There has been a lot of confusion around custom stickers. Many folks think that they can damage cars, and aren’t removable. The truth is that there are many different sticker materials available. While some could potentially damage a cars finish, the vast majority are completely safe to use on nearly any surface.
Let’s take a quick rundown of the commonly used adhesive types. The adhesive type, combined with the material type, is crucial in determining the longevity of the stickers, the application surface, and the desired ease of removability. Make sure you choose the right sticker type for your project.
Here are the common types of stickers, we’ll talk about each one:
- Static Cling
- Removable Adhesive
- Permanent Adhesive
- Rough Surface Adhesive
- High Tack
Static Cling: Static cling decals do not have any adhesive but rely on static electricity to hold temporary or movable graphics on the inside of windows or smooth product surfaces. On the other hand, we use ultra-removable adhesive on many removable bumper stickers, short-term promotions, and removable window decals.
Removable Adhesive: If you’re looking for a custom removable bumper sticker or promotional sticker, then removable adhesive is your best bet. It ensures that you can remove the sticker as one piece with no residue left behind, which is crucial to the advertiser or end-user.
Permanent Adhesive: For stickers meant to stay in place as long as possible, like equipment stickers, helmet stickers, product decals, and signage, permanent adhesive should be used.
Rough Surface Adhesive: This type of material is ideal for rough or textured surfaces. Rough surface adhesive conforms and molds to the surface, providing stronger adhesion.
High Tack: High tack adhesives, on the other hand, work well with special polyester materials, adding extra grip on smooth, flat surfaces.
Tamper Evident Polyester: There are destructible acrylic and tamper-evident polyester materials available for security applications. These materials, when combined with permanent sticker adhesive, are designed to be difficult to remove completely or leave “tamper-evident” material behind when removed.
It’s important to review your specific applications with the manufacturer and test materials and adhesives to ensure the level of adhesion is suitable for your project. Different manufacturers may have different “removable” and “permanent” sticker/decal product versions.
Remember, the most crucial question to address from a manufacturing or printing standpoint is where the stickers, decals, or labels will be used and applied.
