Printable vinyl exploded in popularity with hobbyists and small businesses alike. This material is long-lasting and vibrant and can survive being frequently touched and a variety of intense weather conditions. Whether you’re a signmaker or starting your first Etsy sticker business, we recommend printing your designs on premium cast vinyl. This material will elevate your designs and result in ultimate customer satisfaction.
What Is Printable Vinyl?
Printable vinyl is used by both hobbyists and professionals for multiple purposes. Small-scale businesses and hobbyists use printable vinyl with their home inkjet printers to create stickers and decals. If you run a larger business with high demands and quick turnarounds for orders, you need more sophisticated equipment and materials that won’t fail.
3M premium vinyl products give your vinyl products the professional finish and durability your customers want. This vinyl is made of thin plastic, making it moldable and flexible. It can be pulled without ripping, and when it’s removed, there is no residue left behind as often happens with sticker paper. When you create printable vinyl stickers with premium cast vinyl, your materials will be waterproof and last in both indoor and outdoor environments.
Uses for Printable Vinyl Stickers
Using high-quality vinyl stickers opens a door to endless opportunities. This material allows your business to offer a wider range of products and services because the vinyl is durable and vibrant. We recommend using cast vinyl rather than calendered vinyl if possible because cast vinyl is less prone to shrinkage and weathering.
Signs and Displays
Whether your sign illuminates or is wooden—or your message needs to be displayed on a glass pane—vinyl wraps and stickers are your best friend. If you need privacy on your windows, cast vinyl stickers adhere seamlessly to glass surfaces, both inside and out.
This material also works well with illuminated signs. You can opt for translucent vinyl, which allows some light to pass through the material to create a glowing effect when the sign is lit, brightening your message while disguising the bulbs and surface below the vinyl.
Walls
If you’re looking to make your interior pop, vinyl wall stickers are a great way to refresh a space without the hassle of painting. Rather than clear a room, cover all furniture, and spend hours (even days) repainting or renovating your office, apply vinyl sticker decals or vinyl wall wraps. You can tell your company’s story in a new way, promote new ideas, and update your interior design all at the same time.
Vehicles and Transportation
Placing a vinyl sticker on your vehicle can boost brand awareness or uniquely decorate your vehicle. These stickers are also useful for road signs and other safety materials as long as you use materials that comply with your state and county’s signage regulations.
These decals and stickers are easy to attach and easy to remove when needed—and are also built to withstand various weather conditions. You can even place vinyl on top of vinyl wrap if your vehicle already has a vinyl wrap on it. Just make sure the vinyl on the sticker is compatible vinyl to the one on the underlying car wrap.
Printable Vinyl Versus Stickers
Let’s look specifically at inkjet printers when comparing printable vinyl stickers to printable paper sheets for stickers. We know printable vinyl is a plastic or polymer-based material that is waterproof or weather-resistant. Sticker paper, however, is paper-based and not waterproof or weather-resistant.
Both sticker paper and vinyl offer multiple options for finishes. Sticker paper comes in matte and glossy. Printable vinyl, on the other hand, comes in more options. Vinyl stickers can be matte, glossy, iridescent, reflective, etc. There are more design options when you opt for vinyl stickers.
Sticker paper is not as durable as vinyl stickers. We recommend using sticker paper for stickers and decals that remain indoors and are stuck to items that are not frequently touched because designs and ink easily wear away on the porous material. Vinyl stickers can withstand both indoor and outdoor environments and are ideal for products that are touched often, such as water bottles.
Fulfill Your Vinyl Needs With AirMark
AirMark is your one-stop shop for all materials needed to work with vinyl. We offer a wide variety of vinyl films, vinyl cutters, and other printing and cutting equipment. Take your business to the next level with the supplies offered by AirMark!
