How Long Will My Stickers And Labels Last?

That depends on the material you want your stickers or labels printed onto and where you use them. The beauty of going custom is that you can choose the material that matches the environment and purpose of your stickers and labels best.

Here is a brief overview of our most popular materials

  • Vinyl stickers (white & clear): up to 2 years outdoors
  • Effect stickers (holographic, glitter, silver & gold): up to 1 year outdoors
  • Biodegradable paper stickers: up to 2 years indoors
  • Eco-friendly stickers (white, clear, holographic, glitter, silver and gold): Two years indoors
  • Fluorescent stickers: up to 6 months outdoors & 2 years indoors
  • Heavy duty stickers: up to 4 years outdoors
  • Static cling: up to 6 months outdoors & 1 year indoors

Below, you can find a more detailed breakdown of your material categories and how long each of them lasts. Please keep in mind that the longevity of your stickers and labels depends on how and where they are being used.

Custom labels of various shapes and sizes printed on several materials applied to different products

Vinyl: Perfect for indoor and outdoor use

If you do not know how or where your stickers and labels will be applied or simply want a material that is adaptable and versatile, vinyl is the perfect choice for you.

Our most popular vinyl stickers use the highest quality, 70-micron polypropylene, printed on state-of-the-art digital printers, finished with a 70-micron clear gloss, abrasion-resistant over-laminate, that will make your stickers and last up to 5 years indoors. If your sticker or label is outside, in direct sunlight and getting rubbed regularly, this will reduce the lifetime of your stickers and labels, but they will still last ages.

Special effect materials: Sparkles that last

You can get similar resistance and longevity with our vinyl-based effect materials like clear, glitter, holographic, gold and silver. Again, outdoor use can shorten their lifespan to around one year.

With these materials, we typically find people want to change their design before their sticker or label actually needs to be replaced.

Sustainable stickers: The compostable indoor option

Our sustainable stickers and labels are designed to last two years indoors and should be kept away from water.

You can choose between two different material bases: sustainably sourced wood pulp or sugar-cane fibre. Both are biodegradable and compostable, making them much more eco-friendly than standard sticker materials.

We can offer you an eco-friendly alternative for all of our vinyl-based products, ranging from clear to glitter. You can use them to label products of all uses, however, we recommend not using them on products that will be used in the shower or put in the dishwasher.

Die cut eco-friendly stickers with recycling design applied to a cardboard envelope

Fluorescent materials: Shine bright everywhere

Fluorescent materials are special. The colors this material comes in are light-absorbing. They convert parts of the invisible UV light into visible light, causing this material to look so bright.

UV rays, visible light and solar heat break down the chemical bonds in these colors, making them fade over time.

This is why fluorescent stickers and labels "only" last for around six months in direct sunlight, but can shine for up to two years indoors. You can find out more about what makes fluorescent colors so bright here.

Heavy duty: For extreme environments

Our heavy duty material is the most resistant on the market. It is 8x thicker and twice as sticky as standard stickers, making them perfect for industrial settings or extreme environments.

This material can last up to five years outdoors. However, we do not recommend getting heavy duty stickers and labels just because you want a super sticky material. In 9 out of 10 use cases, standard vinyl stickers will do the job just fine.

Only use heavy duty materials when you are working with hot engines, surfaces that get jet-washed regularly or need them for motorsport etc.

Static cling: Sticking without adhesives

Static cling is completely adhesive-free. It only uses static energy to cling to smooth, flat surfaces. Think of rubbing a balloon against your head and having your hair stand up - that's how this material sticks.

This PVC-based material is best suited for indoor use but can last up to six months outdoors. This is mainly because you need a very smooth surface with little interference to ensure that this material clings perfectly.

Which material is it going to be? If you need more details for each material, you can view our materials page. Do you already know which material you love? Then checkout out our range or custom stickers here or browse our custom labels here.

If you need more help deciding on your perfect material you can:

  • Order a material sample or a custom sample to test them out

  • Download our guide to choosing the perfect stickers and labels

  • Take our quiz to find your ideal material

  • Reach out to our team of experts

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