Stickers are an important extension of your brand. After all, most customers “judge a book by its cover” before making a purchase decision. A great sticker design emphasizes your brand’s core message. Customers will see the quality of a product and the professionalism of a brand based on the look, design, and presentation of a product.

So what happens your brand’s credibility when a sticker appears flawed? Even if you put a lot of thought into the design process, it’s true that not all sticker designs come out right on the first try. Mistakes can happen. So get your sticker design right before it hits the shelves. Here are some common sticker design mistakes, and some tips on how to avoid them.

4 Common Sticker Design Mistakes to Watch Out For

1. Busy Design Elements: A cluttered room in a small house can make the space seem smaller. This same principle is true for sticker design. Avoid busy design elements by being proportional and intentional. If the sticker is small, then center the most important element in order to attract attention to the right place. Only add design elements that enhance the sticker’s branding, but ensure that the branding is still clean and clear.
2. Poor Packaging: Contrast is a wonderful design element. All too often we see packaging and stickers adorned with colors that clash or do not pair well together. The goal is to make the sticker stand out. Clashing stands out for the wrong reasons. It gives off the message of disorganization, which can deter customers. Take some time to ensure that the sticker and packaging pair well together, and that design adheres to your branding guidelines. For example, if the sticker is the focal point, then the packaging should emphasize this. When packaging and stickers are harmonious, your brand’s unspoken message is clear, clean, and organized.
3. Spelling and Grammar Errors: Nothing undermines your brand more than simple and careless errors. In fact, you will be surprised to discover how many businesses design great stickers that are riddled with spelling and grammatical mistakes. The good news is avoiding these common errors is relatively easy. The best solution is more eyes. Read over the design several times, then have one or two trusted employees review it as well. It also helps to establish a review/approval process before any design is printed or published. This review process will help catch and fix linguistic errors, spelling errors, and even issues surrounding the design itself. Remember, the more feedback, the better.
4. Lack of Professional Quality: Many poorly designed stickers are made from businesses that simply print them on paper using an inkjet printer. The design might look beautiful on the computer, but the colors, sizing, and print quality on paper look off.

Avoiding Common Sticker Design Mistakes is Easy

Professional printing companies use high-powered commercial printers in order to size designs correctly with the right colors and the highest quality. So, why not trust them to do the job? Sure, it might be more expensive to hire a professional printer, but isn’t your brand worth it?

Avoiding simple sticker mistakes is relatively easy. This requires looking at your design from different points of view. You can also avoid these common mistakes by consulting with a team of professional and experienced sticker designers. The team at Stickers International is available to help you create beautiful sticker designs—and to help you avoid common sticker design mistakes.