The Best Vinyl Paper For Stickers (Tips from a Professional)
Looking for the best Vinyl paper for stickers? Finding the right printable vinyl sticker paper for your stickers can be time consuming and very expensive. I mean, who wants to buy all the sticker paper on the market and test them out?
Lucky for you, I have tested out some popular sticker papers so that you don’t have to!
In this article, I will be comparing some printable vinyl sticker papers from Amazon.
I have spent a lot of time (and money…) trying to find the perfect sticker paper for my products.
I will be judging these sticker papers based on their ink retention, cost effectiveness, and durability.
*Note: I do receive a small portion from purchases made through the links in this article which helps fund our small business. I will never recommend a product or service I don’t have 100% faith in.
Matte Vs. Glossy?
So now you have you choose, what kind of finish do you want your stickers to have? Or both?
Matte Vinyl Sticker Paper
Matte vinyl sticker paper has a no shine, sleek finish to it and can make your stickers look a little more high end. I am a huge fan of matte stickers as they make my workspace look nice and mute, without any distraction. But this is really up to personal preference.
Glossy Vinyl Sticker Paper
Glossy stickers have a beautifcul shine to them, making the colors more vibrant than ever. These are perfect for tiny stickers as it makes them really pop.
In my experience I have found that glossy stickers have a harder time being fully waterproof. Lamination would definitely be required if that is necessary for your stickers.
You can definitely have both though, so don’t be shy to try them both!
Unfortunately, this article will only be comparing matte printable vinyl paper, but I will make a separate article on the best glossy papers, so subscribe to my blog!
What type will this article talking about?
Today in this article I will only be focusing on Matte sticker paper.
Waterproof Necessary?
Alright now that you know what kind of finish you want, there is another important question. Do you need it to be waterproof?
Some of the sticker paper I have found are great on their own and cost effective but without complete waterproofing power.
Side note, if you want to learn how to make waterproof stickers, check out my step by step guide on How to Make Waterproof Vinyl Stickers.
Sticker Papers I’ve Used
So here is a list of papers I used. I willl give them all rankings.
Now the reason why I am going to put these stickers in this article instead of only talking about the “winner” is because everyone’s stickers need something different. Perhaps you don’t even need waterproofing, which in that case a few of these are perfect for you. These papers are actually really good options and I highly recommend checking them out!
Plus, these are also great inexpensive sticker papers for other things such as packaging labels, sticker freebies, and testing out stuff.
Joyeza Matte Vinyl Sticker Paper
Rating: 8/10
Review: The Joyeza Printable Vinyl Paper is really nice. It printed nicely, dried quick, and has good sticking power. Lines and detailing look great! However, it curled up a lot for no reason. Another issue I had was it tend to jam my sticker machine from curling. I noticed over time the colors started to get muddy. I also left this on my water bottle for about a year, and when it came to take off, it came off in chunks and left a small residue but nothing too bad. This was still great sticker paper though and I still use it for making stickers for packaging.
Pros:
- Vibrant Colors
- Good quality
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- Leaves a residue
- Not best for outdoor use
- Curls a bit
Zicoto Matte Vinyl Sticker Paper
Rating: 8/10
Review: The Zicoto Printable Vinyl Paper Really similar to the Joyeza. I would say cost effective. I really like this paper, it printed very nicely. The quality is slightly better than the Joyeza vinyl paper, with this one being a thicker material and way less curling. The one is fantastic if you want to actually sell stickers as the quality is pretty good, the only “issue” is that it is a tad bit more expensive than the Joyeza. There is not much muddiness or color fading.
If you’re just starting out your sticker business, this is a good option. This one I have linked below also has 10 matte sheets and 10 glossy sheets so that’s neat! If you just wanted matte sheets, they have an all matte option too.
Pros:
- Great Quality
- Great Color
- Inexpensive
Cons:
- Not best for outdoor use
- Leaves a small residue
JANDJPACKAGING Vinyl Sticker Paper
Rating: 9/10
Review: The JANDJPACKAGING Vinyl Sticker Paper is actually really great if you are making stickers that don’t really need to be waterproof or outdoor durable. This one on amazon comes with 55 pages! That’s more than the others! However, I would say it is a tad bit thinner than the others. It’s cuts and prints nicely, and is a good go-to starter vinyl paper!
I think this is a fantastic option for sticker freebies, business use, and scrapbooking stickers.
Pros:
- Most cost effective option (55 sheets)
- Great Color
- Good for Indoor Use
Cons:
- Thinner than the others
- Not for Outdoor use
PPD Matte Vinyl Sticker Paper
Rating: 9/10
PPD Printable Matte Vinyl Sticker Paper is simply great. The colors print vibrantly, it’s thick, doesn’t smear, and comes off with little to no residue! I love how the colors come out they are perfect! Best part about this sticker paper is that it is absolutely cost effective and one of the best papers on the market (in my experience and opinion!) I use this paper a lot in my shop, it is definitely professional grade for businesses.
The only minor comment I have with this sticker is that it only sometimes lasts outdoors, however this is most likely dependent on what ink you are using.
Pros:
- Vibrant colors
- Cost effective
- Little to no residue
Cons:
- Not the best for outdoor use
All-Time Best Vinyl Sticker Paper
Papilio Printable Matte Vinyl Paper
- Rating: 10/10
Review: Out of all the papers, the Papilio Printable Matte Vinyl Paper makes my sticker absolutely beautiful. I immediately noticed the colors printed out so vibrant, the material was thicker than the others, and its waterproof power was much better.
It dries quickly and does not have a muddy look at all. I will say this paper is a bit more expensive than the others, but the waterproof power is definitely there. If you want your stickers to look professional and high quality, this is your best option. Definitely a perfect rating for me.
Ink retention is great, dries quickly, water resistant, and the paper itself feels high quality.
Overall, this is currently the best vinyl paper for stickers I have found on the market.
Note: It’s worth mentioning that if you want to these stickers to be truly waterproof, using a solvent ink over any other ink may be necessary. However this option may be expensive for some, so using any ink is still a good place to start.
Pros:
- Crisp lines
- Vibrant colors
- Best water resistant power by far
- Almost no residue
- Best durability
- Thicker vinyl
Cons:
- A little pricey
Conclusion
There you have it, the Papilio Vinyl Sticker Paper is what works best for me. I am a firm believer that different things may work differently for other people, so please check out the other sticker papers I’ve listed in this article.
Disclaimer that this is what works best for me; everyone’s sticker needs are different and I highly encourage you to check out the other vinyl sticker papers! The Joyeza is a fan favorite. I would recommend mixing and matching your sticker papers as well, since they could be used for a lot of different things.
Although I have taken off some point for the other sticker papers, I actually know a lot of sticker businesses who use them and I think they are perfect for what they are going for.
For those on a tight budget, I still recommend the JANDJPACKAGING and Ricoto paper, they are super inexpensive (especially the JANDJPACKAGING).
Thank you for reading and have fun creating stickers!
For those who like my stickers, you can get them at my shop!
If you want to learn how to make waterproof stickers, check out my step by step guide on how to make waterproof vinyl stickers.
If you enjoyed this article, check out my other sticker tutorials!