When designing custom stickers, the choice of a matte or glossy finish is one of the most important aspects of your project. Each has its distinct appeal, but which format will best suit your needs? Whether creating stickers for marketing purposes, products, or as a personal item, understanding the difference between matte and glossy stickers will help you decide with confidence.

We break down this topic in an enjoyable and simple manner.

Glossy Vs. Matte Stickers

Glossy Stickers are brightly colored and vibrant. The gloss finish makes the colors of the stickers pop against the background. 

Matte paper stickers have a finish that is soft and non-reflective. The matte finish gives these stickers a high level of elegance and sophistication. Stickers that are matte create an understated image and have an elegant and sophisticated feel.

At StickerJet, both glossy and matte stickers are constructed using superior-quality vinyl material, and both can have a laminate coating placed on top of the finished design, allowing the stickers to be used indoors or outside as a long-lasting product.

The main differences summarized are:

1. Color & Appearance

Glossy Stickers/ Shiny Stickers:

• Reflect light from the surface, allowing for brighter, more saturated colors.
• Enable increased color contrast and thus create designs that "pop."
• Great for bright, lively or fun designs that want a more visible presence.

Matte Stickers:

• Absorb light from their surface, allowing for softer, muted colors.
• Provide a refined, understated and contemporary appearance.
• Ideal for simple design concepts as well as professional use.

2. Glare

When a glossy sticker reflects sunlight, it can create glare that makes reading the text difficult when viewed under certain lighting conditions, although it adds depth to the sticker.

While the matte paper sticker diffuses light, which reduces glare and makes it easier for you to read the text or see detail in the design from multiple angles.

Tip: If your sticker has a lot of fine detail in the text or other small details, you might be better off with a Matte Finish.

3. Durability

Both matte and glossy stickers printed on high-quality vinyl with laminated finishes offer an equal amount of durability.

Matte and glossy stickers are both scratch-resistant, smear-resistant, and weather-resistant; therefore, they can be used both indoors and outdoors.

The laminated surface helps to prevent the stickers from fading, maintaining their brightness for as long as possible.

4. Popularity

Glossy stickers are a common choice among consumers, as they have bold and flashy visuals that make them stand out.

Matte stickers have grown in popularity among brands and creators looking for a clean and minimalist finish and a more professional look. 

Ultimately, the decision of whether to use glossy or matte stickers is primarily determined by the design, application and personal preference.

Common Uses For Matte & Glossy Stickers

Matte Finished Stickers - Elegant and Professional

• Sticker Packaging - A high-end and classy product presentation
• Marketing Materials - Classy, yet subdued design
• Sticker Labels - Clear text format with no glare
• Wall Decals, Laptop computers, water bottles - simple, clean, no distractions
• Sticker Durability - Resistant to fingerprints and smudges for use on frequently handled items

 

Glossy Stickers: Bright and Catchy

• Bumper Stickers: Highly visible and bright colors
• Product Packaging: Puts your design on display in the marketplace
• Promotional Materials: Attracts buyers' attention immediately
• Artwork & Custom Designs: Makes colors in artwork more vibrant and enhances the dimensions of the artwork.

Writing On Glossy Vs. Matte Stickers

Due to their non-reflective finishes, matte stickers offer better traction for the writer. When writing on them with a pen, marker or pencil, the chance of smudging is greatly reduced.

You can write on shiny stickers with a pen; however, if you’re using a glossy finish, it’s advisable that you use a permanent or oil-based marker since a standard pen can smear unless it has been treated with a writing-friendly coating.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose glossy stickers if you're looking for sticker designs that are:

• Boldly colored and vibrantly contrast with their background
• Advertise products, use for artistic expression or simply for fun

Choose matte stickers if you're looking for sticker designs that are:

• Professional and have a subtle, elegant appearance
• Heavily focused on typography as well as illustrative elements and has many intricate design features.
• Less likely to show marks left by touch or finger smudging, go with Matte.
  

Why StickerJet?

Selecting the correct type of sticker finish is important, but selecting an appropriate printing company is more important. At StickerJet, we provide an easy method for creating high-quality, long-lasting matte and glossy stickers that match your exact requirements.

Why do customers trust us?

1. No Minimums and No Hassle

If you want a single glossy sticker for evaluating a design or several thousand matte stickers for a full-scale launch, we can help. Order precisely what you require with zero stress and no waste associated with excess sticker inventory.

2. Wholesale Pricing 

When printing in bulk, we provide competitive rates for our glossy & matte stickers without compromising quality and service. Perfect for artists, resellers, and many businesses!

3. Top-Tier Quality

Your stickers, labels, banners, and DTF printed products are made from high-quality vinyl and premium laminate and printed with the latest in printing technology.

4. Fast Turnaround

Deadlines do not have to wait; neither do we! With such a smooth production schedule, there will always be fast turnaround time and dependable shipping. 

5. Full Customization

Choose your size, shape and finish (glossy or matte) and format, and upload and preview your design to view before we create and construct. Your stickers will be created just as you desire, from tiny personal projects to huge business orders.

Conclusion

Whether you choose matte or glossy stickers, remember that the choice you make should reflect the end goal for your product rather than which sticker looks/feels better.

Matte stickers display elegance through a more muted look. A matte finish features a smooth, easy-to-read surface with no fingerprints, whereas a glossy sticker displays vibrant colors and attracts your attention with an intense image.

Both matte and glossy finishes produced by StickerJet are of high quality and will strengthen your designs, as well as provide longer life spans for your stickers. StickerJet creates each sticker designed specifically to your needs; therefore, you will receive a sticker that meets your exact specifications.