Whether it is product packaging or logistics transportation, stickers are widely used in a variety of fields. Among them, the most common types are die cut stickers and regular stickers. This article will provide you with an in-depth analysis of the differences between them, helping you make wiser purchasing decisions!
What Are Die Cut Stickers?
Die cut stickers are a type of sticker that is precisely cut according to the outer contour of the pattern. They have no fixed shape but are precisely cut into various irregular patterns through die-cutting technology, such as brand logos or cartoon characters, which can quickly catch people’s attention.
The die-cutting process can make the edges of the stickers clean and neat, looking very exquisite.
What Are Regular Stickers?
Regular stickers are the most common type of sticker on the market. Their shapes are relatively fixed, usually square, rectangular or circular, and they are highly practical. Since regular stickers do not go through complex production processes, they have certain cost advantages and are suitable for large-scale production.
Difference Between Die Cut and Regular Stickers
Die Cut vs Regular Stickers: Material
In actual production and procurement, considering different application scenarios, die cut stickers and standard stickers also differ in material selection.
Die-cut stickers are usually made from more durable materials.
- Vinyl: This material is waterproof, UV-resistant, highly flexible and abrasion-resistant. It can adapt well to all kinds of environments and is ideal for outdoor stickers.
- PVC: This material has excellent flexibility, wear resistance and chemical corruption resistance. It can withstand long-term exposure to the elements, and is suitable for making car stickers, advertising stickers.
- PET: This material has excellent stability, heat resistance and durability. It can adapt well to scenarios with large temperature fluctuations and is suitable for laptop stickers.
- Holographic Film: This material has a strong visual impact. It can showcase the brand very well and is ideal for making holographic stickers.
Regular stickers are usually made of paper materials.
- Paper: This is the most common material used for regular stickers. It has a low cost and good printing effect, but it is not waterproof and not tear-resistant, making it suitable for short-term use.
- BOPP: This is a plastic film material that not only has excellent water resistance, oil resistance and wear resistance, but is also colorless, odorless, and non-toxic, making it suitable for food labels.
- Thermal Paper: This is a material coated with special chemical substances on the surface. It does not require ink and can directly show color by heating through a thermal printer. Stickers made of this material can be used for express delivery waybills and various barcode labels.
- Coated Paper: This is a type of material with a specially treated surface. The most common one is coated paper, which has a smooth surface and excellent printing effect. Stickers made from this material can not only enhance the texture of packaging but also establish a good brand image.
Die Cut vs Regular Stickers: Visual Effect
Die Cut Stickers
The shape of die cut stickers is not fixed. They are cut to match the outer contours of the custom design. Apart from the designed pattern, the entire sticker has no extra backing paper, making it more visually striking.
Using die cut stickers for product packaging can make the overall look more upscale, and the exquisite cutting will also make consumers have a good impression of the brand.
Regular Stickers
The shape of regular stickers is relatively fixed, usually square, rectangular or circular, which emphasizes the accurate transmission of information and offers greater standardization and consistency. Although regular stickers are not as eye-catching as die cut stickers, the product information they convey makes people feel more professional and standardized.
Die Cut vs Regular Stickers: Cost
The cost of stickers is divided into two parts, including the initial investment cost and the mid-term production cost.
Initial Investment Cost
Die Cut Stickers
Die cut stickers require custom-made die-cutting molds, and the cost of the die-cutting molds is directly proportional to their complexity.
In addition to the die-cutting mold fee, there is also a design fee for the pattern. To achieve the expected effect, the designer must draw precise die-cutting lines according to the custom pattern. Moreover, if the die-cutting mold is not aligned with the pattern, it may cause the entire batch of stickers to be unusable, resulting in certain losses.
Regular Stickers
In contrast, regular stickers have simple shapes and do not require specially customized die-cutting molds, which can save this expense.
The patterns of regular stickers are all very simple and do not require high design fees. Moreover, the error tolerance rate of ordinary stickers is high. As long as the deviation is not too large, it will not affect normal use.
Mid-Term Production Cost
Die Cut Stickers
For die cut stickers, since they have an additional die-cutting fee compared to regular stickers, their production cost depends on the production quantity. The more the quantity, the lower the unit price per sticker averaged out.
On the one hand, in order to present a better visual effect and ensure the clarity of the pattern, every detail of the die-cut stickers needs to be handled well during the production process, which leads to a slightly slower production speed.
On the other hand, a large amount of scraps will be produced after die-cutting. The more complex the pattern, the more scraps will be generated, and the greater the difficulty of waste removal will be. This will also result in a loss fee and labor cost.
Regular Stickers
Regular stickers have a significant advantage in this aspect. They do not require custom die-cutting and can be produced efficiently through standardized cutting, greatly increasing the production speed. They are suitable for both small-scale trial and error and large-scale production.
Because their shapes are fixed, regular stickers do not generate excessive scrap material, which not only greatly improves the utilization rate of materials but also reduces material waste.
Die Cut vs Regular Stickers: Applications
Die cut stickers focus on personalized expression and are often used for brand display by enterprises and daily decoration by consumers.
- Brand Display: Enterprises can customize stickers with brand logos for product packaging. This not only catches customers’ attention but also enhances the user experience when opening packages.
- Brand-Related Merchandise: Many brands also produce cute cartoon pattern stickers related to their own brands as gifts or sell them separately.
- Decoration and DIY: Many young people enjoy using stickers to decorate their daily items, such as water bottles, suitcases, laptops and so on.
- Outdoor Use: Besides indoor applications, die-cut stickers are also suitable for many outdoor scenarios, such as car stickers, advertising stickers, and some shop window decorations.
Regular stickers focus on practicality and functionality and are mostly used to convey information.
- Product Labels: Accurately display a series of product information, such as ingredient list, shelf life, etc.
- Industrial and Logistics: Among regular stickers, there is a type of roll label that can be used in conjunction with a labeling machine to enhance work efficiency. For example, express delivery waybills, product barcodes, etc.
- Promotional Activities: Discount labels can be affixed to the products that are on sale.
- Large-Scale Wall Decoration: Regular stickers can serve as background decorations for large-scale wall surfaces.
FAQ
What is the Difference Between Die Cut Stickers and Kiss Cut Stickers?
The biggest difference between the two lies in their cutting methods. Die cutting is the process of completely cutting through the sticker and the backing paper at the bottom to form a single, independent and separated sticker, which appears more exquisite.
Kiss cutting only cuts the stickers, not the backing paper at the bottom. All the stickers are on a complete backing paper, which can better protect the edges of the stickers.
Can Regular Stickers be Customized?
Of course! Although there are only three common shapes of regular stickers, Liyantian can still offer you many customization options, including materials, text, patterns, colors, sizes, and special techniques.
Which Type of Sticker is Better for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses?
It depends on the specific application scenario. If you have a limited budget, focus on efficiency, or are using them for basic scenarios like internal management and logistics and express delivery, regular stickers are a good option.
If you pay attention to the brand image, want to enhance the texture of your product packaging, or use them for marketing purposes, you may consider die-cut stickers.
Final Thoughts
After fully understanding the differences between die cut stickers and regular stickers, we believe you can make a better choice that suits your needs. Liyantian has 24 years experience in manufacturing stickers. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at any time!
