History of political stickers, bumper stickers, and campaign buttons

People have been using "slogans" since the beginning of history—that is, pithy, memorable phrases used to rouse crowds to action or gain support for a cause. From battle cries to country mottos, people have always rallied around catchphrases to prove where their loyalties lie. From the ancient Roman motto "Senatus Populusque Romanus" ("The Senate and the People of Rome") to Napoleon Bonaparte's war cry "Vive l'Empereur" ("Long Live the Emperor"),  people—and governments—around the world have historically condensed their causes to just a few words that inspire allegiance and intimidate opponents.

In American society and government, this human tendency towards rallying around a few well-chosen words and phrases has taken a distinct form: that of political slogans. Phrases such as "I like Ike" or "Happy Days are Here Again" had an incalculable effect on the campaigns in which they featured and continue to play a huge role in the public consciousness. Instrumental rallying cries like "No taxation without representation" or "The buck stops here" have proved invaluable to whole political movements. In the modern age, we still rely on slogans and catchphrases—but the ways we choose to display them have changed significantly throughout the years.

## Campaign Buttons
Moving through history, people found that merely repeating a catchphrase or slogan verbally (as in the case of a war cry) was not enough; they wanted to be able to physically display which side of the issue they stood on (and to potentially attract new converts to their cause). Politically, this physical representation first came in the form of buttons—ordinary brass buttons like you might find on any blazer or uniform. These brass buttons served as commemorative tokens for political efforts as early as George Washington's presidency in 1789.

![George Washington Inaugural Button](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.stickermule.com/blog/2016-01-15-the-history-of-political-stickers/george-washington-button.png "George Washington Inaugural Button, 1789")

_George Washington Inaugural Button, 1789_ ([Source](https://historical.ha.com/itm/political/george-washington-inaugural-button-wi-11a-gw-1789-7-in-copper-designated-the-gw-in-oval-center-or-more-commonly-the-/a/333-16001.s))

Perhaps the first real presidential campaign (where opponents made public efforts against one another to win votes from the public) was in 1828 when Andrew Jackson ran against John Quincy Adams. Jackson, who had previously lost the election of 1824, was driven by his defeat to actively and aggressively campaign for voters' attention. Jackson's efforts included parades, events, and lots and lots of memorabilia. Along with snuff boxes, flasks, and various other trinkets, Jackson gave out many campaign medals and buttons in order to remind people of his military successes and seek votes.

![Andrew Jackson Campaign Medal](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.stickermule.com/blog/2016-01-15-the-history-of-political-stickers/andrew-jackson-medal.png "Andrew Jackson Campaign Medal, 1828")

_Andrew Jackson Campaign Medal, 1828 ([Source](http://historical.ha.com/itm/political/tokens-and-medals/andrew-jackson-large-1828-campaign-medal-featuring-jackson-on-horseback/a/6009-48012.s))_

The campaign turned dirty fast, as both candidates set out to discredit one another through rumors and mudslinging. However, Jackson's intense merchandising seems to have been effective, as he defeated Quincy Adams handily. In many ways, this messy campaign set the precedent for all following elections—and in many ways gave rise to the merchandised campaign strategies we see today.

[Campaign buttons](https://www.stickermule.com/uses/campaign-buttons) continued to be a mainstay of political elections, though most only showed an image of the candidate and his name. Images of Lincoln's face on medallions accompanied his run in 1860.

![Abraham Lincoln Campaign Button, 1860](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.stickermule.com/blog/2016-01-15-the-history-of-political-stickers/abraham-lincoln-button.png "Abraham Lincoln Campaign Button, 1860")

_Abraham Lincoln Campaign Button, 1860 ([Source](http://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.19430/))_

Eventually, presidential candidates began placing campaign slogans on buttons rather than just their portraits and a year or phrase. In 1924, Coolidge sought re-election through buttons emblazoned with multiple slogans including "Deeds, not words" and "Keep Cool-idge."

![Calvin Coolidge Campaign Buttons, 1924](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.stickermule.com/blog/2016-01-15-the-history-of-political-stickers/calvin-coolidge-button.jpg "Calvin Coolidge Campaign Buttons, 1924")

_Calvin Coolidge Campaign Buttons, 1924 ([Source](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2195614/Fasen-nating-Campaign-buttons-stick-generations-politics-Abraham-Lincoln-Mitt-Romney.html))_

Printing catchy slogans on campaign buttons quickly became par for the course in politics, with what is perhaps the most famous one appearing in 1952: the unforgettable "I Like Ike" buttons and merchandise that accompanied the political draft and presidential run of Dwight Eisenhower.

## Bumper Stickers
Dwight Eisenhower's campaign also marked the beginning of another long-lasting trend in political slogans: bumper stickers. [Bumper stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/bumper-stickers) were first invented after Ford came out with the Model A in 1927, and other companies were scrambling to produce similar cars. While previous models had much smaller bumpers, the large bumpers of the Model A seemed to invite decoration—and so, as simple as that, the bumper sticker was born.

![Ford Model A, 1927](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.stickermule.com/blog/2016-01-15-the-history-of-political-stickers/ford-model-a.jpg "Ford Model A, 1927")

_Ford Model A, 1927 ([Source](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/1928_Model_A_Ford.jpg))_

Eisenhower's campaign bumper stickers—decorated with the famous "I Like Ike" slogan as well as other campaign catchphrases—were among the first in what would become a long string of political bumper stickers (one that continues to this day). Eisenhower would successfully employ the same strategy in his 1956 re-election campaign, and virtually every presidential candidate since has used bumper stickers as a part of their campaigns.

![Eisenhower Re-Election Bumper Sticker, 1956](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.stickermule.com/blog/2016-01-15-the-history-of-political-stickers/ike-and-dick.jpg "Eisenhower Re-Election Bumper Sticker, 1956")

_Eisenhower Re-Election Bumper Sticker, 1956 ([Source](http://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1956/images-videos/Dwight-D-Eisenhower-reelection-bumper-sticker-1956/72256))_

From this straight-forward beginning, bumper stickers evolved to help people convey not just support for political candidates, but also their own personal, overarching political beliefs. Coinciding with the divisive Vietnam War of the late 50s, 60s, and 70s, bumper stickers covered the entire political spectrum, from pacifist sentiments like  "Make Love Not War" to the staunchly patriotic "America: Love it or Leave It."

## Bumper Stickers Today

Since then, [bumper stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/bumper-stickers) have proved to be a lasting and effective tool of political rhetoric as well as personal expression, despite the fact that they are often divisive. In fact, bumper stickers were taken to court in 1991 with the case of Baker v. Glover in Alabama. In this case, Wayne Baker fought for his right to keep a bumper sticker on his car despite the fact that it contained a curse word which many people found offensive. The court ruled that bumper stickers are an essential component of freedom of speech. In the ruling, Judge Myron Thompson stated that "for those citizens without wealth or power, a bumper sticker may be one of the few means available to convey a message to a public audience." In the eyes of the U.S. Government, bumper stickers are a perfectly legitimate way to display one's opinion, political or otherwise.

People share their political beliefs freely on the backs of their cars. Every modern presidential campaign is accompanied by numerous bumper stickers, usually designed to appeal to many different target audiences. Sometimes these stickers are official marketing tools of the campaigns, other times they are humorous spin-offs or parodies of political slogans.

![anti bush bumper stickers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/5acd8a98-19ba-43b8-8527-73c2ac3a0430)
![Anti obama bumper sticker](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.stickermule.com/blog/2016-01-15-the-history-of-political-stickers/nobama-08.jpg "Anti-Bush bumper sticker")

_Anti-Bush and Anti-Obama bumper stickers mimic the designs of the official campaigns. ([Source](https://www.flickr.com/people/92258912@N00) and [Source](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2082152/posts?page=133))_

To some historical and political analysts, this poses a problem. They've coined a term— "bumper sticker politics" — to describe the way that people will rely on slogans they have read or soundbites they have heard rather than taking the time to research the issues at play themselves. Others are concerned about the way that politicians seem to have become more concerned with branding and marketing than with actual content. 

It seems to many that the bumper sticker-ization of American politics has made it too easy for people to generalize views by narrowing them down to a pithy slogan or eye-catching design. Of course, this isn't a new phenomenon; public opinion has always been formed, at least in some part, through the chanting of catchphrases, slogans, war cries, and mottoes. Bumper stickers didn't cause a new way of thinking about the world—they just gave people a different way of expressing it.

## "I Voted"
Another interesting way that stickers have played into American politics is through the omnipresent "I Voted" stickers that are given out at the voting booths for every election from Town Council Chairman to President of the United States. These stickers first appeared in the 1980s as a way to encourage voting and advertise to potential voters, but with the advent of social media in the early 2000s, these stickers came more and more into the public focus. Today, people immediately post their "I voted" sticker selfie online to sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter mere moments after walking out of the voting booth.

![I Voted sticker](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.stickermule.com/blog/2016-01-15-the-history-of-political-stickers/i-voted-sticker.jpg "I Voted sticker")

_"I Voted" sticker ([Source](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-shayne/sticker-shock_b_6076508.html))_

As with most phenomena, some people are excited about this trend while others view it as a harbinger of society's downfall... In a 2014 article titled ["Why I Hate 'I Voted' Stickers"](http://nypost.com/2014/11/05/why-i-hate-i-voted-stickers/), the NY Post's Kirsten Fleming talks about the way these stickers have come to represent a "smug, self-congratulatory ethos" when it comes to something that should be the obligatory duty of a citizen anyway." On the other side of the argument,  Derek Thomson argues that "that the sticker "binds people together in solidarity and reminds others to join the group" in a 2012 article for The Atlantic titled ["Why the 'I Voted' Sticker Matters."](http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/11/why-the-i-voted-sticker-matters/264628/) One thing is certain—elections are hard to ignore or forget when everyone you see on the street (or on your Instagram feed) sports these American flag-emblazoned little crests.

## Stickers Throughout American History
Who knew that something as small and seemingly harmless as a button or sticker could have such a huge effect on an entire country? While we spend a lot of time talking and arguing about politics, we rarely give thought to the small things that shape our society. However, [buttons](https://www.stickermule.com/custom-buttons) and stickers have become as important and influential to our political system as war cries were to ancient societies. They've become something we rally around and display proudly—and something that probably influences us far more than we realize when we're not paying attention.

![Logos for 2016 Presidential candidates ](https://s3.amazonaws.com/assets.stickermule.com/blog/2016-01-15-the-history-of-political-stickers/logos-presidential.jpg "Logos for 2016 Presidential candidates")

_Logos for 2016 Presidential candidates ([Source](http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/03/politics/2016-logos/))_

There are countless ways to promote your favorite campaign, candidate, or cause using [custom stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/custom-stickers "print custom stickers") and [campaign buttons](https://www.stickermule.com/uses/campaign-buttons "custom campaign buttons"). Check out different ways Sticker Mule can help you get out the vote.

<ButtonCta text="Create your own campaign buttons today!" href="https://www.stickermule.com/uses/campaign-buttons" />


Join us as we explore the history behind different famous political slogans & stickers, political bumper stickers ,and campaign buttons.

Ultimate guide to aesthetic stickers: cute designs, trends, and tips

Home decor, DIY, crafts. Lately, these three uber-popular topics have converged somewhat over the humble sticker with a new trend: aesthetic stickers.

![cute and funny aesthetic stickers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/2591d3d6-1699-4943-af68-c3f7c5f6a833)

What are aesthetic stickers? In a few words, they're stickers that help shape a certain personal style or vibe. They can be anything to express your current mood or vibe. The use of the word "aesthetic" here puts us right away in the mind of decoration, of shaping a specific ambiance. So that's what people are going for with their aesthetic stickers: imprinting their personality on their surroundings.

### Understanding aesthetic stickers

Aesthetic stickers are all about helping shape a certain tone or vibe — or, if you will, a certain aesthetic. Rather than isolated individual stickers, aesthetic stickers usually come in sets and follow a predetermined theme. 

You can have a set of fruit or emoji stickers, vacation-themed stickers, or even build a line of stickers for your favorite fandom or TV show. The main point is that the stickers must work between themselves to really create that feeling you're going for, whether it's excitement, tranquility, or fun.

With a kit of aesthetic stickers, you can really transform your belongings (think office or school materials) — or your environment. That's why people love them so much. A few stickers in a bedroom or home office, paired with some minor rearranging (and maybe some tidying up too), and suddenly your place looks refreshingly new. 

And that, for a very low effort and little time investment, can be an incredibly satisfying thing.

### Different types of aesthetic stickers and the latest trends

If you're making your own custom aesthetic stickers, there really is no end to the possibilities at your disposal. Popular styles, of course, often reflect existing trends in decor and fashion, such as:

- **Vintage aesthetic stickers:** Nothing is better for a vintage feel than a few choice items of daily use — daily use in another century, mind you. Oil lamps, old umbrellas and magnifying glasses, bicycles, old dial phones, top hats… the list goes on. 
- **Minimalistic:** Simple fonts, few-line drawings, plenty of white space. These stickers can go a long way toward showing off your minimalist preferences on your laptop or car bumper. Just remember not to overuse them — that goes against the spirit of the whole thing.
- **Nature aesthetic:** Leaves, trees, cacti, rocks, birds… If you're a nature lover and your living room looks like it might soon be taken over by the jungle, try a combination of these and other nature-themed stickers on your belongings to seal the vibe.
- **Bibliophile aesthetic:** Love books? Sure you do. Love flaunting your love for books? We suspect so. So order a selection of custom book- and stationery-themed stickers to liven up your desk, phone, or backpack. Just don't stick them on your books — those are sacred you know.

These are just a few examples. Can you imagine what you could do with your favorite aesthetic?

### Examples of cute aesthetic sticker designs
__Food, animals, and pets__
![food animals pets aesthetic stickers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/2a72673b-e9a1-44b3-b51d-5fa764fc974f)
__Icons, logos and messages__
![Icons, logos and messages aesthetic stickers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/0ba4ce4d-953c-4f4e-9935-7929037da576)

### Tips on using aesthetic stickers

Unlike rocket science, sticker science is pretty obvious. There are just a few things you can keep in mind when decorating with aesthetic stickers:

- **Give some thought to placement.** Do you want your stickers to stand out and attract attention or just provide a more subdued background? There's a range of options according to your answer: you can try laptop, phone, or water bottle stickers to simply decorate everyday objects, or larger wall stickers to really capture the eye.
- **Try a combination of styles.** Sometimes mixing individual aesthetic stickers from different styles or sets can work great. Just take your time and lay out a few combinations on your table before you actually stick them in place.
- **Help your stickers last.** Make sure you apply your stickers to a clean surface and smoothen out any imperfections or air bubbles right away. This will help them stick around longer. Give extra some love to static clings, as these are typically less durable than our more common vinyl custom stickers.

### Where to buy aesthetic stickers

It's not hard to find pre-made aesthetic sticker packages out there on websites like [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/aesthetic-stickers/s?k=aesthetic+stickers "amazon buy aesthetic stickers"), eBay, or [Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/market/aesthetic_stickers "buy aesthetic stickers on etsy"). But if you find it boring to buy combinations that maybe hundreds of others have already on display, there's always the option to [print your own stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/ "print custom stickers").

After all, that's what we're all about here!

At Sticker Mule, you can order your own custom stickers in any shape, size, or style. You can also use our own free tools, like Studio, to design the stickers yourself and order them with a click. Before we print, we always send you a proof showing what your stickers will look like, and you can request changes until you're 100% happy with the result. It's fast and easy.

### Conclusion

Not just a nice little trend, aesthetic stickers can be an incredibly fulfilling way to let your personal style come through in your environment. Whether you like modern minimalism or elegant vintage styles, you'll find stickers the perfect medium for your creativity and personality.

Think aesthetic stickers are just the thing for you? Then go over to [Studio](https://www.stickermule.com/studio "free online design tool") and start creating your own [custom stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/custom-stickers "custom stickers best and fast") today! Our broad array of design templates are a perfect starting point — and they're waiting just for you 😉

<ButtonCta text="Design your own stickers at Studio!" href="https://www.stickermule.com/studio/templates/stickers" />




What are aesthetic stickers? Are you looking for sticker design inspirations? Here are examples and tips to make your stickers the most aesthetically pleasing!

Stickers that sparkle ✨ Glitter stickers are now available!

While some people don’t like the number 13, we're super excited to have fulfilled our customers' needs for 13 amazing years. Sticker Mule was formed to be the best way to [print stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/) online and is now one of the world’s leaders in all online printing. It's been a fun ride, and that's what we're all about: good old-fashioned fun.

I mean, what could be more fun than making custom stickers as a business? And not just. Posters, decals, labels, packaging tape, keychains — our product line is constantly expanding. 

And guess what, now there's even more fun on the horizon with our newest product: [custom glitter stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/glitter-stickers "custom printed glitter stickers")!

<YouTubeVideo videoId="WYQQZKZRoSg" />

These sprightly little fellas are the sticker equivalent of popping a confetti cannon at a lively party — they tone up the fun-o-meter a couple of notches and make everyone smile. 

Want to be part of our product launch? Then let's find out what our glitter stickers are all about.

### Why glitter stickers?

![why choose custom glitter stickers that sparkle](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/30be1093-1266-4643-8360-69679b6e7d2d)

Over the past decade, sticker marketing became a thing when businesses began trying different, more cost-effective ways to advertise. Inexpensive and easily shareable, stickers were the perfect solution. Now businesses all over the world add free logos or brand stickers to their custom orders as a way to form a positive connection with buyers and help them spread the word.

As for glitter, it hardly needs an introduction. Earlier associated with glam rock and fashion subcultures, glitter has since gone mainstream, and for good reason. It's a great way to add a sparkle of friendliness to just about any product or brand.

Glitter stickers are a surefire way to make your custom art, brand logo, or even pet picture shine. Slap them on a car or laptop and watch how they capture every ray of light — and quite a few smiles too.

### Benefits of custom glitter stickers

![vinyl glitter stickers of a mule with unicorn](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/022580ea-f351-454c-b70c-1d23656e3c62)

One of the best things about our glitter stickers is how incredibly customizable they are. You can order them in all shapes and sizes; we print them circle, rectangle, and square, as well as just about any die-cut format. With our very thorough (and very free!) proofing process, you get to edit your art and printing specifications until your stickers sparkle just the way you want them.

Also, they are Sticker Mule stickers, and if you've been with us for some time, you know that means quality. 

Printed in durable vinyl, our glitter stickers are made to stand the test of weather and water, sunlight and smog, dust, and detergent. They really kind of just stick around, looking as sparkly and new as ever.

All this means that if you want to harness the scintillating visibility and recognition that glitter stickers bring to your brand, there really is no limit to all the creative ways you can use them. Indoors or out.

### How to order your custom glitter stickers

![glitter stickers printing website checkout](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/c8134f73-7070-4ced-a574-e729442f3fe0)

Ordering with Sticker Mule is easy. We understand buying online can be something of a hassle, so we've made sure to simplify our ordering process to its bare essence. You don't even need to create an account, although doing so only takes a minute and allows you to share your sticker art or save it for future reorders.

So it's all very simple. 

1. Select the amount and size of your stickers. 

2. Upload your art and add any printing instructions you have.

3. Check out! It takes only a moment, and you won't be charged yet.

4. Within a few hours, you'll get an email showing just what your stickers will look like printed. Now is the time to request changes to the design (all free) — or give us the green light.

Pretty neat, huh? And believe us, our discounts are pretty neat too. They come in several types:

- __Discounts on order number__: The more you buy, the less you pay per sticker — up to a whopping 87%!

- __Discounts on sticker size__: If you ordered a 5x5'' sticker, but your design turns out to take up 4x4.5'', your price is automatically adjusted to reflect that. And believe us, the difference adds up, especially for larger orders.

- __Discounts on multiple items__: The more individual artworks, sizes, or products you add to your cart, the bigger the discount. 

And of course, we run weekly promotions where our loyal clients get some of the sweetest sticker deals out there. Feel free to go right ahead and subscribe to never miss out on those!

### Customers are already raving about custom glitter stickers

> “Everyone is raving over the quality of the stickers!--- And slapping them on their cars too LOL! I highly recommend to anyone that wants a sticker that holds up to the weather etc. The glitter actually does have a bit of a rainbow affect in certain light.” 
> - Rachel G

check out this review

> “I am so happy with how the glitter stickers turned out that I almost cried!”
> - Heather

or this review too

> “My favorite sticker creation thus far! This is my fourth sticker creation using sticker mule and the glitter stickers are my favorite. the glitter background to my artwork were the finishing touch to make this design pop. I absolutely love everything about this sticker! Thank you sticker mule for all your awesome and affordable deals!”
> -Kandice

### Capping it all off

You can see why we're excited about our latest product launch, and we hope you are too. [Custom sticker glitters](https://www.stickermule.com/products/glitter-stickers "glitter stickers") are a perfect way to promote your brand and give a joyful iridescent rainbow to any design or artwork you love, and we suspect at this point you have at least one design in mind you're just dying to make glittery.

So go right ahead, and order your [custom stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/custom-stickers "custom stickers") now. Get them in a few days with free shipping and enjoy the glittering enthusiasm of Sticker Mule!

<ButtonCta text="Order custom glitter stickers today!" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/glitter-stickers" />



Sticker Mule is launching custom glitter stickers that sure do sparkle nicely! Find out inside how and why glitter stickers can help elevate your marketing efforts.

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" />

##Free online business card maker

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 cards 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 a 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" />

Create your own business card design using Studio – the free online design tool from Sticker Mule.

Free business card maker to design business cards online

What is the easiest font to read on posters and flyers?

There's a question that pops up often enough when you decide to design your own [custom posters](https://www.stickermule.com/products/custom-posters "custom posters") and [custom flyers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/custom-flyers "custom flyers"): **What fonts should I choose?** 

![best font for posters and flyers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/2c295f18-3a3e-436f-a7eb-f1559e54f68b)

It's a good, obvious question. But frankly, when you see so many hastily put-together posters or barely-legible custom flyers, you kind of suspect it's not taken too seriously.

The fact is there's a universe of fonts available out there, and an equally vast, encyclopedic amount of knowledge to match. Humble mortals with neither time nor inclination to pore over volumes of typographic lore and unravel matters of kernings and counters, block size and x-height, may be prone to… well, simply giving up and going with the first font that comes along.

And hence the same boring style posters and illegible flyers you see around.

But it doesn't have to be like that. Rightly chosen, fonts can convey professionality and authority or informality and friendliness. They can make for a clean, minimalistic style, or intricate, sophisticated designs. 

Most importantly, they can be easy and pleasant to read — which is arguably the key element in text-intensive posters and flyers.

## A quick note on serifs and how we read

To begin with, let's make one thing clear: We're not taking sides on the serif vs sans-serif debate. Nope. Instead, we'll simply present the facts of the matter. You be the judge.

A serif, in case you don't know what it means, is that tiny finishing stroke or tail that completes a letter. Times New Roman has it for instance.

For a long time, it was argued that serifs guide the eye along a horizontal line since they help connect one letter to another. That was kind of their reason for being. But when we started switching from printed material to electronic screens, that little extra spec was shown to create too much visual noise in small screens and very diminutive text. 

So most of the fonts born of the digital age are in fact clean, sans-serif (that's French for "without a serif", by the way. Fancy!) Like the one we're using now.

Also, it turns out that [we don't actually read in a clean horizontal left-to-right line](https://www.creativebloq.com/ux/how-human-eye-reads-website-111413463). Rather, we scan pages up and down and often follow something like an F letter, drawn from top to bottom. So the serifs really lost a lot of their relevance, except as a style device.

## What makes a font easy to read?

OK, so what really makes a font easy to read is a combination of several aspects, including the following.

- **Color contrast**. Ever had the bad luck to sit through a presentation where yellow letters are shown over a white background? Yeah, contrast is key.

- **Kerning**. We're getting a little terminological here, but kerning is simply the spacing between letters or characters. Too little kerning typically means poorer legibility in small types (as the ones often used in leaflets).

- **Font size**. This is a pretty obvious one, but still surprisingly easy to get wrong. Obviously, the font size in a poster will differ from that in a leaflet, but how the size connects to the other elements in your design is a key element to readability.

- **Whitespace**. That's all of the space in your design that's not taken by text or graphics. Too little of it and your text will lack air and be hard on the eye; too much and it'll get lost in the middle of the page.

- **Leading**. That's the vertical space between one line and the next. Again, too little leading complicates reading; too much makes each line seem disconnected from the next.

- **Alignment**. How aligned your font is to the left or right impacts readability a good deal. Typically, we're more used to left-leaning alignment, but you don't want to overdo it and go hard left either!

- **Hierarchy**. This deals with the key points in your text — those that should attract the reader's attention first. Proper hierarchy can be achieved with a mix of style elements such as **bold** or *italics*. However, be wary of overusing these elements. It is typically a good rule of thumb never to use more than one way of setting text apart (no bold + italics, please).

- **Complementary fonts**. A clever device in hierarchy and a common technique in poster and flyer designing is employing different, but complementary fonts. That's an art in itself, but you can benefit from the [many ready-made suggested pairings on the web](https://www.adobe.com/express/learn/blog/10-ways-to-pair-fonts-for-maximum-impact) or harness the power of AI with [Fontjoy](https://fontjoy.com/), which will suggest unique pairings for you.

## What are the best fonts for posters and flyers?

Armed with all this knowledge, we can finally look at some of the easiest-to-read fonts for flyers and posters.

### Serif fonts

Let's begin by looking at four serif fonts for posters and flyers.

__1. Times New Roman__

![time new roman poster font](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/0fb6e8ed-f1be-425f-a5fd-0ea6a72cde4a)

Created for British newspaper The Times in 1931, Times New Roman has since established itself as one of the primary, most respected, and well-known typefaces, including on the web — it's what every unformatted HTML text looks like.

For a respectful, sober, and professional look, you can never go wrong with Times.

__2. Garamond__

![garamond font on a poster wall](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/1a5260cc-0a56-4f59-8b34-551ac0435aed)

Harking back to book printing in Renaissance Italy, Garamond is another timeless serif font that is incredibly easy to read in leaflets or larger printed materials. And in spite of being literally a centenarian typeface, Garamond has lost none of its actuality. It's still a common and respected choice in modern design.

__3. Georgia__

![custom flyer georgia font](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/70922739-d1ca-4b12-a16f-429449223d6a)

Going back to something a little more recent, we have Georgia: a font invented for none other than the Microsoft Corporation in 1993. And guess what, it was invented especially to be legible in small screens, meaning it'll never fail you in a leaflet either.

__4. Trajan__

![trajan font on a poster](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/9ec1b97e-159c-42c8-b602-e7224a928e6b)

Trajan is also a recent creation (1989), but is inspired by a very ancient letterform — the [Roman square capitals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_square_capitals) used at the base of Trajan's Column, in Rome. There's a classic for you!

Trajan was created for large displays, rather than printed text, making it a perfect font for a very classy-looking poster.

### Sans-serif fonts

Serif-less fonts tend to be preferred nowadays for a more minimalistic and clean style. You can't go wrong with any of the choices below.

__1. Arial__

![best font to use on a poster - try arial](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/51e1d947-5151-422c-8432-f3de2002fa20)

Arial was created for computers, is in every computer, and has been in every computer since its 1982 inception. It's a simple, some would say boring, font, but it gets the job done. 

__2. Calibri__

![calibri is an easy font to read on a poster](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/f37227f6-343f-4dd3-9e83-680a2162e245)

Calibri is another so-called "humanist" typeface, meaning it takes inspiration from classic Roman types, as well as calligraphy. Replacing Arial as the go-to for many of the Microsoft products since 2007, Calibri is a bit more rounded, a bit more modern, and a tad more spaced apart. 

__3. Verdana__

![verdana font on a flyer is easy to read](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/bd47ec46-1b65-4f1a-9bf9-eeee1b1c0481)

Verdana letters are also a little more spaced than Arial types, making them easy to read even with considerably reduced sizing — flyers, anyone? But it's also heavier than Calibri, making it an apt choice for poster headings.

__4. Helvetica__

![best and easiest font for a poster could be helvetica](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/51017f68-f8b4-4658-9def-fdd20d4da3a9)

Similar to Arial in terms of letterform and weight, Helvetica brings a sophisticated, but simple-looking aesthetic that gives it great popularity in modern design trends. 

__5. Tahoma__

![tahoma font to use on poster and flyers for easy reading](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/4c42666a-ac4e-4740-93b5-c9e7c2f94644)

Another recent, digital-era invention, Tahoma is a clean, professional-looking font that makes for easy reading on both digital and printed screens. Popular with resumes, it can also be just the right fit for the body of your flyer.

__6. Trebuchet MS__

![trebuchet ms is a good font for posters](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/8034fa3b-1ec3-49d4-a12e-dcdf511e57ac)

If you want a font named after a [badass medieval siege weapon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebuchet), look no further than Trebuchet. A sans-serif font with a lot of serif envy, Trebuchet is a neat middle-ground between modernity and antiquity that will serve your flyers well.

__7. Roboto__

![roboto wall poster font](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/dfc651ed-1eca-48d3-a9a4-71fdf0cc3b50)

Roboto was invented by Google and has been the go-to font for Android devices for 10 years now. Remember how we mentioned counters earlier on? That's the empty space within each letter. Well, Roboto's counters are huge, meaning it is extremely legible in even very small prints. 

__8. Open Sans__

![open sans wall poster font](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/78e3019c-b86b-4262-8602-a8529b73098c)

Open Sans was also designed by Google for a "neutral, yet friendly appearance". It works great for any medium, print or digital, and is pretty professional-looking too!

__9. Montserrat__

![best font on a poster could be montserrat](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/3aaa17f6-81f0-4acc-9eb1-da0238045904)

I just love Montserrat — it's so classy. And guess what: it takes inspiration from street posters in the historic Montserrat neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Now you cannot not love it.

Montserrat is eminently readable, fairly round, and of course,  awesome for posters.

__10. Avenir__

![one of the best fonts for flyers is avenir](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/01618e3a-f4c4-443c-971b-315204815467)

Named after the French word for "future", Avenir exudes a combination of modern elegance and simplicity that make you think of a very avant-garde-looking New York café. For much the same reasons we saw above, it's easy to read in large or small prints and a fantastic way to give your posters a touch of style.

__11. Futura PT__

![good font for posters futura pt](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/2fcd4593-c6b1-4a29-a4c8-f61d5756570e)

The Futura typeface was created in the early 20th century and took inspiration from the Modernist art movement for a balance of simplicity, clarity, and functionalism. It's a rather austere German font, and it can be paired well with serif fonts such as Times and Garamond.

__12. Bonus font: OpenDyslexic__

![easy font to read for dyslexic people](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/4d555358-148c-441c-ad9e-c2332c988aaa)

[OpenDyslexic](https://opendyslexic.org/) is a free font that addresses common issues that hamper dyslexic persons' ability to read. Very different from all the classic and modern options seen above, OpenDyslexic has a somewhat blotted look that won't be popular with everyone. But it can be a great — and inclusive — option depending on your specific use case. And it's definitely an easy font to read on flyers or posters.

## Finishing strokes

All of the above fonts will do just fine in your poster or flyer, but they're just a stepping stone into the beautiful world of typography. There are a million other options out there, for those of you inclined to explore and be creative. 

Just remember that both legibility and readability are a fruit of a combination of style elements. So look for the perfect font, but remember spacing, alignment, contrast, and the like. 

If you want to test different fonts and pairings, remember you can always enjoy our web-based design app, [Studio](https://www.stickermule.com/studio). It's free and a joy to use!

<ButtonCta text="Start creating posters in Studio for free!" href="https://www.stickermule.com/studio" />


What are the best fonts to use for poster or flyer printing? Well here are 12 fonts that are easy to read and view from distances that make them great for poster or flyer printing.

21 Asana tips and tricks for teams 

![Asana tips and tricks for the best ways for teams to use Asana](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/45a09160a0c424bc7cec0e1640e3eafce842d5e3)

Our [guide to Asana](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/the-remote-team-guide-to-asana) was well received so we decided to share additional tips and tricks for using Asana at Sticker Mule. Much like our guide, this document was initially written to help our team use Asana better, but we thought other teams might find it handy too. The 21 tips and tricks listed below cover all of the Asana features we want our team to understand.

### 1. Task naming conventions
1. Start task names with verbs (i.e. Consider, Send, Fix, Add, Design, Implement, Order)
2. Use sentence case. It's Easier To Read.
3. Be concise (see the example task names below).

#### Example task names:

> 1. Consider using Google Tag Manager
> 2. Redesign invoice PDF
> 3. Design custom labels early access landing page
> 4. Implement custom labels early access landing page
> 5. Fix issue with address validator presenting identical addresses
> 6. Send email announcing custom labels
> 7. Order new chairs for the office.

### 2. How to write a good task description
1. Use headings to give structure to a task description (CMD + B for bold)
2. Include screenshots & screencasts when possible using the [Zight App](https://zight.com/)
3. Be concise and comprehensive. Needless words waste an assignee's time but so does making them ask for clarification.

### 3. Turn off email
To speed up adoption we encourage everyone to turn off email notifications to get used to relying on the Asana inbox. Go to Inbox and select Email Notifications (see below) to make this change.

![asana tips and tricks for teams disable notifications](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/39ecafb8-5cfd-4902-acb5-01e8c39f89de)

### 4. Assign tasks during onboarding
We assign everyone tasks as part of their onboarding so they start using the platform immediately. Example onboarding tasks we'll assign include "Place a free order using store credit", "Review and sign company handbook", and "Turn off email notifications in Asana".

### 5. Use today, upcoming, and later
Asana lets you organize your personal task list by putting tasks in Today (Tab+Y), Upcoming (Tab+U) or Later (Tab+L). Generally, we put current tasks in "Today" even if they're not to be done today and use "Upcoming" to track pending tasks. "Later" tracks tasks we might do.

### 6. Projects aren't required
It's helpful to organize work using projects but don't agonize trying to find the correct project for every task. The important thing is to create tasks, assign them to the proper person and notify the relevant people using the task followers feature (see below).

![asana tips use the followers feature in tasks](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ffb2420b-ad95-47ec-844b-757a809bed90)

### 7. The task can belong to multiple projects
Most team members only care about a limited set of projects. To better coordinate, we sometimes place tasks in multiple projects so that relevant people can quickly view them. For example, a task could be in the "CS ideas" and "Checkout" projects if it's both a benefit to our CS team and related to our checkout.

### 8. Use Tab+Q
We encourage everyone to create tasks using the "Tab + Q" keyboard shortcut. It speeds up task creation and helps you quickly put all of your tasks in Asana.

### 9. Encourage task creation via other channels
We encourage each other to create Asana tasks when they're identified via another channel (i.e. in person, Slack, etc.). Usually, this is as simple as saying "Can you make a task in Asana and assign it to (me, yourself, another person)?" It's important to push new team members to create tasks so that using Asana becomes habit-forming quickly.

### 10. Copy & paste templates
Asana's templates feature is imperfect so we maintain our templates in a Google Doc. Often we'll post templates to a project description for quick access. For example, our "Onboarding and training" project includes a template of common onboarding tasks. A team member can copy & paste this list of tasks to create subtasks that need to be completed to onboard a new hire.

### 11. Create recurring tasks
Most businesses have lots of tasks that repeat a few times each year. It's helpful to create recurring tasks for these situations so you don't need to remember to do things. Examples might include "Prepare quarterly financials", "Send holiday gifts", "Test fire extinguishers", etc. Recurring tasks are most useful when tasks repeat infrequently.

### 12. Try the mobile app
The Asana mobile app is especially helpful for people that are often away from their desks. For example, our supervisors and maintenance staff use it regularly.

### 13. Use due dates + later
You can give tasks that need to be done in the distant future a due date and move them to "Later" (Tab+L) to clean up your task list. When the task becomes due it will automatically reappear in your "Today" list and you'll be notified in your inbox.

### 14. Attach Google Docs
You can attach Google Docs to tasks to make it easier to find them in the future. Attachment names are searchable and show up under the "Files" view for each project. For this reason, it's preferable to attach a doc rather than simply copy+paste the URL.

### 15. Configure saved views
Asana has a powerful search feature that you can use to build your own set of custom-saved views. It's worth taking some time to set up views that make Asana easier to use for you.

### 16. Save bookmarks to Asana
If you visit a webpage on mobile that triggers an idea for you to create a task and you have the Asana mobile app installed, you can quickly send a URL to Asana using the "Share" feature in iOS.

### 17. Integrate with GitHub
[Connect Asana to GitHub](https://asana.com/apps/github) and you'll be able to reference task URLs in commit descriptions to automatically post commits to tasks.

### 18. Forward task-related emails to Asana
Forward a task-related email to [x@mail.asana.com](mailto:x@mail.asana.com) and Asana will automatically create a task assigned to you that includes the email in the task description. Once created you can collaborate with others on the task or re-assign it. We often forward invoices to Asana and re-assign them to the appropriate person to be paid.

### 19. Use the vacation indicator
Asana lets you notify co-workers when you're on vacation. Set your vacation indicator to "away" and anyone assigning a task to you will see that you're on vacation. To set your vacation indicator go to "My profile settings."

### 20. Merge duplicate tasks
To keep Asana clean it's helpful to merge similar tasks when they're identified. Fortunately, Asana has a helpful merge feature (see below) that makes this easy.

![merge duplicate tasks asana tip and trick for teams](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/821d10c9-f7cc-4747-9343-534d7a0434d4)

### 21. Use @mentions
Most team members quickly grasp that you can @mention people, but Asana also lets you @mention projects and tasks to link them in task descriptions or comments. Type @ and the first few letters of the object you want to reference and Asana will automatically help you create a link.

## Concluding thoughts

Our remote team works extraordinarily well together not just because we share the same tools, but because we share a similar perspective on work. We all tend to be [humble, independent, logical, thoughtful, and autodidactic](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/characteristics-we-look-for-in-team-members). If you share these characteristics too, [we're hiring](https://www.stickermule.com/careers).


21 Asana tips and tricks to cover all of the cool & useful Asana features a team needs to understand to use Asana in the best ways possible.

21 Asana tips and tricks for using Asana's features with teams

Best sticker material guide: Top choices & expert tips

From the custom vinyl sticker on your laptop to the price tag on a book, stickers are all around us and vary not only in size and color but also in the material they're made of. Which is exactly our topic for today.

![best custom sticker materials](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/364a0571-271c-43c6-a1f9-93a6d4e5d86a)

Does the material my sticker is made of matter? You betcha. The material determines what you can use your sticker for, how long it's likely to last, and even how eco-friendly you are. So join us as we go over the main sticker types, their uses, and some pros and cons.

## Types of sticker materials

Let's begin by looking at the main types of sticker materials and what they're good and bad for.

### Vinyl stickers

The most commonly used type for both personal and commercial uses, [vinyl stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/uses/vinyl-stickers) are made from a thin layer of PVC that makes them waterproof and generally more resistant than other kinds of sticker. They can adhere to almost any surface, including metal, glass, wood, and plastic.

Popular uses for vinyl stickers include car decals, laptop stickers, office signage, and product labels.

What are the pros and cons of vinyl stickers? Let's take a look.

__Pros__

- vinyl stickers are waterproof, sunlight proof, and fairly weather-resistant in general
- they last longer, are harder to tear, and can be washed together with the surface they're on
- given their flexibility, they adhere easily to curved materials and thus have the best adhesion of any type of sticker
- vinyl stickers are easily customizable in a variety of colors, sizes, and die-cut shapes

__Cons__

- although recyclable, vinyl stickers are not the most environmentally-friendly option, as they are not biodegradable
- tend to be somewhat more expensive than other materials

### Paper stickers

![custom printed paper stickers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ae7377c3-9a6f-424a-aa0a-49c93ceee142)

Paper stickers can be a more budget-friendly option that you can still customize with a variety of finishes, including matte and uncoated. Good for indoor use, they're often used as product identifiers or labels and are often applied to materials such as paper, wood, glass, metal, and plastic.

Paper stickers have their own pros and cons. 

__Pros__

- price (cheaper than vinyl and other materials)
- biodegradable: unlike vinyl, paper [decomposes quickly and completely](https://stacker.com/environment/how-long-it-takes-50-common-items-decompose)
- easier to print: paper stickers don't require high-tech printers for their production

__Cons__

- poor durability: even coated paper stickers have lower durability than their vinyl counterparts, and will typically fade and become illegible under external weather conditions
- don't deal well with dirt: unlike vinyl stickers, they can't be washed
- tear easy (they're paper, after all!)

### Polyester stickers

Polyester stickers are the most durable of the bunch. Slightly thicker than vinyl stickers, they can take a beating from the sun, rain, snow, dirt, harsh chemicals, extreme temperatures, and other elements — and come out looking just fine. 

That's why polyester stickers are often used for very long durability purposes, such as product labels that need to remain legible for the full lifetime of a product.

__Pros__

- extreme durability against all manner of weather and elements
- high level of tear resistance

__Cons__

- print quality tends to be lower than that of vinyl stickers
- cost — polyester is typically somewhat more expensive than vinyl
- eco-friendliness: unlike vinyl, polyester is a non-recyclable material

### Holographic stickers

![holographic sticker materials](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/16804331-7b8b-4be5-9ccc-2ed944373626)

[Holographic stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/holographic-stickers) can be made of either paper, vinyl, or polyester, but what sets them apart is the unique iridescent glow added to them (usually through an extra vinyl layer). 

The holographic light-catching effect is a great way to set your stickers apart and also makes for some special uses — holographic ID stickers for your car's front window, for instance, are harder to replicate than normal stickers.

The pros and cons here are pretty straightforward:

__Pros:__ Create a unique visual style and are harder to replicate.

__Cons:__ Tend to be more expensive and require more advanced tech to make.

-----

## Factors to consider when choosing sticker material

As you see, each type of sticker has its pros and cons. To know which to choose for your company or your personal uses, you must keep a few factors in mind.

### Intended use

Are your stickers meant for indoor or outdoor use? As seen above, paper stickers tend to be suitable for use inside, while the sturdier vinyl and polyester stickers are more suitable for out-of-doors applications.

Surface type, too, plays a role. If you intend to place your stickers alongside a curved or round surface, the extra flexibility of vinyl stickers will be a good plus; for surfaces more likely to end up grimy or oily, polyester stickers are the superior choice.

### Durability

How long should your stickers last? There's another question to ask yourself. If you need them to stick around for quite a while, both vinyl and polyester are a good choices — they'll usually hold up well in any weather and deal well with dirt and high humidity. 

On top of that, you may also want to look for additional specs such as UV coating (to make sure your stickers won't fade fast when exposed to direct sunlight) or resistance to repeated washing and higher temperatures (as in the case of mug stickers).

### Print quality

For intricate designs that are likely to get inspected up close, vinyl and paper tend to be the way to go. Polyester is a challenging fabric to print on, and although it can take beautiful designs and a variety of colors, it's more suitable for large decals meant to be visible from a distance, and not inspected at close quarters.

The difference between vinyl and paper tends to be not so much in image detail but in color vibrancy. Vinyl lends itself to more vibrant printouts (both glossy and matte), whereas paper will naturally be more on the matte side. 

And, of course, for a supremely vibrant and eye-catching design, you can't go wrong with a good old multi-layered holographic sticker.

### Cost and budget considerations

Cost may or may not be one of your primary considerations, but it makes sense to factor in the equation — especially when bulk ordering. Paper stickers can be significantly cheaper than their longer-lasting counterparts, and can also be printed in most home printers. 

On the other hand, higher-quality designs tend to pay for themselves, which means vinyl stickers almost always give you an excellent bang for your buck — especially if you take advantage of bulk-order discounts such as the ones we offer at Sticker Mule. 

### Environmental concerns

![environmentally friendly stickers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/5874f2a1-cb61-4c86-8506-d0bf9c1be16a)

Some companies pride themselves in being ecologically correct, which is not only good for the environment, but also a lucrative niche all of its own — as of 2020, 45% of US consumers showed interest in buying from [sustainable or environmental-friendly brands](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1234119/consumer-interest-in-sustainable-environmental-brands/).

With that in mind, from paper (biodegradable) to vinyl (recyclable) to polyester (non-degradable, non-recyclable), there's a decreasing scale of environmental-worthiness that you might want to consider if you've been [looking to make your packaging more eco-friendly](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/how-to-make-your-packaging-more-eco-friendly).

----

## Tips for selecting the best sticker material

So, what are some good tips for selecting the best material for your stickers? With the above info in mind, we recommend you:

- __Assess your needs.__ Begin by determining how you'll be using your stickers and what are your needs in terms of print quality, durability, weather and waterproof, etc.
- __Test different materials.__ For that, you can benefit from [ordering small custom samples](https://www.stickermule.com/products/sticker-samples).
- __Consult with professionals.__ I mean, why do all the work yourself? Ask a professional at a printer. At Sticker Mule, we're always happy to answer your questions.
- __Consider eco-friendly options.__ After all, if it's good for the environment, it's good for you — one way or another.

-----

### Conclusion

High-flexible vinyl stickers with great print quality, sturdy polyester designs to put through the elements and all kinds of abuse, cheap and simple paper stickers, or fancy shiny holographic ones — there's something to recommend each and every type of sticker. They each have their purpose.

So, just make sure you know what you're getting yours for, test with a sample, and you won't risk ending up with the wrong sticker material for your designs.

If you've read this far, you're either (incredibly) bored or (almost certainly) looking for stickers. So why not try out Sticker Mule's vinyl and holographic stickers? You know you want to!

<ButtonCta text="Print stickers today!" href="https://www.stickermule.com/" />


What are the best sticker materials for printing stickers? Here are the top choices and the pros and cons of each!

Top 35+ free & paid AI tools you should be using in 2023

People have been talking about artificial intelligence for a while now. A pet sci-fi theme, it's spurred plenty of outlandish theories and hand-wringing about dystopian futures. But it was only over the past few months that the AI phenomenon seemed to really register on the global consciousness, driven primarily by the release of ChatGPT — a powerful chatbot that took the world by storm and reached a whopping [1 billion users in just under two months](https://www.demandsage.com/chatgpt-statistics/).

![best free ai tools in 2023](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/d6e2ffc4-cf2c-4368-8a45-d0a51a13450f)

While it's anyone's guess what the future of AI holds in store for our economies, for scientific development, and even for our society's way of life, one thing's for sure — it's here to stay, and we better get used to its intrusive (but helpful) presence in our lives.

And what better way to embrace this brave new world than by taking advantage of the many free and paid AI tools already available out there? Without further ado, let's look at some of the best AI tools you should be using in 2023.

1). [ChatGPT](https://chat.openai.com/)

![best free ai tools 2023 chat gpt](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/a72c8286-deee-41db-a094-8c22c2c439a6)

ChatGPT builds on the power of machine learning algorithms and a galaxy-vast database to answer pretty much anything you ask. It'll write you stories and poems, program, provide simple answers to complex topics, and help you with any number of planning tasks — besides just being a lot of fun to play around with.

2). [10Web](https://10web.io/)

![free ai tool to build website 10web](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/9503c607-bfbb-4e9d-a1bc-acd4d899b11a)

If you're building your own site, 10Web is the número uno AI assistant for you. The app allows you to create web pages with no knowledge of coding using a simple drag-n-drop interface that makes it easy for anyone to make their own website.

3). [Midjourney](https://www.midjourney.com/app/) 

![free ai tool to create photos and images midjourney](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/9416f88d-6329-4168-a6c4-bf33b893b98d)

Text-to-image is another aspect of so-called "generative AI" that's been making huge strides recently, as shown by Midjourney — an app with over 14 million users that can transform any text prompt into a unique, AI-generated output. 

Midjourney has recently [made headlines](https://www.reuters.com/technology/eu-lawmakers-committee-reaches-deal-artificial-intelligence-act-2023-04-27/) as a target of new proposed European legislation to regulate generative AI, given claims that its databases infringe artists' and photographers' copyrights.

4). [Upscale by Sticker Mule](https://www.stickermule.com/upscale)

[![free ai tool to upscale images online without losing quality](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/7c33d40b-0bae-4c17-85f6-dc04489c867a)](https://www.stickermule.com/upscale "upscale images for free without losing quality")

Got the perfect image, but it's too low-resolution for printing? Fear not: Upscale by Sticker Mule taps into AI algorithms to provide missing pixels and render a high-quality version of your photographs and art.

5). [Magic Design by Canva](https://www.canva.com/magic-design/)

![free ai visualization tools](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/9221c565-578f-4995-9623-15c6c5fbc12b)

Magic Design helps you turn into your own designer. Provide an image as a prompt and the AI software will bring up custom designs according to the context you need. With no coding or design skills needed, you'll soon be creating your own designs from scratch in a matter of minutes!

6). [Fireflies AI](https://fireflies.ai/)

![free ai tool for getting an AI assistant](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/0cac6430-f369-4c39-ac6a-87e538c69487)

Voice assistants are another technology benefiting hugely from the AI boom, as in the case of Fireflies — an AI assistant for meetings. The app will help you take notes, transcribe discussions, and summarize meetings, improving your workflows and efficiency in the professional arena.

7). [SheetAI](https://www.sheetai.app/)

![free ai tool for google sheets](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/579edd39-265f-4155-a092-76a1492ba292)

Tired of wasting tons of time trying to figure out the right command or coding for an Excel sheet? Well, no need for that anymore, as SheetAI does all the programming work for you. All you need to do is provide simple text prompts, sit back, and let the AI brain do its thing.

8). [Tome](https://beta.tome.app/)

![free ai tool to create and write content](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/daf75d68-0029-430c-8b2d-ada76f2a6851)

Tome describes itself as a "story-telling" app — not the bedtime kind, though. With Tome, you can instantly generate compelling narratives in the form of presentations including audiovisual content — all from a few simple prompts. Tome is a great way to help promote your products or ideas in the workplace.

9). [CodeWhisperer](https://aws.amazon.com/codewhisperer/)

![ai code suggestions for writing code faster](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/33c08039-ab6b-4a63-97d2-a77326b3e38e)

CodeWhisperer helps you code more effectively by drawing from billions of coding lines to suggest anything from simple snippets to fully-built functions of code. CodeWhisperer can even pick up your unique coding style and generate code to match.

10). [Bardeen](https://www.bardeen.ai/)

![free ai tools for automating tasks](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/61df6cac-1a31-4af6-8a96-892a586f61b8)

Bardeen is a business cloud-based data management and workflow tool. With Bardeen, you can automate mundane, repetitive tasks, including report generation, sending reminders, data entry, and a whole lot more.

11). [Tweethunter](https://tweethunter.io/)

![twitter audience and adds ai tool](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/74b7453f-15bb-4f5c-a2cf-93a0eb9aa72a)

Tweethunter helps Twitter users grow their audience and monetize their Twitter accounts, tapping into artificial intelligence to provide key insights for anything from best times to post and hot topics, to interesting opportunities. 

12). [Taplio](https://taplio.com/)

![free ai tool for linkedlin](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/fc68b1ff-0693-4f16-8013-c0e08432de0c)

Need an assistant to manage your LinkedIn account? That is the role of Taplio. Making use of machine learning algorithms, the app will provide you with ideas for hot posts, help schedule new content, and expand your professional network as a whole.

13). [VidIQ](https://vidiq.com/generate/)

![create content for youtube with ai](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/0cd023b1-05d8-4b66-9316-4458f7e02a08)

VidIQ is an extension for YouTubers— it provides tutorials, analytics, and insights on content creation and channel growth, as well as helps content creators find new keywords and trending topics for future posts.

14). [InboxPro](https://inboxpro.io/)

![free ai tool for gmail automation](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/b7380078-bd53-41d6-99cb-83807b3930e6)

InboxPro is a suite of tools for email, calendar, and productivity management. With it, you'll answer emails faster, thanks to preset templates and AI predictive text, as well as save time with a myriad of daily business tasks such as scheduling events, sending RVSPs, or sending out reminders.

15). [HeadshotPro](https://www.headshotpro.com/)

![create professional photo headshots with ai](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/c55bd52a-6fbe-4ddf-bab1-b8acbbef86a0)

Is there no profile-worthy pic available? Upload any picture of yourself to HeadshotPro and get hundreds of professional corporate headshots generated in a matter of seconds!

16). [AgentGPT](https://agentgpt.reworkd.ai/)

![create AI bot to automate tasks](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ac8b0719-c897-4439-bf42-4c8059865e2f)

Create an AI agent and send it on a mission — any mission! From planning all the steps in a trip to scouring the web for information on a specific topic, AgentGPT will deliver powerful results for pretty much anything you ask it to do.

17). [Alicent](https://alicent.ai/)

![best chrome extension for chatgpt](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/78b0dc3e-409f-4555-8e84-cfa43f00cff7)

Alicent is a ChatGPT web extension through which you can benefit from the chatbot's assistance at any time and anywhere, with just a few clicks and prompts. Great for content creators, marketers, bloggers, and other professionals.

18). [ChatDOC](https://chatdoc.com/)

![summarize and extract content from documents with ai](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/898eb877-5691-4024-a820-ce3385f202a6)

Another app based on ChatGPT, ChatDOC helps you extract content from any text file or document, as well as locate specific keywords and quickly summarize contents.

19). [Cassette AI](https://cassetteai.com/)

![ai generated music for free](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/db284cb4-83ce-446b-8663-0b286bc49abc)

Cassette enables musicians, composers, and music lovers all over the world to create music through prompts — anything from a synthy 80s-inspired beat to a violin playlist for focus and inspiration. 

20). [Lindy.ai](https://www.lindy.ai/)

![ai bot for google excel and google sheets](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/170ba3f9-ff28-424d-a1e0-b8b29bd26730)

Lindy.ai is another AI tool for productivity and workflows, helping you automate all your day-to-day tasks from scheduling appointments and meetings to sending emails, taking notes, memos, and a lot more.

21). [Intellimail](https://www.intellimail.xyz/)

![ai tool for email](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/33aac2fc-01aa-493a-87da-51db389b1e9b)

Intellimail is a Chrome extension that works on Gmail to draft entire emails based on single-phrase prompts, saving users time and making for swifter, more effective, and clear professional communication.

22). [Kickresume](https://www.kickresume.com/en/ai-resume-writer/)

![free ai tool for resume building](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/9392c8dd-f389-4271-8906-c76917fb336c)

AI lets you do many things, including drafting your resume. Powered by Open AI's GPT-4 NLP model, Kickresume will create a free resume for you with just a few prompts. And it looks good, too!

23). [Grammarly](https://www.grammarly.com/)

![ai tool for grammar correction](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/7f78fdf7-e5b8-40c8-8c93-ab3d219d5a4c)

Grammarly is an extension trained on billions of words to predict and correct text as you type. Say goodbye to grammar and spelling mistakes with this handy tool. 

24). [Trace by Sticker Mule](https://www.stickermule.com/trace "free background remover with ai")

[![free ai background remover](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/32ae2360-a927-4262-b9ce-10605e34980c)](https://www.stickermule.com/trace "free background remover")

Trace is another app in the Sticker Mule stack of services. Use it to remove the background of any photo — whether it's your pet or your partner! — and create a ready-to-print photo for kickass stickers, magnets, or other custom items.

25). [Otter.ai](https://otter.ai/)

![free ai tool for note taking](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/8f339dfe-f70f-40d1-bf88-ee66830314d6)

Otter is another great tool for meetings. Its functions include transforming text into notes, automatically capturing presentation slides, and generating handy meeting summaries.

26). [Quillbot](https://quillbot.com/)

![free ai paraphrasing tool](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/2d781d34-6649-4ce1-96d2-1377e2543670)

Lacking creativity, style, or vocabulary? Quillbot gives you a shortcut to better results by rephrasing any text you input. The app works as both a Chrome and Word extension and works with a range of language styles, including "creative", "professional", and "simple" tones.

27). [Replika](https://replika.com/)

![free AI support companion](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/7bfc604f-c9b1-4bdd-a29c-4412d950e213)

Ever seen Her? Well, Replika brings something of that concept to life with its AI companion that will follow you anywhere, chat with you, be a (virtual) shoulder to cry on, and even coach you on a variety of subjects.

Or, you know, you just get out there and make some friends.

28). [DeepL Translator](https://www.deepl.com/en/translator)

![free ai translation service](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ef8bb413-ffa5-4776-9e2b-35cd959a6f16)

Deploying potent neural network machine learning and tapping into all of the internet for input and context, DeepL has been the golden standard for machine translation for nearly a decade and is available for free for several language sets, including English to French, Russian, and Chinese.

29). [Aiva](https://www.aiva.ai/)

![create music and songs with ai for free](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/df4881fe-800f-405f-860b-4887e3471f73)

Aiva is another music maker. Tune into the app and use style (70s rock) and tone (emotional) prompts to generate custom-made, unique machine-learning music.

30). [Hemingway Editor](https://hemingwayapp.com/)

![ai writing and content correction and suggestion](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/c0f71904-63b3-4510-8217-52eabb31e2c6)

Although it's not certain the legendary Papa would approve, Hemingway Editor does the bulk of the work in helping you create a more vigorous, concise writing style. The AI editor will help you detect words to trim off, clumsy paragraphs to clean up, and windy sentences to straighten out. It can also give you writing tips and grade your work on a "Readability" scale.

31). [Dall-E2](https://openai.com/product/dall-e-2)

![art and image AI generation](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/467d7973-0a09-4a27-8d49-65b5ae7e1a65)

Another member of the OpenAI family, Dall-E2 creates realistic-looking images (by AI standards, that is) from simple natural language prompts. 

32). [LUMEN5](https://lumen5.com/)

![create video content at scale with AI](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/02a5f651-6f63-4f32-9e25-e5ebe4e5d396)

Lumen5 makes it easy for anyone to create compelling video content on an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. With machine learning algorithms, it can also transform text into videos and prepare clips out of Zoom recordings, among many other tricks.

33). [Riffusion](https://www.riffusion.com/)

![generate music for free with ai tools](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/3beeb376-8980-4af0-9899-d7f411ca3a54)

Riffusion is a neural network with an innovative concept: it generates music using images of sound, instead of audio. Essentially, it visualizes, then composes music. Although the app is still in its infancy, the approach carries a lot of promise for composers and soundtrack creators out there.

34). [Point-E](https://openai.com/research/point-e)

![create 3D point clouds with AI](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/49645fff-3455-4103-b610-cd98de9ac66a)

Visualize complex ideas and projects by transforming prompts into 3D point clouds — that is the simple, but rather incredible offering of Point-E. Point-E is yet another member of the GPT-4 family.

35). [LALAL.AI](https://www.lalal.ai/)

![extract vocals from music with ai](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/7cbbef03-f089-412e-afbe-754044ddbc3c)

LALAL helps you extract bits of music, detaching specific vocals or instruments from the rest and combining them with other sounds to create new music from old.

36). [Deep Nostalgia](https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia)

![animate old family photos with AI](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/256fdd23-4b16-45a8-9303-e02b85f5e1bc)

A fascinating, if slightly creepy app, Deep Nostalgia makes use of machine learning algorithms to bring life to old pictures of relatives or historical figures. Don't blame us for the nightmares.

37). [Magic Eraser](https://magicstudio.com/magiceraser)

![remove objects in photos with ai](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/84557edc-de4c-45cd-987d-c7453dffb854)

Magic Eraser's AI brain is pleased to assist you with one of the biggest hurdles of image editing — removing unwanted objects. Correct your pictures, reimagine your living spaces, and perhaps even remove a few tourists from that memorable vacation picture of last year!

38). [Fontjoy](https://fontjoy.com/)

![create design font pairs with ai](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/90dccc23-fa27-4a2c-a8a6-9b4289a587b0)

Font pairing may sound like a far-fetched concept, but it is actually a core element of graphic design and typographic style. With Fontjoy, you can generate fonts that pair well with one another, creating matchups, contrasts, and other effects for greater visual impact and a cleaner and more agreeable reading experience.

39). [Gamma](https://gamma.app/)

![free ai content writing tool ](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/67295ea4-ec9b-4722-a937-f531f1a94940)

Slide decks? Who needs them! Gamma is a fast and downright effective way to share and present your work in presentations, memos, briefs, and docs. Gamma's AI generator gives life to your ideas and helps you drive your message across any professional medium.

### To cap off

From creating images for laughs to serious professional uses, AI tools are everywhere. Use them to improve workflows, aid your creativity, or just have some good old fun!

<ButtonCta text="Upscale images for free with AI today!" href="https://www.stickermule.com/upscale" />
<ButtonCta text="Remove backgrounds from photos for free!" href="https://www.stickermule.com/trace" />



Free AI tools are everywhere these days, but here are 35+ free and paid AI apps that are actually super useful and could transform the way you do day-to-day activities!

Make images bigger without losing quality with Upscale

[Upscale](https://www.stickermule.com/upscale) is a free [tool](https://www.stickermule.com/tools) that makes images bigger without losing quality, instantly.

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

Just upload your image and within a few seconds, you’ll be able to download your upgraded larger image. Or you can use your new artwork to order custom stickers and more with a single click.

<ButtonCta text="Try Upscale for free" href="https://www.stickermule.com/upscale" />




### Why we made Upscale

Some images are small. They're not bad, they're just small. You can save an image to a bigger size, but this just makes each pixel bigger – and you end up with a pixelated, distorted image.

It’s even more problematic if you try to print a low-resolution image ([we recommend artwork be at least 300 ppi](https://www.stickermule.com/support/artwork-ppi)).

Luckily, Upscale makes it easy for anyone to improve the size and resolution of their artwork. Using AI, Upscale creates brand new pixels, allowing your image to be 2x the size with 4x the pixels of the original image.

![make image bigger](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/fdc1721c2cf40d5acff214da986d3a34f8892909)

![make any image bigger without losing quality](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/dfe0e8d36794c08d5193f3772fafbacbe5f15942)

![free tool to make image bigger](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/e1de5023b5e1a0c62adc6ac4fd47134e8f4fdf1b)

<ButtonCta text="Try Upscale for free" href="https://www.stickermule.com/upscale" />


Want to make an image bigger? Upscale is a free online tool that allows you to make any image bigger without losing quality for free!

The evolution of t-shirts: A decade-by-decade style trend journey

What makes a t-shirt a t-shirt? Well, easy: its T-shaped format! Besides literally being a "tee", t-shirts are also associated with a certain kind of material (cotton) and with their very own atmosphere (informality). Tees are simple to make, comfortable to wear, and worn just about everywhere.

![the history of t-shirts decade by decade](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/b5f3bc36-354d-4990-af9c-3feb717efb32)

In fact, nowadays, t-shirts are perhaps the most common element of clothing all over the world. But it wasn't always like that — in fact, the humble tee has only been with us for a little over a century. 

From its origin as a 19th-century working man's garment to the modern trends of the 21st century, the t-shirt has come a long way in a short time. Let's take a look at how it developed over the years.

### The birth of t-shirts

![1800s t-shirt origin story from the union suit](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/8a340f78-b45d-4963-8998-61a9196abfbb)

Believe it or not, t-shirts come from a very ridiculous-looking (by our modern standards) piece of clothing called the union suit. We highly recommend [googling union suit](https://www.google.com/search?q=union+suit) sometime, there are definitely a few chuckles to be had.

Well, at some point in the late 19th century, workers in mines and docks seemed to have fallen into the habit of cutting short the top piece of their union suit. Because seriously, those things were hot to work in. And there you have it — the first version of the t-shirt was born.

### The early 1900s and armywear 

![t-shirt history from the military](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ce653520-ee27-41a9-9239-fb28d1c1d2af)

Once the effectiveness of lighter clothing in the mines was realized, it didn't take long for the military to discover them. First issued by the US Navy, they were soon a staple undergarment in all branches of the military. They made for a comfortable piece to wear under a soldier's uniform and were great for fieldwork in hot climates.


Fast forward a few more years and we have World War I spreading the tee's popularity even further. No longer an undergarment only, t-shirts now started seeing ample use in all kinds of manual labor, including agriculture. They also became a popular garment for boys — cheap, good for running around, and easier to clean than regular shirts.

In 1920, "t-shirt" became an accepted word in the English language and had the honor to make it into [Merriam-Webster's Dictionary](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/T-shirt "t-shirt definition"). Now we're talkin'!


### 1930s-1950s: T-shirts enter mainstream fashion

Ranch workers in the Great Depression wore the t-shirt often, and so did Navy men during World Word II and afterward, and for pretty much the same reasons mentioned above — they were cheap, comfy, good for physical work, and cool.

![50s t-shirt history](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ed15dfd3-7464-466f-a1b4-6a6c151d54fe)  

However, it wasn't until the early '50s that the t-shirt became cool in the other sense of the word. And for that, as you may have guessed, we have Hollywood to thank for. After Marlon Brando wore it in A Streetcar Named Desire, the t-shirt finally had its big moment. Now it could never not be cool again. Now it was a cool, manly, edgy, rebellious type of garment — something for the James Dean and Marlon Brando would-bes to eagerly copy.


The t-shirt had finally come of age. No longer perceived as an undergarment, it was its own thing and could be proudly worn everywhere.
  

### 1960s-1980s: T-shirts as a form of expression

![t-shirt history during 70s and protests](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/a46cbd6d-cc86-4f82-a831-6c8d474c7eb7)

The 1960s brought two things that further changed and popularized the t-shirt: advancements in screen printing and, of course, a big societal shift in favor of freedom and personal expression.

The first change made it possible to print t-shirts with all kinds of text and images printed on them. The second made people want to give wings to their creativity and spread slogans  — and for that, the t-shirt was a favored means of expression. 

Besides being a vehicle for political-cultural expression, it didn't take long for tees to be channeled for advertising, as major companies like Coca-Cola and Disney started printing out t-shirts with their logos and company slogans.
  

### 1990s-2000s: T-shirts go global

![t-shirt historys during the 90s and sports wear](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/62ede000-c253-4383-aa59-13519d6e3248)

T-shirts had been a staple of hip-hop and rap culture for some time, but the 1990s and the spread of streetwear made them go truly global for the first time — the relaxed, casual style of the t-shirt and sneakers was simply too easy to fall in love with. 

Add to that the growing popularity of sportswear, driven by brands such as Nike and American sports franchises, and the tee further consolidates its worldwide appeal.

### 2010s-Present: The evolution continues

![2010s t-shirt history of style trends](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/25d82d1c-90ec-4b79-a2a9-13e8f902e99c)

For the past couple of decades, people continued to find new and creative ways to wear their tees. Our age is one of easy customization, and [custom printed t-shirts](https://www.stickermule.com/products/custom-t-shirts) now show our love for popular movies and series, favorite bands, or favorite designer brands. Internet meme culture, too, is very present and brings an extra touch of humor to tees everywhere.

T-shirts have also been reinvented in different materials — the so-called performance t-shirts, popular in various athletic endeavors, have turned into their own athleisure fashion trends. The good old, simple t-shirt is still going places.

### Conclusion

From a second-rate working undergarment to possibly the most popular item of pop culture, the t-shirt has no doubt come a long way. And it's likely got even more future than past — if recent trends are anything to go by, the t-shirt is likely to be a key theme of exploration for future fashion and customization trends. What can we say? We're all for it!

It's anyone's guess where the t-shirt goes next, but one thing is for sure: it's not leaving our culture anytime soon.

<ButtonCta text="Start making your own t-shirts today!" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/custom-t-shirts" />

T-shirts have been around since the 1800s, learn the fascinating history of this everyday garment in this new blog series on style trends.

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