size and make sure that it is clearly outlined before printing.
3. Specify the cut lines of the sticker sheet
Use a one point stroke to determine the cut lines of the sheets. The most effective and quick way to do it is selecting your designs, then copy-pasting them on the cut line layer, then using the unite function on the pathfinder window.
After successfully doing this, you should apply the cut line as a stroke, and Adobe will precisely cut your stickers when they are sent to production. If the cut lines are not specified, the illustrator will determine the cut lines for you, which will be subject to your printing approval.
4. Complete your work
Once you are comfortable that everything is okay and you are satisfied with what you have created, save the file, and you can also upload them and start selling, if you are doing wholesale stickers.
For this piece, we have also outlined a few additional tips for creating fantastic custom sticker sheets. Be sure to follow them closely to achieve excellent results:
-Before you start making sticker sheets, you should design it first before creating it in Illustrator. If you later decide that your sticker needs larger measurements, you will make an adjustment easier if you first layout the design.
-You can make your sticker cover the whole page if the sticker design is flexible enough. If your designs can accommodate you to make your labels complete bleed, you can extend their artwork to favorable measurements. This will make your sticker larger and more pleasing to the eye. However, it would help if you remembered that what is outside the cut lines will still be on your final sticker.
-Try being creative by including other elements to your stickers. For instance, you can use a stylish logo on it to help with brand awareness, or add a background color to the sticker sheet. Just try and be as creative as possible to add a nice unique touch to your stickers.
Be sure to follow this guide if you wish to create fantastic custom sticker sheets using Adobe Illustrator. Follow all the instructions, and we wish you all the best while making your own custom sticker sheet!
Check out my other tutorial on removing backgrounds from images in Photoshop