Stickers and Labels: Which Material for Which Use?

You want to order custom stickers or labels for your products, but the configurator lists adhesive paper, vinyl film, textured paper and a dozen other options? Choose the wrong material and the sticker peels off in the rain, the label wrinkles on a chilled bottle, or a shop window graphic leaves marks when you remove it. This guide walks you through which material suits which surface and which use.

Adhesive paper or vinyl film: the key difference

Almost every decision starts with one simple question: will the sticker come into contact with water, sun or cold? Adhesive paper is suited to indoor use, for example on packaging, envelopes, folders or product labelling in a shop. It prints beautifully and gives a natural finish. For indoor stickers, you can also choose grass-fibre adhesive paper and a biodegradable adhesive film; thanks to their adapted adhesive, both can later be removed with relatively little residue.

Vinyl film is the right choice for anything that gets wet or stays outdoors. For stickers in your own size, we recommend vinyl film outdoors and adhesive paper indoors. You set the size yourself, from 1.6 x 1.6 cm to 42 x 29.7 cm, round, oval, rectangular or square, with rounded corners on request. Pricing is calculated to the millimetre, from a single piece.

Outdoor stickers: weatherproof and UV-resistant

Anyone sticking graphics onto letterboxes, transport crates, machinery or the outside of a shop window needs extra protection. Our outdoor stickers are printed on white vinyl film and other materials, with special UV inks and a single-sided UV varnish. They print in one, two or four colours and come in round shapes, custom shapes and standard sizes. Several specialist materials cover particular uses (not all of them for outdoors):

• Extra-strong adhesive stickers in glossy polypropylene film, with high initial tack and very high final adhesion, for difficult surfaces such as packaging or machinery.
• Reflective stickers with a reflective film that bounces back light under direct illumination: a useful giveaway for bikes, from mini format up to A3.
• Glow-in-the-dark stickers in 150 µm adhesive film for smooth surfaces, which absorb light during the day and glow pale yellow after dark.
• Temperature-resistant stickers in wood-free adhesive paper that stay stuck from -20°C to 40°C, making them suitable for packaging kept in a freezer. They should not be exposed to extreme moisture.
• Vegan stickers printed with vegan ink and vegan adhesive: as vinyl film for outdoors, UV- and weather-resistant, or as adhesive paper for indoors.

Removable, reusable, transparent: the special cases

Not every message needs to last forever. Removable stickers leave no residue and adhere best on non-porous surfaces such as shelving, doors, cabinets or counters. Even more flexible are static-cling stickers: they hold with no adhesive at all on smooth, clean, dry surfaces and can be used several times over, ideal for window displays that change with each promotion. Reusable stickers with a suction-film backing in polypropylene also work without any glue and simply wipe clean.

Glass surfaces call for two solutions. Behind-glass stickers are printed on the adhesive side and, on request, on the reverse as well, so you can inform passers-by outside and customers inside at the same time. If the surface underneath needs to stay visible, choose transparent vinyl film. On roll labels with an additional white print colour, build the white elements directly into your artwork so your design stays legible on a dark or coloured background. To protect against tampering, security stickers in matt silver security film leave the word VOID behind when peeled off.

Labels on a roll or on a sheet?

As soon as you're labelling many identical products, labels are more practical than individually cut stickers. Labels on a roll suit labelling machines; a roll measures up to 250 m. Options include vinyl films and stone paper, which resists moisture and won't tear, along with finishes such as hot foil or a scratch-resistant matt laminate. For freeform roll labels, the range runs from silver, white or transparent vinyl film to white, silver and neon adhesive paper, right through to cream or pearlescent textured paper. If you work without a machine, add a dispenser box: labels then peel off with one hand.

Labels on a sheet are supplied on A4 sheets, with 1 to 48 labels per sheet depending on the format. They fit in any binder and are available from a single sheet, handy for schools, clubs or a short run. For logos and club crests, freeform sheet labels are available; leave a 2 mm safety margin between individual outlines.

Jars, bottles and seasonal treats: labels for the festive season

Autumn opens the season for homemade jam, Christmas biscuits, gift hampers and corporate presents. For direct contact with food, choose food labels on a roll or food stickers: they comply with European regulation 1935/2004/EC and suit dry, moist and greasy foods, on white or transparent vinyl film. For bottles, tins, cosmetics and gift packaging, roll labels in your own size range from 1.6 x 1.6 cm to 29.6 x 29.6 cm, with hot foil finishing on request. Before a farm shop stall, a Christmas market or an autumn fair, it's worth ordering sample pieces in your own layout first: simply choose the matching quantity in the price table.

Frequently asked questions about stickers and labels

What's the difference between stickers and labels?

In our range, stickers are generally supplied individually cut, ideal for handing out, as a giveaway, or for a single surface. Labels come on a roll or a sheet and suit marking many products, jars or parcels one after another.

Which sticker lasts longest outdoors?

Choose outdoor stickers on vinyl film: UV inks and a single-sided UV varnish protect the design from sun and weather. If the challenge isn't the weather but a difficult surface such as packaging or machinery, the extra-strong adhesive stickers in polypropylene film are the safer choice.

Can I order stickers in small quantities?

Yes. Stickers in your own size, freeform stickers and outdoor stickers are available from a single piece, sheet labels from a single sheet. Some specialist materials, such as gel, glow-in-the-dark or reflective stickers, are available from ten pieces. You see the price in CHF instantly in the configurator.

Why do I see white edges around my sticker?

On edge-to-edge designs, fine white cutting edges can appear for production reasons. Build in a border or a light background and keep important elements away from the edge. For freeform stickers, use a single closed outline.

Which labels suit jam jars and bottles?

For direct contact with food, use food labels on white vinyl film or adhesive paper. For bottles that turn damp in the fridge, vinyl film or moisture-resistant stone paper is more robust than ordinary adhesive paper.

Ready to order? You'll find every individually cut sticker in our custom stickers range, and roll or sheet products under labels. For your festive season greetings, our postcards make a good match. The price in CHF appears instantly in the configurator, and we deliver across Switzerland, whether to Zurich, Bern or Basel.