How to Make Waterproof Stickers (Full DIY Tutorial)
Stickers, stickers, stickers! They are everywhere! Stickers are the new age way to show off art and collect it. You can put them on your laptop, water bottle, car, and so much more. If you plan on using them for outdoor use, you might need to take some extra steps. Today I will be giving a full tutorial on how to waterproof stickers.
There are a few reasons why you would want to waterproof stickers.
1.) It makes your stickers last longer and have better integrity.
2.) Great for use on cars, shampoo/conditioner bottles, water bottles, and windows.
Waterproof Dog Stickers by Calisea.co
Waterproof stickers are great for product label packaging, sticker businesses, water bottles, or for fun. In this article I will be showing you how to make stickers for yourself, or for your business.
This is how I make my professional grade vinyl stickers for Calisea.co, so let’s get started!
Step 1: Have Your Design Ready
First things first. Make sure you have your design ready.
Designing your Sticker (Personal Use)
If you are making stickers for personal use, go ahead and use any design you would like. You don’t have to be an artist for this step; find the picture you would like to use. There are plenty of free designs on the web.
If you are looking to make a logo or labels but may not be able to draw your vision, try using Canva. Canva is a great resource that has tons of free images/texts. Plus, it’s free! Yay!
I do want to mention though that the free version of Canva does not let you save designs with a transparent background, which will be necessary to cut them out if you will be using a sticker cutting machine. If you do want to save them with a transparent background, I suggest you upgrade to Canva Pro.
Designing your Sticker (For Business)
If you are making stickers for your small business, you will need to have your own design or licensed art to use.
For those with an iPad, a great digital drawing option is using the app Procreate. Procreate is an amazing application and is super beginner friendly (and great for professional use!) I would recommend this application if you already draw on your iPad. There are also a lot of tutorials on how to use it on TikTok and Youtube, so I suggest checking out Procreate if you want to make higher quality designs.
For a design drawn on paper, scan it and trace over it on your drawing application on your computer. Of course, you could just scan your paper drawing and use it without the digital redraw, but I think making digital drawings for stickers give it a sleek finish.
I use a digital drawing software on my Cintiq 14 inch. If you are wanting to start a sticker business, I highly suggest getting a Drawing tablet or Procreate on your iPad. This will significantly improve the quality of your designs and will allow you to create art more efficiently.
Not an Artist?
If you do not know how to draw, you can still make stickers. I highly recommend programs like Canva Pro or something similar. With Canva Pro you can even sell your design on stickers, websites, etc. You can also just use Canva for free. I use it for a lot of other things like designing my website, creating wallpapers, and packaging!
This is a really great option for those who want to start a sticker business but don’t feel artsy. Honestly, Canva Pro is definitely one of my holy grail resources, it’s amazing for artists and others alike.
If you will be using a sticker cutting machine, make sure your image is a PNG so it has a transparent background and can cut around your sticker perfectly.
*The best part about Canva Pro is that you can download the designs with a transparent background.
I draw my designs in Medibang Pro 4, which is a great beginner friendly free paint program for Windows and Mac OS.
Step 2: Print Out Your Stickers
Alright, now for the next important step. The type of paper matters! Normal paper gets wet, which makes ink run right? That is why using normal sticker paper is not the best option for waterproofing it. You will need much more durable sticker material. A really popular option is Printable Vinyl paper!
There are a lot of Printable Vinyl Paper on the market, so you may have to research and find which one is the best for your stickers.
I would recommend the Joyeza Matte Printable Vinyl Sticker for beginners. Another one of my favorites is the PPD Printable Vinyl Paper, I use this sticker for my sticker shop! It holds colors well, water resistant, and has a lovely matte finish. This step is really important, because you could use the best laminate but if your base paper is not durable, your ink will smear and fade. You could also use glossy Vinyl Paper, but I find that matte paper has a bit more waterproofing potential!
*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.
For the printer, you can use any printer really. I use the Canon Pixma. I put the vinyl paper in the rear tray (Put the side that will be printed on face up) and hit print. Don’t forget to change your print settings to the correct one for your paper. Most vinyl paper brands tell you which setting to use in the instructions.
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.
If you are using these on your laptop or somewhere that doesn’t really come in contact with water too much, then you can skip the next step. However, if these stickers are for outdoor use, I highly recommend you laminate your stickers. If you are interested in increasing the integrity or lifespan of your stickers, this next step could be beneficial to you regardless.
Step 3: Laminate Your Stickers (Optional)
While printable vinyl is waterproof, it may not perform as well in an outdoor setting and is recommended to be used for indoor use. If you want to make more professional grade high quality stickers, keep reading.
You can either use cold or hot laminate.
Hot lamination usually requires a heat powered laminate machine that feeds the laminate and sticker paper through it and seals it through thermal heat. This really seals your sticker in place. Personally, I would recommend cold laminating for waterproofing stickers.
Cold lamination usually refers to laminate that is self adhesive and no heat or machine is required. You just stick it onto your sticker sheet with the help of a squeegee. I like using squeegees that have a felt tip so it doesn’t scratch the surface of the stickers too hard.
An adhesive laminate I would recommend is the Oracal Laminating Film- Oraguard 615 (glossy finish)
*I would recommend getting a squeegee for both cold AND hot lamination anyways because it makes the finish so much more consistent and better.
I use the cold laminating sheets and use a squeegee to firmly press on my sticker sheets. I then run it through the laminating machine under the cold setting just for extra pressing.
Although the printable vinyl doesn’t smear ink when in contact with water, I would highly recommend putting laminate over it as it significantly increases the durability of your sticker.
*Note that although this method will make your stickers resist water and survive on water bottles, to fully waterproof your stickers, you must use a solvent based ink as well. The laminate will only prolong the quality of your ink itself.
Step #4: Cutting Them Out
After your stickers are laminated, now you are ready to cut them out. You can either cut them out by hand or use a cutting machine like I do.
There are 2 ways to approach this:
If you do not mind imperfect edges, you can simply just cut out your sticker with a pair of scissors carefully and you are done!
If you are wanting to use these stickers for business purposes, I would highly recommend getting a sticker cutting machine as it cuts out the perfect outline for every sticker and is consistent. When you have a brand, consistency within your products is what you want.
I would recommend the Silhouette Cameo 4, as it is more professional friendly and based on reviews, might actually have less errors than the Cricut (in my experience).
Also, it comes in really cute colors! If you are going to have an office, appearance does matter and sometimes your productivity may be based on it. Plus, if you are going to splurge on a fancy machine, you might as well like it.
I got this Pink Silhouette Cameo 4 on Amazon. It came with a lot of the basic tools too.
You will have to play around with the settings a bit to get the perfect cut. Check out this article on beginner friendly tips for Silhouette Cameo 4 users.
Sometimes with such thick laminate, the blade won’t cut your sticker all the way and these are things you need to watch out for, especially if you are planning to sell these. Depending on the sticker paper and laminate you decide to use, your cut settings will be different. Experiment and play around with the settings and find out what works best for you. Familiarize yourself with your machine and you’ll get the perfect cuts eventually.
You’re Finished, All Done!
Once your stickers are all cut out, you are done! Congratulations! You have made your very own waterproof stickers!
Things to look out for:
- Make sure the laminate and vinyl paper are stuck together. You want to make sure the laminate layer is not lifting in any of the corners of the vinyl paper. If they weren’t pressed hard enough, you will risk water getting into the ink and ruining your sticker.
- No holes in the sticker: Sometimes your Cameo or Circuit Machine might mistaken and randomly cut a small hole in your sticker. This makes it easier for moisture to get in and ruin the ink.
That is how I make my vinyl waterproof stickers! Thank you for reading my article. If you would like to know more about stickers and small businesses, check out my small business resources.
If you liked the stickers used in the photos, they are available in my shop! They are high quality vinyl, waterproof, and handmade!
-Calisea Art
January 31, 2022 @ 6:41 am
Thanks for the great tutorial. I’m excited to try this with my daughter. Can you share what cut settings have worked for you with the recommended vinyl & laminate on a cameo 4?
January 31, 2022 @ 2:55 pm
Hi Bryan, I’m glad you enjoyed this tutorial.
The cut settings will vary based on how thick your laminate is but my settings for when using the Joyeza vinyl paper+ cold laminate was:
Depth:4 Strength: 20 Speed: 8
This may or may not work for you, I hope through experimentation you will find the perfect settings.
I wish you and your daughter the best of luck!
-Rosie of Calisea.co
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[…] 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. […]