How Custom Stickers Are Made

I thought it would be fun to show you how I illustrate custom stickers and also tell you about where I print them. I can help you design and illustrate stickers for an event (wedding, birthday, etc.) or your business (giveaways, packaging, etc.). Everyone loves stickers. :)

First, I start with a concept.

I got the idea for this custom sticker collection at a networking event hosted by the Malverne Chamber of Commerce. The chamber puts on monthly events for the community. They invite local businesses to contribute to the events, whether that is by volunteering or sponsoring the event in some way.

This month (August 9th at 7 pm), the Chamber is hosting a Play in the Park (Westwood Park in Malverne, LI) for kids. It's a play based on the storybook "How I Became a Pirate" by Melinda Long. While our local plumbing business provides popcorn, I will hand out pirate-themed stickers. Cute, right? I love my town.

Then, I research and study reference images.

For this project, I looked for the storybook "How I Became a Pirate" online. Because of time constraints, I didn't order the book, but I watched a reading of the book on youtube. I also looked at pirate ships, flags, maps, treasure chests, etc., on Google and Pinterest. I made this rough sketch (on the right) of the images for my final sticker pack.

Next, I scan my sketch into Adobe Fresco and illustrate the final sticker pack.

Using Adobe Fresco on my iPad, I traced my sketches, colored my stickers, created a fun background, and added some additional doodles for fun. :) I exported the image to Adobe Illustrator to add text. I could have done it on my iPad, but I find it easier to type on my desktop.

Finally, I send my sticker illustration to Sticker Mule for printing.

Sticker Mule has excellent customer service, which is why I like using the as my sticker printer. After I uploaded the final image, they got back to me right away with a digital sample of what the stickers will look like when they're printed. Here is what they sent. Do you think the kids at Play in the Park will like these?