Looking to make your own bumper stickers? You've come to the right place! In this blog post, we will discuss the process of making bumper stickers, as well as some tips and tricks for getting the best results. Custom bumper stickers are a great value added to your small business. We'll also provide a few resources so that you can get started right away!
Professional looking bumper stickers are easy to make with any laser or inkjet printer, but remember: if your stickers are going to be out in the elements, you'll need to make sure they're weather resistant. For inkjet, this means that you'll need to use lamination. Laser printers can produce weather resistant and weatherproof stickers, but the start up cost for laser printing is higher.
Like other stickers, to design bumper stickers is a relatively easy endeavor. When you're making custom bumper stickers in your own home, you don't have to make large quantities. You can make one, or two, or ten professional looking bumper stickers without needing to wait business days or pay shipping. Luckily, printing stickers at home only required limited equipment. Let's find out more!
Gather your supplies – design software, printer, sticker paper
You'll want to be sure you have everything you need before you get started. Make sure you have a design, a printer, and some sticker paper. The type of sticker paper you'll use will depend on your needs and your printer.
If you have a laser printer, I recommend using either Avery or OnlineLabels brand sticker paper. Both companies offer pre-cut bumper sticker paper, or you can plan to use a tool like a Cricut Explore Air 3 to cut out your own bumper sticker. Once you have everything you need, you're ready to get started!
Create your bumper sticker design in a graphic design program
Graphic design programs provide the tools you need to create a professional-looking bumper sticker design. With a wide variety of fonts, colors, and shapes to choose from, you can create a design that is truly unique. In addition, graphic design programs offer a number of features that make it easy to add text, resize objects, and create complex layers.
We have a lot of opinions about software! If this is a one time thing, consider Canva. If you're building a business, consider something like Serif's Affinity products. If you're a professional artist and already have access to Adobe CC products, just use those!
With these features at your disposal, you can create a bumper sticker design that is both eye-catching and informative. Best of all, thanks to the wide range of printing options available, you can easily turn your design into a physical bumper sticker that can be proudly displayed on your vehicle. So whether you're looking to make a statement or simply share your sense of humor with the world, graphic design programs offer the perfect solution.
Tips for custom bumper sticker design
As you think about your custom bumper sticker design, remember the intended purpose. Custom bumper stickers are meant to be seen from a distance. So use bold fonts, completely saturate the bumper sticker's surface, and do some test printing to make sure that the design looks great from far away.
When in doubt, bumper sticker templates are a great tool to use for your project. They'll give you the correct size and maybe even some common words or phrases and typography layouts. Remember, too much text will make people squint, so keep your message short and pithy.
Print out your bumper stickers on standard 8.5×11 inch sticker paper
Printing shouldn't be tricky, but in case it is, we're here to help. Most bumper stickers fit fine on 8.5×11 paper, which, for most standard printer configurations, is as large as you can print. So may sure you're not planning a 14 inch long bumper sticker if your printer can't handle it. Images should be scaled appropriately.
Make sure to print at high quality to get the maximum coverage of color for your stickers. Yes, it uses ink, but it'll help your stickers pop on cars and car bumpers. Creating stickers is a design game – you want to be sure that the bumper sticker design is easily discernible from a distance.
If you don't have a lot of specialty paper, do a test print first. Test print on plain paper so that you can see if there are alignment errors before you waste your valuable paper.
If your bumper stickers aren't pre-cut, cut them w/ a machine or scissors
Bumper stickers are a great way to show your personality on your car, but if you're not careful, they can also damage your paint job. If your bumper stickers aren't pre-cut, be sure to use a machine or scissors designed for cutting your material.
I use a Cricut Explore Air 2 for most of my printing and cutting needs. It has a total printable area of 6.5″ x 9.25″ which works well for my bumper sticker options, which are 5″ on the largest side. I use the same paper for bumper stickers as I do for non-vehicle stickers like laptop and water bottle stickers. It is weatherproof and has a high tack, which means that it stays where you put it.
How to apply bumper stickers
There's no better way to show your support for your favorite team than by displaying a few bumper stickers. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the local sports team or you just want to show your sense of humor, bumper stickers are a great way to express yourself. But before you start sticking them on your car, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
First, make sure the surface of your bumper is clean and dry. You can use some rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth to make sure that your surface is prepped. This will help the sticker adhere better and prevent it from peeling off prematurely.
Next, carefully peel off the backing of the sticker and align it with the edge of your bumper. Once it's in place, give it a firm press to make sure it's adhered properly. And that's all there is to it! In just a few minutes, you can add some personality to your car with a few simple bumper stickers.
Final thoughts
Now that you know how to make your own bumper stickers, go out and show the world your support for your favorite political candidate or social cause! Be sure to share a picture of your finished product on our Facebook page so we can admire your handiwork. And if you come up with any other clever ideas for homemade bumper stickers, let us know – we’d love to try them out ourselves.
