If you've ever searched for custom printed labels, you've probably noticed that "labels" and "stickers" are often used interchangeably. They're both adhesive, they both stick to things, and they both get printed. So what's the difference?
As it turns out, quite a lot. Understanding the distinction can save you money, ensure you're ordering the right product for your needs, and help your products look more professional.
The Simple Answer
TLDR: labels are designed to identify and inform, while stickers are designed to promote and decorate.
A label has a job to do: It tells customers what's inside a candle jar, displays the ingredients on a cosmetics bottle, or shows shipping information on a parcel. A sticker on the other hand, is meant to be seen, shared, and stuck somewhere by the recipient - think laptop stickers, car bumper stickers, or promotional giveaways for events.
But there's more to it than just purpose.
Materials and Durability
Because labels & stickers serve different purposes, they're often made from different materials.
Labels are typically produced on thinner materials like paper or polypropylene film. They're designed to be applied to a known surface - product packaging, a jar or a bottle - so the material can be chosen specifically for that purpose. A label for a candle that gets warm needs different properties than one for a refrigerated product.
Stickers are usually made from thicker, more durable vinyl because you have no idea where they'll end up. A promotional sticker you hand out at a trade show might end up on someone's car window, exposed to sun and rain for years. It might get stuck to a skateboard and scraped along concrete. Stickers need to survive the unknown.
Known Destination vs Unknown Destination
This is perhaps the most useful way to think about the difference.
When you're ordering labels, you know exactly where they're going. They'll be applied to your candle jars, cosmetic tubes and food packaging. This means you can optimise everything: the adhesive strength, the material, the shape, and the finish. You're designing for a specific purpose.
With stickers, you're handing over control to the customer who decides where to stick them. This uncertainty means stickers need to be more versatile and more robust. They also tend to be more design-focused - the whole point is that someone wants to display them.
Formats: Sheets vs Rolls vs Die Cut Singles
Another practical difference is how labels and stickers are supplied.
Sheet labels come on A4 or similar sized sheets, with multiple labels per sheet. They're ideal for smaller quantities and hand application. Perfect for small businesses who want to print batch numbers, dates, or one-off designs in short runs.
Roll labels come wound on a core, ready for high-volume application. If you're applying thousands of labels to products - either by hand with a dispenser or using a labelling machine, rolls often make more sense. They're faster to apply and easier to store in bulk.
Stickers can come on sheets too, but they're often supplied as individual pieces. Either die-cut (cut exactly to the shape of the design) or kiss-cut (the sticker shape is cut but left on a backing sheet). Die-cut stickers have that clean, standalone look. Kiss-cut makes them easier to peel and can include extra design elements on the surrounding backing.
What About Adhesives?
Both labels and stickers can use permanent or removable adhesive, but the choice matters for different reasons.
For labels, you typically want permanent adhesive becuase you don't want your product labels peeling away. But some applications need removable adhesive, like price labels that customers will peel off, or labels on reusable containers.
For stickers, the choice often comes down to how temporary they are. A promotional sticker might use permanent adhesive because you want it to stay put. A wall sticker for a child's bedroom might be removable so it doesn't damage the paintwork.
So Which Do You Need?
Ask yourself these questions:
Is it going on your product or packaging? You probably need labels. You know the surface, you can match the material to your needs, and you're likely applying hundreds or thousands of them.
Are you giving them away? That's a sticker. Make it durable, make it eye-catching, and expect it to turn up in unexpected places.
Do you need to convey important information (ingredients, instructions, warnings etc)? Labels are built for this. Clear, professional, informative.
Is the design the main point? Stickers let you be creative and give customers something they actually want to display.
Why It Matters for Your Business
Getting this right isn't just about terminology - it affects your costs and your results.
Ordering sticker-grade vinyl when you just need paper labels for indoor product packaging? You're overspending. Using thin label paper for promotional giveaways that need to survive outdoors? They won't last and could reflect badly on your brand.
Understanding what you actually need helps you make better decisions, whether you're a candle maker labelling your latest collection, a cosmetics brand launching a new product line, or a business looking to get your brand out there with promotional stickers.
The Bottom Line
Labels inform. Stickers promote. Labels have a specific destination. Stickers go wherever their new owner takes them. Labels are the workhorse of product packaging. Stickers are the fun, shareable face of your brand.
Most businesses need both at some point; and that's where we come in!
