How to print your own packaging tape (video tutorial) 

Designer, Hayden Aube, shows off his favorite techniques for creating a seamless [packaging tape](https://www.stickermule.com/products/packaging-tape) design in Adobe Illustrator.

<YouTubeVideo videoId="NM_PztxoC7A?rel=0&showinfo=0" />

When ordering from Sticker Mule, our artists will work with you to transform your design into a seamless pattern, but if you’d like to do it yourself, follow along.

## Step 1: Create your document
Create a new document. The size of your artboard will determine the size of your pattern.

## Step 2: Layout your tape
Using the *Rectangle tool* (M), create a rectangle that matches the size of your artboard.

Remove the stroke, and give it a fill with you desired background color.

Position the rectangle directly at the center of your artboard and lock it in place.

## Step 3: Add design elements
Place any design elements you want to include in your pattern over the existing background.

Be sure to have some of the design overlapping the edge of the artboard. This will help to create the seamless pattern.

## Step 4: Reposition overlapping elements
Duplicate each object that is overlapping the edge of the artboard (*Copy*, then *Paste in Front*).

Next, move each object to the opposite side of the artboard. Use *Object* > *Transform* > *Move* to move it exactly the same width or height of your artboard.

## Step 5: Make your clipping mask
Using the *Rectangle tool* (M), create another rectangle that matches the size of your artboard, then align it to the center of your artboard.

With everything selected, right click, and select *Make clipping mask*.

## Step 6 (optional): Add to Swatches
With everything selected (including the background), drag the artwork to your *Swatches* panel. This will create a pattern that you could then apply to any shape.

## Step 7: Print your custom packaging tape
Once you have a pattern you’re happy with, you can [upload it to Sticker Mule](https://www.stickermule.com/products/packaging-tape "upload custom packaging tape design to print") for printing. 

As with all of our orders, you’ll receive a proof in 4 hours and our custom packaging tape ships in 4 days or less with free shipping. Samples of custom packaging tape featuring your design are just $4.

<ButtonCta text="Try a custom tape sample for $4" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/packaging-tape-sample" />

<ButtonCta text="Print custom packaging tape in bulk" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/packaging-tape" />

See how to create your own custom packaging tape for boxes and then print them on Sticker Mule to get it to your doorstep in days!

6 ideas for poster making and 5 free poster templates

[Poster making](https://www.stickermule.com/products/custom-posters "custom poster maker ideas") can be a fun and effective way to communicate a message or convey information. Whether you are creating a poster for a school project, a community event, or a scientific conference, there are several key elements to consider when designing your poster. 

Follow these ideas to create a poster that gets your message across and resonates with your target audience.

![poster maker ideas](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/d0e0c46e-c60a-4ae6-a835-b405f36e2929)

### 1)  Design a visually appealing layout

Make your design pop with the right combination of text, images, and graphics. But — and we can’t stress that enough — don’t go overboard with an excessively fancy style. 

When designing your poster, simple is often best. [Research has shown](https://books.google.com/books?id=oV1tXT3HigoC&lpg=PT57&vq=maximize%20legitibility&pg=PT57#v=onepage&q&f=false "maximize legibility ") readers are more likely to understand and accept as true a message communicated in an easy-to-read format. So use a consistent color scheme and font to create a cohesive look and make sure to leave enough white space to avoid a cluttered appearance. 

You can use images and graphics to illustrate your points and make your message more memorable, but be sure to use them in moderation and ensure they are relevant to your message.

### 2)  Use strong, clear headlines to convey the main message

A pithy headline is a perfect way to grab the attention of your audience and convey the main idea of your poster. Remember: attention is a scarce resource, so make sure your headline is clear and concise — something that immediately catches the eye. 

Use subheadings if you need to provide more detailed information, but be sure to keep them short and to the point.

### 3)  Employ white space to create balance and clarity

Don’t forget the role of white space in a clear and readable message. Also known as negative space, this is the area around and between the elements of your design. White space is a key element of design, as it gives your message balance and clarity, making it easier to read and understand.

With clever use of white space, you can also draw attention to specific elements of your design and make them stand out.

### 4)  Illustrate your points with images and graphics

There’s a good reason why we say an image is worth a thousand words. Sure, it’s cliché — but it’s often true. Because we are visual creatures, the right image in the right place can make your message infinitely more engaging, hammering your points home in a powerful and memorable fashion. 

Once again, though, just be sure to use imagery and graphics in moderation and only when relevant to your message.

### 5)  Make your poster interactive with QR codes or games

Another way to make your poster more engaging is with interactive elements, such as QR codes or games. QR codes can be scanned with a smartphone to access additional information or resources, while some kinds of games — such as a hidden object game — can be a fun way to make people stop and look at your poster

### 6)  Consider your purpose and audience

What is your poster for? Who is going to be looking at it?

These are two questions you should always ask yourself while designing your poster. 

From visual style to your choice of words, everything can hinge on your target audience. Where a poster for a scientific conference may call for somewhat technical language and detailed information, a poster for a community event may go with a more straightforward tone, including images and graphics that appeal to a wider audience.

## 5 free to use but professionally designed poster templates

In addition to providing free, [professionally designed poster templates](https://www.stickermule.com/studio/search?group=all&q=poster "free poster templates") below, we also offer a free online poster maker — [Studio](https://www.stickermule.com/studio "online editor and template for making posters") — that you can use to customize and edit the templates. Our online poster creator is user-friendly and easy to use, even if you don't have any design experience, and will be sure to supply you with some fresh ideas for poster making.

To get started, simply [choose the poster template](https://www.stickermule.com/studio/search?group=all&q=poster "choose poster template") you want to use, then add your own text, images, and graphics using our editor. There are plenty of font styles and sizes to choose from, as well as tools to adjust the layout and formatting of your poster. You can also use the maker to add interactive elements, as suggested above.

Using our poster maker is a quick and easy way to create a professional-looking poster tailored to your needs and message. And did we mention it’s free? Give our poster maker a try right now and see what you can create!

### Independent design meetup template ([start designing](https://www.stickermule.com/studio/search?group=all&q=poster "see more poster templates"))
![independent design meetup poster template](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/835238d7-c504-45d1-964f-ec1694f5cdd8)

### Farmer’s market poster template ([start designing](https://www.stickermule.com/studio/search?group=all&q=poster "start making posters templates"))
![farmers market free poster template](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/03d4cf00-0ac6-4112-9d79-f01965524573)

### Live music every night poster template ([start designing](https://www.stickermule.com/studio/search?group=all&q=poster "online free poster template"))
![concert venue free poster template](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/8a577209-ff79-4eba-af5b-9f57b866eb1c)

### Hellbound skate contest poster template ([start designing](https://www.stickermule.com/studio/search?group=all&q=poster "free poster templates online"))
![skate contest free poster template](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/5cf293b0-1c7a-42e4-8acf-9f70978a8c41)

### St Patrick's Day festival poster template ([start designing](https://www.stickermule.com/studio/search?group=all&q=poster "free posters templates"))
![st patricks day fesitival free poster template](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/455842e7-60ac-4592-affd-7d0156d2baa9)

These are just a sample of the [free poster templates](https://www.stickermule.com/studio/search?group=all&q=poster "free poster templates") you can find over at Studio. 

When you design your poster using Studio, you can easily download and save your design in a print-ready format — or send it directly to Sticker Mule for printing in just one click.

With Studio to design your poster, and Sticker Mule to print it, you’ll be able to create a professional-quality poster without the need for expensive software or equipment. Plus, Sticker Mule offers fast turnaround times and worldwide shipping, so you can have your printed poster delivered right to your doorstep in the blink of an eye. (At least metaphorically.)

<ButtonCta text="Get started making your posters today for free!" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/custom-posters" />






Read these 6 ideas for poster making before creating a custom poster and find 5 free to use poster templates

How to use Image Trace in Adobe Illustrator 

The Image Trace feature in Adobe Illustrator is a quick way to [convert your image to vector format](https://www.stickermule.com/redraw) for high quality printing at any size.

<YouTubeVideo videoId="AUxtDCyaPFg?rel=0&showinfo=0" />

[Unlike raster images, vector images](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/raster-vs-vector-images) are made up of mathematical paths that allow the design to be scaled infinitely while retaining its quality.

![differences in raster to vector images](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/7084286daa27ce03bbfdab7bfd1a6836fcedde98)

Here’s how to easily convert a raster image into a vector image using the Image Trace tool in Adobe Illustrator:

### Step 1

With the image open in Adobe Illustrator, select *Window* > *Image Trace*

This will bring up the Image Trace panel.

![how to trace an image in illustrator image trace panel](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/619abbac694183e9dc1c3a3b9be10b10097f9fde)

### Step 2

With the image selected, check the *Preview* box. This will give you a live look at your image in vector format. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look great right away – there are more steps to go!

### Step 3

Select the *Mode* drop down menu, and choose the mode that best suits your design.

![color mode options illustrator image trace](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/4633434944619e32569b92ebcfdf7b3ccb29e8c9)

![mode color grayscale black and white options visualized illustrator](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/bdffbcf7fce970bef6bb0945c9eac470e044bb37)

### Step 4

Next, adjust the *Colors*, *Grays*, or *Threshold* slider. This slider will change depending on the mode you select; however the functionality between the 3 sliders remains similar.

*Colors* - Maximum number of colors used for tracing.

*Grays* - Grayscale accuracy from 0 to 100.

*Threshold* - Pixels darker than threshold value are converted to black.

If this is too low, it might make your image too plain. And if this is too high, it could make your image too complex. However, this all depends on your unique image.

![Colors Grays or Threshold slider differences in illustrator image trace](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/d6499caf30e5423c75ed5bc7a6a704dbf3710659)

### Step 5

Toggle the *Advanced* menu down to bring up more options.

![advanced options of image trace in illustrator](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/227adbb1f2baf0d3b0dd8b3c3d456e8bebcd46ae)

### Step 6

Adjust the *Paths* slider.

This sets the number of paths in your design. Fewer paths means a simpler design, but if there are too few of paths it can distort your image or make it appear boxy. Conversely, too many paths can make the edges of your design very rough looking. Again, this all depends on your unique image - so it’s best to find a happy medium.

![how to use the trace paths slider in illustrator image trace](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/e72cc6fbe5a8f0cdff5eeefabde8dbd5054eb047)

### Step 7

Adjust the *Corners* slider.

This controls the amount of corners in your design. Less corners will make the curves of your design more rounded, while more corners will make the curves of your design sharper.

![corners slider meaning and how to use in illustrator trace image](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/2ff4d299985d5edce648f97b932e08a08208f247)

### Step 8

Adjust the *Noise* slider.

The noise slider tells Illustrator to ignore parts of your design that fit within the pixel amount set. A higher amount will result in less noise. This can very useful for eliminating artifacts of your design that aren’t supposed to be there. However, it can also eliminate important parts of your design that are smaller, so as always, find a happy medium that works for your design.

![differences in noise slider threshold in illustrator image trace](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/a71710f369e96889bcd2fe101c3dd5fa1ba6e876)

### Step 9

Click the *Expand* button and save your image as an .ai, .pdf, or .eps file.

Now that you have a vector image, it will look great at any size. You can have it printed as a 1” inch [die cut sticker](https://www.stickermule.com/products/die-cut-stickers)... or an 8 foot [wall graphic](https://www.stickermule.com/products/wall-graphics)!

Simply choose a product and quantity, and upload your file to Sticker Mule as-is. Within a few hours you'll receive a free proof showing you exactly what your design will look like in real life.

### Try Redraw

[Redraw](https://www.stickermule.com/redraw) is a service that upgrades any image into a vector format for a flat rate of $19, regardless of the complexity.

<YouTubeVideo videoId="nr7tGu9yKh4?modestbranding=1&rel=0" />

Upload any image and we'll send you a proof of what your new, vectorized image will look like. You can request changes to the proof for free until you're happy.

<ButtonCta text="Order a Redraw for $19" size="large" variant="secondary"  align="center" href="https://www.stickermule.com/redraw" />

How to quickly trace an image in illustrator - A quick video guide to tracing images while using Image Trace in Adobe Illustrator

How to trace an image in Adobe Illustrator the easy way!

Online custom printing service. Specializing in custom stickers, labels, coasters and magnets. Serving companies and individuals around the world.

Sticker Mule

Adobe Illustrator

How to quickly convert your image to vector format for high quality printing at any size using Image Trace in Adobe Illustrator.

How To

How to use Image Trace in Adobe Illustrator

Open Image Trace Panel

With the image open in Adobe Illustrator, select Window > Image Trace

This will bring up the Image Trace panel.

Clip 0

Select The Preview Box

With the image selected, check the Preview box. This will give you a live look at your image in vector format. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look great right away – there are more steps to go!

Clip 1

Select The Mode

Select the Mode drop-down menu, and choose the mode that best suits your design.

Clip 2

Adjust The Colors Slider

Next, adjust the Colors, Grays, or Threshold slider. This slider will change depending on the mode you select, however the functionality between the 3 sliders remains similar.

Colors - Maximum number of colors used for tracing.

Grays - Grayscale accuracy from 0 to 100.

Threshold - Pixels darker than threshold value are converted to black.

If this is too low, it might make your image too plain. And if this is too high, it could make your image too complex. However, this all depends on your unique image.

Clip 3

Open More Options

Toggle the Advanced menu down to bring up more options.

Clip 4

Adjust The Paths

Adjust the Paths slider.

This sets the number of paths in your design. Fewer paths means a simpler design, but if there are too few of paths it can distort your image or make it appear boxy. Conversely, too many paths can make the edges of your design very rough looking. Again, this all depends on your unique image - so it’s best to find a happy medium.

Clip 5

Adjust The Corner Slider

Adjust the Corners slider.

This controls the amount of corners in your design. Less corners will make the curves of your design more rounded, while more corners will make the curves of your design sharper.

Clip 6

Adjust The Noise Slider

Adjust the Noise slider.

The noise slider tells Illustrator to ignore parts of your design that fit within the pixel amount set. A higher amount will result in less noise. This can very useful for eliminating artifacts of your design that aren’t supposed to be there. However, it can also eliminate important parts of your design that are smaller, so as always, find a happy medium that works for your design.

Clip 7

Save The File

Click the Expand button and save your image as an .ai, .pdf, or .eps file.

Now that you have a vector image, it will look great at any size. You can have it printed as a 1” inch die cut sticker... or an 8 foot wall graphic!

Simply choose a product and quantity, and upload your file to Sticker Mule as-is. Within a few hours you'll receive a free proof showing you exactly what your design will look like in real life.

If you're new to sticker design, get started quickly with $10 off your first order. Just sign up by clicking the button below.

Clip 8

A digital image file

Adobe Illustrator Software

A Computer

Enlarge an image without losing quality in Photoshop, it's possible?

As a photographer, artist, or designer, the ability to enlarge images without losing quality is a valuable skill. Fortunately, with the right software and technique, it is indeed possible to accomplish this, but with varying results. The key is utilizing a process called "interpolation," which involves inserting new pixels into an image based on the colors and tones of surrounding pixels. This can be [done manually](https://guides.lib.umich.edu/c.php?g=282942&p=1888161 "manually increase size of an image in photoshop") with just increasing the size of the image but this really isn’t well suited for detailed photos and images.

Luckily, there are a few options these days. But it really depends on if you have access to Adobe Photoshop and its Creative Cloud or not. If you do, you are in luck, Photoshop has released a new feature for photographers called Super Resolution. This can increase the size of the image size by up to 4x, but you’ll need access to a plugin called [Camera Raw](https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/kb/camera-raw-plug-in-installer.html "camera raw photoshop plugin") and Adobe Bridge to get started. If you have access to these programs, it just [takes a couple steps](https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/enlarge-image.html "how to enlarge photos in photoshop with a plugin") to get the process done.

<YouTubeVideo videoId="fXmYz-Zy1j4" />

If you’ve spent this entire blog post not quite understanding what those pieces of software do or how they work, we are right there with you. Even seasoned pros grow tired with the complexity of this problem, the whole process is way too confusing. Luckily there are some easier ways!

The following two methods will enable you to increase the size of any image without losing quality, which is perfect if you never intended on editing photos in Photoshop!

__1) Use a AI image upscaling service online__

<YouTubeVideo videoId="MnlxadIeVKQ" />

The easiest and fastest way to improve your quality of photos is by using an AI-powered upscaling service which will not only help you save time, but also make sure that all aspects like color balance are preserved. There are many such services out there, but one that is getting quite popular (for good reason) these days is [Upscale by Sticker Mule](https://www.stickermule.com/upscale "enlarge image without losing quality online"). It’s a 100% free image way to upscale images online and it works quite well. You can increase the resolution of any image for free by up to 8x with just a couple of clicks!

The best part of this service is that it’s completely free so you really don’t have much to lose by trying it out and seeing if it’s what you are looking for.

<ButtonCta text="Click to upscale your image for FREE" href="https://www.stickermule.com/upscale" />

Like with any AI image upscaler, it’s incredibly fast and easy to use, but it’s not always absolutely perfect. It will work great for a majority of images and photos, but you may need some additional tools to achieve perfection with some images. That’s when a  more extensive solution may work for you; like vectorization of your image.

__2) Use a image vectorization service online__

<YouTubeVideo videoId="nr7tGu9yKh4" />

Like with all the AI image upscale services out there, there are quite a few services these days that can turn your image into a vector so you can scale the image indefinitely. This online solution works great for logos, symbols, and artwork among many other object oriented images. If you are looking to increase the quality of a photo, however, this will not be something that will help. But if you do have an object, transforming your image into a vector will pay off for years to come!

Once you have a vector image, you can scale and increase the size of it as large as you want it! You can even fill an entire movie screen with your new vector image without losing any quality. That’s why it’s such a great resource to have for images that you’ll need to send around a lot, since it will work for any purpose someone might want. 

To get started to vectorize your image, head on over to [Redraw by Sticker Mule](https://www.stickermule.com/redraw "turn an image into a vector"). From there, just upload your photo and we will send you a proof within a couple hours of your new vector image. If you want any changes or don’t like certain things, just keep revising the proof until you are 100% satisfied with it. Once that is done, you just have to pay $19 and you’ll have a brand new vector image that can be used anywhere and practically for any purpose! Success! 

It's also possible to convert an image into a vector a few different ways in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, but again, this approach is a very difficult task for non-Adobe experts. However, if you have the skills, here are [6 different ways to convert an image into a vector](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/how-to-convert-any-image-to-vector "convert image to vector") that way.

<ButtonCta text="Click here to turn an image into a vector" href="https://www.stickermule.com/redraw" />

__So in conclusion__

It is indeed possible to enhance images in photoshop, but there are certain limitations that make it infeasible for images that have a lot of detail. In those cases, you can use an AI powered upscaling service like Upscale to increase the resolution by up to 8x or if that is not enough, then you can also convert your image into a vector image that then can be enhanced or enlarged to however big you’d like it!



Is enlarging or enhancing images in Photoshop possible without losing any quality? Find out inside!

How to make a holographic sticker and 5 tricks to make it shine!

[Holographic stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/holographic-stickers "holographic sticker vinyl") are made with a colorful, reflective vinyl that gives your designs a unique shine. I love how they make our designs shine like nobody else. If you want to make your hologram sticker stand out even more, here's some tips for creating eye-catching designs with this reflective vinyl

A creative design is the key to success when it comes time for custom holographic stickers. Here's a video guide that will get your imagination flowing and give you some ideas on how best use these tools in Photoshop/Illustrator:

<YouTubeVideo videoId="vD9duBs1M0c?rel=0" />

When you're ready to share your design with the world, you can send it off to a [holographic sticker printing service online](https://www.stickermule.com/products/holographic-stickers "holographic sticker vinyl") and upload your design there. It should take about a week for it to be sent back to you a physical holographic stickers!

However if you're ready to take your design from good to great, here are some tricks that will help make sure the new holographic stickers shine like never before!

### Leave empty spaces on your design
Whatever is printed on the holographic material will blend with the holographic effect. Conversely, leaving any part of your design empty, will let the holographic effect shine through 100% and really make it pop.

![holo-empty-fill](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ee8643bee8ff4f57518743fd7ed0f76dc87d10e7)

In the design above we originally had a grey color to represent the metal on the robot. The grey color looks fine, but by removing the fill we can make the metal appear purely holographic.

### Adjust color saturation
[Different colors blend differently](https://www.stickermule.com/support/holographic-stickers-setup) with the holographic vinyl. In general, lighter colors blend with the holographic material more, while darker colors tend to block out the effect more.

![holo-saturation](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/9bdd791406097480637f9450ee885e4d9d8e4164)

In the design above, we wanted to create a higher contrast between the cheeks and the pure holographic metal. To do this, we simply increased the saturation of the red to make it darker, to give it less of a holographic effect.

### Use black and white
While nearly all colors will blend with the holographic material in some way, there are 2 colors that almost completely block it out: black and white.

![robot-holo](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/cd77f4f29adb526f4baaf86b8e114f0e7526787c)

Using black and white in your design is a great way to create more contrast and make the holographic effects stand out.

### Use color background while designing
When designing with both white fills and empty fills it can become confusing to tell them apart. To help, we recommend putting a colored background beneath your design.

![holo-background](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/d4bf7955bc37393b4991a2d0b64a6c7a63df4c57)

The color will help you figure out which parts of your design are set to be totally holographic vs. the parts that are totally white. Just remember to delete the background layer when you’re done!

### Try printing some holographic sticker samples
The best way to figure out what your holographic stickers will look like is getting them in your hands! We offer [custom holographic sticker samples](https://www.stickermule.com/products/holographic-sticker-samples), so you can try a small batch before placing a larger order.

<ButtonCta text="Print your holographic stickers @ Sticker Mule" size="large" variant="secondary"  align="center" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/holographic-stickers" />

Make holographic stickers with this easy to follow video guide and learn some tricks on how to make them stand out even more!

How to make your own custom QR code sticker for free online

Whether it’s a barcode, matrix code, or QR code, all these visual codes have one thing in common. They are used to encode information and make it easier to access. Quick response (QR) codes are dynamic optical codes that can be read by almost any device. They can be found in almost every industry, including retail and e-commerce, education, logistics and transportation, advertising and marketing, and more. 
Unfortunately, most businesses don’t know how to design a QR code sticker for their marketing strategy or how to use it effectively. If you want to know what a QR code sticker is and how to use it for your business strategy, keep reading!

__What is a QR code sticker?__

A QR code sticker is an advertising tool that can be printed on paper, a sticker, or a poster, and then placed in a location where customers are likely to see it. 

The QR code sticker contains a URL or a phone number and links to the desired destination. To access the information, a user needs to scan the QR code sticker with a QR code scanner. This can be done with a smartphone or a special application designed to read these codes. 

QR codes can be used for all types of industries, including retail and e-commerce, education, logistics and transportation, advertising and marketing, and more. They can be applied to anything, such as a poster, a magazine ad, the side of a bus, a billboard, a product, a poster, and more. The only limitation is your imagination! 

QR codes have been used for many years and are an effective way to drive traffic to your website, generate sales, and engage customers. Businesses of all sizes can benefit from QR codes by using them to promote special sales, hosting online surveys, linking to an online store, and more.
 
__Why use a QR code sticker?__

If you’re still not convinced that QR codes are relevant to your business, here are some great reasons to use a QR code sticker. 

- __Better reach__. With QR codes, you can reach a larger audience than with just text. This is especially true if you’re trying to reach people in different languages. You’re also likely to get better engagement rates as people are more likely to scan a QR code than they are to visit sites spelled in text. 

- __More visual__. People are visual creatures, and they’re much more likely to remember information if they’ve seen it in a visual format. If you add some design elements to the QR code (like a logo or brand color), you’ll make it even more memorable. 

- __Time savings__. A QR code is faster to scan than it is to read a text link. This means you’re likely to see a higher rate of engagement and sales from using a QR code.

For the longest time, people considered QR codes a fad. But as you can see and tell, QR codes exploded in popularity in 2020 and it's safe to say...QR code stickers are here to stay. 

__Things to consider when designing a QR code sticker__

If you’re thinking about using a QR code sticker for your business, keep the following tips in mind to make sure it’s effective: 

- Choose a highly visible location: Where you place your QR code sticker is just as important as what you put on it. If you want people to see and scan your QR code, then it has to be in a highly visible location. Avoid dark corners, dimly lit rooms, or areas that are out of the way. 
- Choose the right color: Be sure to choose a color that contrasts with the surface that you’ll be sticking your QR code on. You don’t want to blend in with the wall or blend into the poster behind you. The color of your QR code needs to stand out.

__3 recommended tools for creating a QR code sticker__

If you’re ready to create a QR code sticker for your business, there are a few tools worth checking out. Depending on your budget and time frame, you can choose from various of easy-to-use apps.
 
__1) A website that creates QR codes__

There are plenty of websites that allow you to create QR codes. But QR-code-generator.com is the biggest website and it comes featured packed with a whole slew of options. It was recently acquired by Bitly, so you can be very confident that it has a lot of real value. To get started, simply head on over to https://www.qr-code-generator.com/

Once there, you’ll see a textbox where you can put anything you want and transform it into a QR code. From URLs, PDFs, and MP3s all the way to Bitcoin wallet addresses, the world of links here is your oyster. If you just want a link to a website, select the URL option at the top and input the URL you want a link to, like below;

![qr code generator online](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/0ab654d3-aee3-4ee3-8bda-c6657b7c3941)

Once you do that, you’ll see your basic QR code available for download. If that’s all you want, just press the green Download button and you’ll have your QR code sticker!

However, there are a few other options you can do here to make your QR code stand out a bit more. There are 3 free frames that you can use that surround your QR code with words like “Scan Me” to make sure your users know what to do. There are 6 other premium frames that are available, but they will require a paid plan. There is a 14-day free trial available though, so that is something that might work for you.

But that’s how you can create a basic QR code. It’s pretty simple, so give it a try today to start creating your new QR marketing tool!

__2) A design tool like Studio or Photoshop to edit your QR code__

Even though many QR code generators out there have the tools needed to make a nice QR code, oftentimes you’ll need to add some additional text or change some details or orientation of the image. In that case, you’ll need some kind of image design software. The most popular software for this is Adobe Photoshop, however, it’s a bit complex and can be overwhelming for many people. If that’s the case, there are also plenty of online design tools available for free on the internet. 

One such design tool is [Studio from Sticker Mule](https://www.stickermule.com/studio "free online design tool").

![studio custom design tool free](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/9802afef-adc7-40eb-8bd0-26dbec38360d)

This tool is completely free to use and has the options needed to customize your QR to your exact liking. To get started with Studio, just head on over to [stickermule.com/studio](https://www.stickermule.com/studio) and you’ll be presented with a bunch of templates that will help you get started. Once you’ve selected a template, or just start your own design by scratch, you’ll have a bunch of features available to you like adding text, adding images and changing the orientation, and adding shapes and colors. This should give you plenty of inspiration and the tools you need to make your QR even more special and stand out even greater.

The really neat thing about Studio is that once you’ve finished designing your QR code, you just need to press the “order prints” button on the upper right to get your stickers printed! It’s super easy so give it a try today.

__3) A phone or barcode scanner to test your QR code__

The last tool you’ll need is either a smartphone/tablet or a barcode scanner with the ability to read QR codes. Luckily, if you don’t have a barcode scanner, these days almost every smartphone can read a QR code through the default camera app that is already installed on your smartphone. 

So to get started, just open up the camera app on your phone and point it at your new QR code. If you see a popup that wants to redirect you to your website, then your QR code works! However, you may want to click through just to make sure the exact website you want is where your QR code takes you. So once you’ve clicked through, and you’ve confirmed that the website is the one you want, you’ve finished setting up your QR code and you’re ready to start printing!
	
 
__How to print your newly designed QR stickers__

So you have a snazzy new QR code that makes it easier for your users to find more information about your organization or business, now what? Well, now you just have to print them and start sticking them around! 

The cheapest way to do this is by yourself with [blank QR code labels from Avery](https://www.avery.com/blank/usage/qr-code-labels "blank qr code labels") and using the included template. You’ll have to open that in Microsoft Word or some other text editor and then drag and drop the QR code into each label spot. Once you’ve done that, you are ready to print them on your printer. Just insert the label sheet into your printer paper stack and press print! 

Printing the stickers yourself may be cheap, but there can be quite a few issues that can happen from doing it yourself. From non-centered QR codes to uneven printing that may make your QR stickers unreadable, there always seems to be something that goes wrong when doing it yourself. So you’ll need to be comfortable with problem-solving tech and proofing issues yourself if you want to go this route. 

If you aren’t comfortable playing around until it is perfect then custom online printing might be the best option for you. Most online printing services have free proofing processes so they’ll make sure the stickers look and print right, you just have to give the approval.

For example, at Sticker Mule, you’ll just need to upload the image of the QR code when purchasing the [custom square stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/square-stickers "custom printed square stickers") and the proofing team will have a design ready for you to approve in an hour or so. You can work with them on fine-tuning the sticker design or just send it off for printing. The only thing you need to do then is wait for the stickers to arrive by mail in about a week!
 
 __Conclusion__

QR codes are an excellent way to bring more traffic to your website, generate sales, and engage with customers. A QR code sticker is an easy and effective way to display this code. If you want to start using QR codes in your business, the first step is to design a QR code sticker. To do this, choose a highly visible location for your code and select the right color. Then, select a tool to create your code and customize it with your URL and branding.

<ButtonCta text="Start designing labels online" href="https://www.stickermule.com/studio" />



Find out how to create your own custom QR code stickers for free and start printing them!

How to design business cards with Studio

Learn how to create your own business card design using [Studio](https://www.stickermule.com/studio) – the free online design tool from Sticker Mule.

<YouTubeVideo videoId="3NsH0vA0TY4" />

##Transcription

With Studio by Sticker Mule, designing your own business card takes minutes. Let's create one for a personal trainer. While we can choose to design our business card from scratch, Studio offers an ever expanding library of free templates. So we'll start there. We can [find business card templates under branding](https://www.stickermule.com/studio/templates/branding). Already, we're seeing some designs that would work well for a personal trainer. Let's go with this one.

Now that we're in the Studio editor, we can make any necessary changes to the design. To start, let's swap out the text. This business card will be for Herman Mule. And for the title, we'll use personal trainer. Let's change the phone number and the gym Herman will be operating out of is Hard N Heavy. Let's change the social handle too. Now, this is already looking great and we could stop right here, but let's really make it our own by customizing it.

We can select all the elements and change every instance of blue to a different color. For Hard N Heavy let's go with a deep red. Perfect. Next, let's change the font Arvo seems like it would work well with our gym name, Hard N Heavy. Lastly, let's go into the asset sidebar and see if there's a final way we can customize this design. The emojis and other graphics don't feel like a good fit here, but a line would help to separate the top and bottom portions of the design. Let's use this basic line. We'll move it into place, extend it across the entire design, make it red, and increase the thickness of it. Maybe we could also nudge this kettlebell down so it looks like it's resting on our new line. Great.

Let's select preview to get one last good look at our business card. Looking good, Herman. Once we're happy, we can either download it as one of several formats, or select print to place an order. And that's all it takes to make your very own [business card](https://www.stickermule.com/uses/business-card-magnets). We hope you enjoyed this video, and that with Studio, your next design project takes less time and less money. Take care.

<ButtonCta text="Try Studio for Free" href="https://www.stickermule.com/studio" />

Learn how to create your own business card design using Studio – the free online design tool from Sticker Mule.

How to skip proofing (and save time)

At Sticker Mule we’re always looking for ways to save you time. Now, when you upload perfect artwork, you can skip proofing to get your order even faster.

<WistiaVideo videoId="rwsjxpvji0" />

After checkout, we automatically scan the artwork in your order to estimate if a proof is necessary. If your artwork looks perfect we give you the option to skip proofing.

If you’re concerned about your artwork you can still request a proof as normal.

### What is perfect artwork?
If your artwork file is high quality and includes any necessary [cut line information](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/how-to-create-a-sticker-cut-line), we call that “perfect artwork.”

Some examples include:

- [Vector artwork](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/raster-vs-vector-images)
- [Template artwork](https://www.stickermule.com/templates)
- [High resolution images](https://www.stickermule.com/upscale)
- [Repurposed artwork](https://www.stickermule.com/support/reuse-artwork)
- [Redraw designs](https://www.stickermule.com/redraw)
- [Studio designs](https://www.stickermule.com/studio)

Skipping proofing is just one more way Sticker Mule helps you save time and get your orders faster. Upload perfect artwork and try it today.

<ButtonCta text="Shop custom products" size="large" variant="secondary"  align="center" href="https://www.stickermule.com/custom-stickers" />

At Sticker Mule we’re always looking for ways to save you time. Now, when you upload perfect artwork, you can skip proofing to get your order even faster.

How to design the best custom bike stickers

Bike stickers, whether for your mountain bike, sports bike, dirt bike, or really any bike, are one of the best ways to customize your bike and make it feel like your own. Used by both teams and individuals, bike name stickers and other custom bike stickers are a unique way to distinguish your bike from others. Plus, they are designed to be durable and weather-proof, so your bike stickers will be able to withstand all kinds of weather and terrain. 

If you’re not sure how to design your bike sticker or what types of things you should be keeping in mind during the design process, our guide will help you design the best bike sticker ever.

## Why have a custom bike sticker?

The first thing to consider in the design process is establishing why you need a custom bike sticker. 

It might sound a bit obvious, but having a clear reason for why you need it informs the design process and makes expectations clear from the start. For example, if you’re designing a sports bike sticker for your team, you will need to consider how many people there are, whether any extras are required and whether you want just your logo, names, or a combo.

![A bike covered in stickers parked by a wall](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/e10cc9fad8105512c6719f40dbc9629a9beb6654)

If it’s just for you, you’ll want to consider what you would like to express with your bike sticker design. Is it just a matter of identification, or is it a representation of a hobby, interest, or thought? For example, some people like to get mountain bike stickers of their country’s flag or a street bike sticker with a funny sign or slogan. 

There are a lot of custom bike sticker designs out there that will be a good fit. But again, knowing what you want and having clear expectations will always be a good thing in this process. 

Why? Because this information, in turn, will help in designing the actual bike sticker because you will know exactly what needs to go on it right from the start. Custom bike sticker designs completed by a professional will usually offer free proofs, and you will go back and forth on the design. However, having clearly defined designs will help reduce the number of amends needed.

![Custom bike frame sticker](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/7945d86260b08386b807a0088ba9f01429bfb0f4)

## What should my bike sticker design be?

We’ve touched upon this a little earlier, but it bears some more discussion. If you’re thinking about how to make bike stickers and how to design a bike sticker, there is a lot of inspiration out there. 

We’ve compiled some examples of the [best bike stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/uses/bike-stickers) if you’re looking for inspiration, and here is some advice for the design to ensure you get the best look possible:

- Do you want it to stick invisibly or have a die-cut shape for your mountain bike sticker or BMX bike sticker? 
- Do you want a longer text phrase or something short like just your name or your team member’s names? And what kind of font would you prefer?
- If you’re going for a symbol or a logo of some kind, what kind of colors will look best for your custom bike stickers, and do you already have a design file that can be used for proofs?
- What is your timeline for the bike stickers? Do you need it before a specific day, and does anyone else need to approve the custom bike stickers? (i.e., other team members for custom mountain bike stickers, etc.)

In terms of how to design your bike stickers, there are a few ways to go about this. You could create your own design on programs such as Illustrator or other free alternatives, browse on the internet for examples, or use your team’s colors and logos. 

If you’re designing just for yourself, you can opt for bold colors to make your bike sticker stand out, or pick unique words and phrases and create a die-cut shape design for a cool look! 

### Custom bike sticker sizing

It’s also necessary to think about quantities and the actual size of the sticker. Size-wise, depending on your bike, dirt bike stickers, street bike stickers, and mountain bike stickers, among others, can start from 2x2 and go up to 5x5, so you can choose a small and subtle design or something larger and more eye-catching depending on your needs. 

Bear in mind that pricing for your custom sticker design will depend on the quantity you’re ordering, with higher quantities commanding a bit of a discount, which is great for teams. Even if you’re ordering individual stickers for yourself for your BMX bike or a dirt bike sticker, you’ll be able to find affordable options. 

## What are the best stickers for my bike?

Once you have a design picked for your bike sticker, what are some of the key things you need to look out for when you’re thinking about how to design your bike sticker?

![Personalized bike frame sticker](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/a976e8af0421801c1ae995c4f5582576d43cee6d)

### Vinyl material

Generally, for the best results, you should use vinyl for stickers. This is the best material as it is durable and prints colors and designs well.

### Weather-proof 

Whether it’s a mountain bike sticker or a dirt bike sticker, or any kind of bike sticker, it needs to be able to withstand rough terrain and weather without being damaged! You should ideally be looking for vinyl stickers that are UV-resistant at the very least. The best stickers for your bike should also be scratch and rain-resistant.

### Durable 

How long will your custom bike stickers last? Most bike stickers can last for at least 5-7 years, especially if they are laminated and can resist damage from the elements.

Ultimately, when you’re thinking about how to design a bike sticker, your primary focus should be endurance. How long will it last, and how much does the bike sticker design resonate with you? You don’t want to pick something you’ll get bored of too quickly if it’s for your individual needs. If designing for a team, you want to ensure that your bike sticker looks professional and high-quality. 

If you’re not sure what bike sticker designs are best for your needs, or you just need a bit of guidance on how to design the best bike sticker, get in touch! At Sticker Mule, we’re experienced in creating unique bike stickers custom-designed for you, and we’re here to make your vision come to life.

<ButtonCta text="Shop bike stickers" size="large" variant="secondary" align="center" href="https://www.stickermule.com/uses/bike-stickers" />


Custom bike stickers make your bike stand out. If you’re not sure how to design a bike sticker, here are some important considerations to keep in mind.

How to design mailers

[Poly mailers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/poly-mailers "Custom poly mailers") and [bubble mailers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/bubble-mailers) are great options for shipping physical goods. They're lightweight, weather-proof and great for showing off the personality of your brand.

But your packaging is only as good as your design. Here are some tips for designing custom mailers.

<YouTubeVideo videoId="_setqIszzCc?rel=0" />

In this tutorial, I’ll be using Adobe Illustrator, but the techniques I'm going to cover here can be used in any design tool, including [Studio](https://www.stickermule.com/studio) – our free online design tool.

### Download a mailer template

First, we need to download the appropriate template. This will ensure that our artwork not only is set up to the correct size, but that nothing gets cropped off by the poly mailer's white border.

[Click here for poly mailer templates.](https://www.stickermule.com/template/poly-mailers)

[Click here for bubble mailer templates.](https://www.stickermule.com/template/bubble-mailers)

[Bubble mailers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/bubble-mailers) offer more insulation and protection than standard [poly mailers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/poly-mailers), but the design process for each is the same.

### Designing your mailers

In this tutorial, I'll be using the smallest sized mailers. Once our template is downloaded, we can open up Adobe Illustrator. In this demonstration, we will be creating a horizontal design. Because of this, our first step will be to rotate the template. Start by going to the artboard tool, making sure your art board is selected and then changing the layout to horizontal.

Next, we need to rotate the actual template. So unlock the instructions layer, select everything. And then while holding shift, rotate the template. Be sure to relock the instructions layer afterwards so that you don't place your artwork in the wrong place. If you're also working with a horizontal design, be sure to make note of which side you want the opening of the mailer to be on. In our case, it'll be on the right. Now with everything set up, we can begin laying out our design.

![how-to-design-mailers-01](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/1dbf623a374d73274695e69f4a537379ba6336c8)

Ours will feature a character, a logo, some text, and a pattern. So to begin, we're going to bring in a few brand elements and put them on the artwork layer. Something you may notice right away is that designs get cropped if they fall outside of the gray box. This represents the printable area. Since poly mailers are printed with a white border, use this as a guide to make sure that nothing important gets cut off. It's also worth noting that the gray box itself won't be printed. So keep it in mind as you're designing that everything behind your artwork will be white.

First, we're going to create a blue rectangle-like shape along the bottom of the mailer. This will hold our logo and our pattern, and it's going to follow the white border that the poly mailer gives us. An easy way to do this is to create a rectangle, then use the direct selection tool to move just one of the anchor points lower. This is what we're after. Let's give it a light blue fill using one of our brand colors.

![how-to-design-mailers-02](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/c476ede9420235e9dd69075a26e824fef04d950f)

Next we'll place our robot character so that it looks like he's standing on this shape. By right clicking and going to a range, we can bring him to the front. He may be a bit too large, so we'll just bring him down a touch as well. And we'll just nudge him over to the side of it and get him right where we want him. Notice how the left side of this character is being lined up right along the border of the printable area, but not going past it. This is to make sure that the character lines up with our wedge shape at the bottom, but isn't cropped off by the white border.

![how-to-design-mailers-03](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/cad8c0525c58ad43a665b74f46e626b10a4ea07d)

Now let's place the logo. So we'll again, arrange it and bring it to the front. And we're going to give it a white film. Now, we want to position it in the bottom right corner, but first we're going to shrink it a bit and line it up with the bottom of our character's feet. We may want to add some more space around the logo later on, but for now, this works. Next, we're going to include some text. This is a great opportunity to inject some personality into the design. Ask yourself, "What would be a fun message for your customers to read?" For the CourierBot brand, we're going to play around with this idea of robots delivering packages to people. Now for CourierBot, we already have a font selected and that's Proxima Soft, extra bold. And since this is clearly too small, we're going to bump it up to 50. Now we'll add in some line breaks and set the letting to something a bit smaller. Perfect.

![how-to-design-mailers-04](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/fe96e0c75ff29cc48bc8801a427c7a3b831c88c4)

Once we have the text arranged how we'd like it, we're going to add some brand colors to it. So for the majority of the text, we'll be using the brown, but we're going to select a couple of keywords and add additional colors. It only seems suited to have cold robot hands as blue and warm human heart as red. Just like that.

![how-to-design-mailers-05](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/0d3d7b2a8cb2c769b2127f91b6a9e4b329e81bf0)

We're also very carefully going to place the block of text right in the corner of the printable area. That way it should line up with our rectangle shape at the bottom. We're not finished yet, but this is a good place to double check that we're happy with the placement of all of our elements. One way to do this is to create a rectangle that's the size of the entire printable area, and then give it a white fill. Now, if we place this rectangle behind the rest of our artwork, we're going to get an idea of what the final printed mailer is going to look like. In the case of our design here, we're just going to make a couple slight adjustments to give some more breathing room to some of the elements and to make sure they're lined up exactly as we'd like.

![how-to-design-mailers-06](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/9242b8449779c42ad81c5eaa8214caeaef4335b4)

Now that we're happy, we can remove that rectangle. It's important that any texts be outlined before sending off to print. Since we're happy with the current layout of ours, it's a good time to do that. Just right click the text and select create outlines. The final step we're going to take in this design is adding a pattern to our light blue shape. This will take some finessing, so we're going to speed through most of it.

![how-to-design-mailers-07](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/7517dcf5e03ec847f5d546104c3e4fd1c0625293)

Once our design is complete, all we need to do is rotate everything back to the original orientation. So grab the art board tool, unlock the instructions layer, switch the orientation back to portrait and then rotate all of our artwork once again. Now let's save our hard work and we're ready to send our design off to print.

### Feeling stuck for ideas?

Here are some other layouts that were great as mailers. Hopefully, they can help inspire your own.

![how-to-design-mailers-08](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/09d4e0e49e68d61dd70503a1aa0f4d9a67e2f155)

If you don't want to have an obvious white border on your mailer, consider placing it on a white background like we've done here.

![how-to-design-mailers-09](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/c11759eb1eff2a60b53e376c2448115b78e0bf94)

Or if you don't want it to matter which angle your package is viewed from, consider a pattern approach, like this.

When in doubt, you can always submit your design as is to Sticker Mule and receive a proof of what it's going to look like. If something doesn't seem right, just request a change and we'll be happy to make it for you.

### Order your own custom mailers

<ButtonCta text="Try custom mailers for $9" size="large" variant="secondary"  align="center" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/poly-mailer-samples" />

Here are some tips for designing custom mailers and making your packaging stand out.

Blog

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How to make a holographic sticker and 5 tricks to make it shine!

How to make your own custom QR code sticker for free online

How to design business cards with Studio

How to skip proofing (and save time)

How to design the best custom bike stickers

How to design mailers