Has anyone tried printing on sticker paper

Has anyone tried using self adhesive sticker paper and their computer printer to make decals and signs? How did it work out?

I print on gummed labels all the time. :slight_smile:

It always depends on the printer. I had Canon printers that did excellent work and I’ve had others like the Epson I have now that takes a lot of experimenting and finessing to get the quality of print I want.

For example I used my Epson to print these homemade streamlining skirts on glossy photo paper.

Initially they were tuscan red like you would expect and the extras I have stored away still are as printed. But the installed examples have faded so badly that they’ve turned pink-orange. This is odd because I’ve printed photos on this kind of paper with the same printer and they’re perfect. So you never know.

Best advice is find the best printer for printing photos and graphics you can or take the files to a store like Office Max and have them print them out.

Label adhesive isn’t really designed to adhere to textured surfaces by the way.

1 Like

Thanks

I’ve always wanted to do this. Isn’t most self adhesive vinyl printer sheets in 8 x 10 size? It would seem a huge waste printing a 1ā€ decal on such a large sheet. Also, what settings would be used if using an inkjet on vinyl sheets? A Glossy photo setting? Would the ink run?

I would be VERY leery of running anything through an inkjet printer that’s not specifically allowed in it. Check your owners manual for a spec table as to what you can and can’t use.
Trust me on this one, not quite the same thing but I spent 30 years pulling things out of copiers that people shouldn’t have tried running through them such as out-of-spec overhead projector sheets and sticker sheets. Removing jammed stickers was a nightmare!
I’ve got an inkjet printer that I’ve made decals with but I only use decal sheets specifically made for inkjet printers.
And unless you’ve got a printer that has a straight-through path I’d stay away from sticker sheets that have individual stickers on them. If there’s sharp curves there’s a better than good possibility one of those stickers is likely to peel off and jam up the works. A solid sheet would probably be OK assuming it can navigate the turns. Again, and I can’t stress this enough, check your spec table and if it’s not on there don’t use it.

2 Likes

I don’t think it would work on vinyl printer sheets.

I believe it’d be much better to use the self-adhesive printer sheets used to print address labels using an inkjet printer. At office supply stores, you can find any size labels that are on 8½ X 11 inch sheets.

The labels are specifically for inkjet printers. Most cheaper inkjets have just one roller in and out.

In our school office, the secretaries did this by the thousands. They used a color laser printer and used labels specifically for laser printers. Of course, they didn’t use copy machines. One jam in a copy machine made every adult in the school angry who absolutely had to have copies right now.

Especially the secretaries if they were the ones responsible for the machine, trust me! One school was so bad the secretary asked me to program in a pass code so only she, the principal, or a technician like myself could use the copier. Luckily it was a small charter school so the secretary could handle the teacher’s printing needs. Most couldn’t be trusted anywhere near the thing!

1 Like

You were probably the most popular person in those schools, hands down. :joy:

I know someone who used to print numberboards for his N scale locomotives on stick-on labels. Cut them out, stick them on, and seal them with a coat of gloss Modge Podge.

DFF

Oh I was! Most of the time anyway. I was usually prepared to walk into a rage festival but the rage had usually evaporated by the time I got there, 99% of the time I was met with relief!

Of course these are not vinyl and thus not waterproof. Also vinyl can be cut in the Cricut machine for clean sharp edges.

The sheets I got were 8.5 x11

I have a number of small things I want to do. I will try to assemble them onto one 8.5 x 11 size page in the word processor, then print in one fell swoop. I am trying Astro sticker paper and using a common HP color inkjet printer that has printed other things nicely for me. I’ll let you know how it turns out and how the adhesive does for me.

HP printers are generally excellent. You might want to try the ā€œtransparencyā€ option in your ā€œpaper typeā€ drop down menu since I would guess the vinyl is a little plasticy. Good luck!

1 Like

Why would these need to be waterproof? I didn’t see where the question was about vinyl sheets. If it was, I doubt any inkjet printer would work.

If you’re talking about decals, there are several sources of blank decal paper that work with inkjet printers. I’ve had fair results with them.

1 Like

The OP was titled stickers, of which can be created from vinyl sheets amongst others, with vinyl sheets being waterproof compared to address labels.

Thanks everyone! I’ll let you know what happens

Okay everyone! I finally had a moment today to print some stickers. I am trying some Astro sticker paper I bought at Target. It looks like paper and my HP inkjet prints on it okay.

Just for fun, I made a number of things including some signs for my covered hoppers which haul peanuts. I am generally pleased with the adhesion.





3 Likes

I see disaster looming if you try running ā€˜inkjet’ sticker labels through a laser printer. Those usually have hot fuser rolls and a return bend (not 'straight-through paper path) in the stock feed.

The heat will soften the adhesive and the bend may pop labels loose…

My printer is a cheap HP inkjet, the kind that costs less than $100. The label paper was designed for inkjet printers. As far as the outcome, I realize these are not super high quality decals. It’s really just something fun for my personal enjoyment. I printed some more to look like crate labels. I will stick those on small cubes of wood and post photos when I get a chance.