What is the difference between printable vinyl and printable vinyl sticker paper?

You’ve done all the legwork and have your final designs in hand. You’re going to use them everywhere–on your products, packaging, banners, etc. There’s just one problem: you don’t know whether to use sticker paper or vinyl. 

If that's you, you’re not alone. Let’s dive into the differences between sticker paper and vinyl, what they’re used for, and settle the debate once and for all. 

What Is Printable Vinyl? 

Printable vinyl is a polymer-based (usually PVC-based) material that’s weather- and water-proof. It’s also smudge- and smear-resistant and a roll of printable vinyl can last anywhere from five to seven years in harsh outdoor conditions. 

The material is used to create outdoor-specific decals, labels, and stickers because it can withstand harsh environmental exposure. 

What Is Sticker Paper? 

Sticker paper is an adhesive-backed paper-based material with matte and glossy finishes. It usually isn’t waterproof and can’t be used outdoors or withstand frequent handling. 

The paper is used to create stickers or labels that’ll be used indoors, such as on bottles, jars, and boxes, because it isn’t very durable and has a shorter shelf life than printable vinyl. 

Printable Vinyl Versus Sticker Paper

Now that we know what printable vinyl and sticker paper are, let’s explore how they differ from each other.

1. Material 

Printable vinyl is made from polyvinyl or other polymer-based materials that are waterproof. In contrast, sticker paper is usually made from glossy paper, vellum, and white polypropylene, but it can also be made of polyester or vinyl. 

1. Durability

If you’re planning to use your banners, stickers, labels, decals, or graphics outdoors, printable vinyl is going to last ages because it doesn’t fade or get damaged by weather elements. It’s incredibly durable.

In contrast, sticker paper isn't durable or long-lasting and gets damaged easily if you use it outdoors or handle it frequently. 

1. Use Cases

You can use vinyl paper for outdoor banners, labels, and stickers because it can’t be torn off easily, is protected from fading, and is easy to clean. This makes it perfect if you want to put up your banners for everyone to see in rain, wind, or shine. 

But if you’re looking to create labels for a product or promotional stickers for an event, sticker paper will be your best bet because it’s more cost-effective, compatible with many home and desktop printers, and is relatively easy to use. Sticker paper is also available in gloss or matte, giving you some more control over the look and feel of the product.

How to Choose Between Printable Vinyl and Sticker Paper

1. Consider Why You Need It

Before making your choice, think about what you’re going to use the paper for. Are you going to put it on products, offer it as stickers to customers, or turn it into a banner? 

After that, think about where you’ll place it: outdoors or indoors? Will it be exposed to the environment, such as rain, strong winds, and dust? 

As mentioned earlier, if you need decorative elements for the indoors, you should go with sticker paper. But if you're creating banners and need them to be resistant to harsh environmental conditions, you should go for vinyl paper. 

1. Weigh Up Its Durability 

The durability of your printable vinyl or sticker paper should match the life of your product. For instance, if you expect your product to last a year, there’s no point in going for the highest-rated vinyl. You should go with sticker paper–it’ll be more cost-effective. 

However, if your product is shooting for five or more years of life, vinyl is going to have the longevity your customers expect. 

1. Think About the Printing Method 

Once you know why you need printable vinyl or sticker paper, think about which method you’re using. For instance, if you want to use an inkjet printer, make sure your vinyl or sticker paper is compatible with it. 

The Takeaway

While it's vibrant, eye-catching, and fantastic for indoor applications, sticker paper fades quickly, is not durable, and is a pain to maintain. But vinyl paper can be used both indoors and outdoors, can last for years if properly cared for, and is waterproof. 

So, should you only use vinyl? Not necessarily–your choice of paper depends on where you intend to use it, how long you intend to use it, and general wear and tear expectations. So, instead of choosing the “best,” think about which paper fulfills your needs and go with it!

If you decide to opt for printable vinyl, be sure to read our posts on using printable vinyl on shirts and the best waterproof printable vinyl.

Jul 04, 2022

If you are considering having stickers or labels printed, you may want to consider printable vinyl as an option.

But hang on for a minute; what is printable vinyl in the first place? Worry not because we have got you covered!

In this post, we’ll explore the benefits and some ideas for using printable vinyl.

What Is Printable Vinyl?

Printable vinyl is a type of adhesive material that you can print on using a standard home desktop printer. Printable vinyl is easy to use and closely resembles what you may consider a “peel and stick” sticker. One side has a special material that you can print on, and the other side has a normal adhesive backing.

Printable vinyl is very similar to normal vinyl, with the only difference being that you can print beautiful designs on it and then cut it out with a pair of scissors or with your preferred cutting machine from brands such as Silhouette or Cricut.

You can use it to make waterproof stickers for bottles, laptops, tumblers, mugs, car decals and more! If you always wanted to make DIY stickers, decorations or crafted products that you can sell on Etsy, this is the material for you!

Silhouette cutting machine. [Photo Credit: nanukis.arte on Instagram. Also visit her Etsy store]

Printable Vinyl vs. Sticker Paper

Printable vinyl is not the same thing as sticker paper. Printable vinyl sheets are not made of paper and are polymer based, which makes them waterproof and chemically resistant. On the other hand, sticker paper are plain sheets of paper with adhesive on the back.

The main difference between printable vinyl and sticker paper comes down to durability. When sticker paper get exposed to moisture, they typically get damaged. So, if you want your stickers to stay intact when exposed to moisture, you are better off choosing printable vinyl stickers.

Benefits of Using Printable Vinyl Paper

1) Incredibly Versatile

Unlike other materials, printable vinyl can withstand water without losing its appearance or quality. This makes this material ideal for use in a wide variety of products.

With pigment based inks and a protective layer such as laminates or spray coating, vinyl stickers can be used outdoors. However do expect their lifetime to be shorter compared to commercially printed stickers.

2) No Special Skills or Prior Experience is Needed

You don’t need to learn any new skills or have prior experience to print on vinyl. Just print on them like you would with a plain piece of paper. Frankly, the only obstacle you have when using this material is your imagination. Artists and crafters can use printable vinyl in a wide variety of ways like making vinyl decals, home decorations and more. Printing vinyl stickers at home is both fun and easy. No cutting machine? Grab a pair of scissors and you are good to go!

3) Easy to Create Colorful and Complex Designs

Unlike regular vinyl where you have to layer one color on top of the other, with printable vinyl, you can get a perfect design with just one pass on your desktop printer.

Ideas for using printable vinyl

Now that you know a little more about printable vinyl, all that is left is to get yourself some high-quality printable vinyl sheets and get to work. You can use these vinyl sheets on a wide range of projects, such as:

• Making custom labels that you can use to organize your cleaning and kitchen supplies.
• Starting a business where you make stickers of your artwork.
• Starting a business where you customize and sell items like phone cases, coffee mugs, tumblers and more.
• Decorating your personal items such as phones and laptops using trendy vinyl stickers.
• Making vinyl decals to make your office or workplace livelier.
• Making promotional stickers or product labels for your business. Etc.

As you can see, the list of application is endless. Printable vinyl stickers definitely has a lot to offer! Visit our Instagram page for more ideas here.