How to remove sticker residue

As much as everyone loves stickers, nobody likes sticker residue.

<YouTubeVideo videoId="KQNFdPMS4U8?rel=0" />

Here are a few simple techniques for removing sticker residue.

### Rubbing alcohol
Use an old washcloth to apply rubbing alcohol to the residue. It should break down easily and then you can wipe it away with a damp towel.

### Goo Gone
[Goo Gone](https://www.amazon.com/Goo-Gone-Original-Liquid-Adhesive/dp/B07PW7J8QG/) is specifically designed for removing adhesive. Just spray the residue and wipe with a towel.

### Peanut butter
Take a small dab with your finger and rub into the residue. The oils from the peanut butter will break apart the stickiness. This method is a little unconventional, but works (and tastes) great.

### Other products to use
If you’re short on any of the supplies above, here are some other household products that work well:

- WD-40
- Nail polish remover
- Cooking oil
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Warm water
- Soap
- Laundry detergent

### Other techniques to try
If you’re still having trouble, here are a few more techniques you can try.

To remove residue from glass products, try soaking them in warm, soapy water overnight.

To remove residue from clothing, try scrubbing the residue with a toothbrush instead of a paper towel.

For glass, wood, and walls, try heating the residue for no more than 30 seconds with a blow dryer and then scraping it off with a putty knife.

Once the residue is gone, you’ve got a perfect spot for a brand new sticker.

<ButtonCta text="Try custom stickers for $9" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/sticker-samples" />

Here are a few easy tricks for getting rid of sticker residue from any surface.

Convert any image to vector with Redraw

[Redraw](https://www.stickermule.com/redraw) is a brand new service that upgrades any image into a high resolution vector format.

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

Have you ever had an image that was too small, too blurry, or too pixelated to do anything useful with it? With Redraw you can convert your low quality artwork into an infinitely scalable vector graphic.

## What is a vector graphic?
There are 2 types of digital artwork: [raster and vector](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/raster-vs-vector-images).

Raster images are made up of a bunch of tiny pixels. As you enlarge a raster image, the pixels begin to be noticeable causing the image to appear pixelated.

Meanwhile, vector images are made from mathematical paths. As you enlarge a vector image, the shapes and colors never lose their clarity.

This makes vector images an ideal format for web or print.

## How does Redraw work?
Redraw works with all types of images: logos, illustrations, and even photos. Each Redraw can be ordered for a flat rate of $14, regardless of the difficulty.

Simply upload your artwork and checkout. Within a few hours we’ll send a proof showing how your new artwork will look. You can request changes to the proof for free until you’re happy (or cancel if you’re not happy).

Upon approval, your artwork will be available to download. You can also use the artwork to order custom stickers, magnets, and more.

<ButtonCta text="Order a Redraw for $14" href="https://www.stickermule.com/redraw" />

Redraw is a brand new service that upgrades any image into a high resolution vector format.

Staying safe

All bad things come to an end. We will continue investing and improving until this meets its end too. It’s frustrating that aspects of the outbreak are outside of our control. The good news is we already naturally do a lot of things right to protect our staff. Specifically:

1. Our factories are in quiet, uncongested and rural towns where “social distancing” is natural.
2. We already overbuy floorspace to maintain a comfortable factory environment and expanded spacing to keep people further distanced.
3. We have stringent cleanliness standards and regularly disinfect the workplace. Last week, we trained all staff to disinfect their workplace at more frequent intervals.

Additionally, we increased paid leave for all factory employees so everyone can comfortably stay home when sick and still get paid.

Outside the factory, Sticker Mule has been a remote company from day one. Going remote is a recommended action that many companies are just now taking. Luckily, we did not need to make any adjustments to go remote. It’s already the way we do things.

My #1 desire is to keep everyone positive and happy. Everyone in the world is thinking about how to solve this problem and we will get through it together.


How we're positioned to operate safely during the COVID-19 outbreak.

10 years of Sticker Mule

10 years ago Sticker Mule was born out of frustration. No one treated customers or employees as good as we felt was possible. We wanted to do better and set out to build the best way to shop and work. 

10 years later we beat all expectations. Sticker Mule is fast becoming a standard for what it means to be a great company. Businesses all over the world copy us and that's great. 

Many people laughed when we said we'd build a mega-brand selling stickers. Luckily, we love to be underestimated.

They said it's rare to build a successful company on your first try. We did. 

They said it's impossible without high profile investors. We have none. 

They said you can't build a big brand from a small rural town. We did. 

They said you need "experienced" people with fancy degrees. We don't. 

They said manufacturing is too hard for a startup. It’s not.

They said you need to run massive losses to grow fast. We don't. 

Sticker Mule is a story for the underdogs. The people who the “experts” say can't make it. Ignore the experts. Believe in yourself. 

10 years ago, a 70 year old that never used a computer before cofounded Sticker Mule after seeing the Internet for the first time. When asked "are you sure we can do this?" He calmly replied, "we never failed at anything and we won't at this." Today we make it a habit to do the impossible. 

Our new goal is to make the next 10 years happier for everyone. Financial “success” as a never-ending goal is a crazy thing. We started Sticker Mule with a plan to be fast, simple and fun. It’s time to focus on fun.

10 years ago Sticker Mule was born out of frustration. We wanted to do better and set out to build the best way to shop and work.

How to design sticker sheets in Adobe Illustrator

This tutorial is going to show you how to create an awesome sticker sheet using Adobe Illustrator.

<YouTubeVideo videoId="5xnVfAY3W18?rel=0" />

A [sticker sheet](https://www.stickermule.com/products/sticker-sheets) is a page with several peelable stickers, most commonly grouped in a theme. These are great for promotion or showing off artistic flair.

With Sticker Mule, designing your own sticker sheet is completely optional. 

You can send us a zip file of the individual designs and we'll lay it out for you. Or you can have total control over the final look by designing the sticker sheets yourself. 

## Step 1: Set up your sticker sheet artwork
For an easy start, we recommend [downloading one of our sticker sheet templates](https://www.stickermule.com/template/sticker-sheets).

Once you have the template open in Adobe Illustrator, make sure you are in the ‘Artwork’ layer.

![Sticker sheet template layers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/eff2b65ccc39327978d88015661badad8ef56a55)

To find layers go to Window > Layers

Now you can start dropping the designs onto the sheet. 

![Sticker sheet artwork setup](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/d149cff938301b1201b91f7acef4500fc9e822dc)

From here, you're free to scale, position, or rotate your designs any way that you feel necessary, as long as it's within the sticker sheet box. 

Each sticker must be at least one inch by one inch and have a space of at least a quarter-inch around it measured from the sticker cut lines and not the artwork itself. 

## Step 2: Outline any text
If you're working with text, [make sure it's outlined](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wBuY6KQR24) before you print. 

To do this, right-click on the text and press ‘Create Outlines’. 

![Creating outlines in Adobe Illustrator](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/7e019c69ea1c8e8d19151fb4b030b09141941b45)

## Step 3: Specify your cut lines
Now you can specify cut lines using a one-point stroke. 

A quick way to do this is to select all of your designs, copy them, and paste them on the cut line layer.

![Specifying cut lines in Adobe Illustrator](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/a2bdfaf3ca680fabbb47c627789f405d9fb09810) 

Then use the unite function in the pathfinder window. 

![Using the Unite function to create a cut line](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/635bc4247ba7f290f321e13697baf701d660c719)

Once that's done, just apply the cut line swatch as a stroke, and we'll know exactly how to cut your stickers once sent to production. 

If no cut lines are specified, we will automatically determine them for you. You will review this during proofing before print. 

For a more detailed explanation of this, check out our tutorial on [how to create sticker cut lines](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/how-to-create-a-sticker-cut-line).

## Step 4: Start your sticker sheets order
Once everything is looking good, you can save your Illustrator file, upload it, and start your order. This tutorial is complete!

![Completed sticker sheets design](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/da1c082d190a904e3cabb46b603a021d700e38a2)

## Further tips for designing an awesome sticker sheet:

- Design first and adjust later. Focus on getting your sticker designs laid out roughly and then if you decide that a certain sticker needs to be bigger or spaced further apart, it will be a simple adjustment. 
- Consider making your stickers full bleed. If your designs allow for it, you can make your stickers full bleed by extending your artwork an eighth of an inch beyond the cut line. Keep in mind that whatever is outside of the cut lines will remain on your sticker sheet when the individual stickers are removed. 
- Make the sticker sheet beautiful itself by adding non-sticker elements. A colorful background or a logo can add a really nice touch to the sheet once it's printed.

<ButtonCta text="Order sticker sheets" size="large" variant="secondary"  align="center" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/sticker-sheets" />

Design an awesome sticker sheet or label sheet template using Adobe Illustrator with this guide.

Sticker sheet template design in Adobe Illustrator

Need more charm? Introducing custom acrylic charms

We’re thrilled to announce the newest Sticker Mule product – [acrylic charms](https://www.stickermule.com/products/acrylic-charms)!

<YouTubeVideo videoId="O7DaakVvnJA?rel=0" />

We use a solid, transparent, acrylic material that can be printed in full color and cut to any shape. Each charm features a small, 2mm hole, allowing you to convert your charms into keychains, jewelry and more.

![charms-blog-post-image-1](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/821033b526aa7892c3c4abd1e0d11c027b79f147)

![charms-blog-post-image-2](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/f5c91b306d108d05fabec0ac33308b2742871519)

The possibilities are endless, so we’re excited to see what people come up with!

<ButtonCta text="Order custom charms" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/acrylic-charms" />

Custom acrylic charms can be printed in full color and cut to any shape. We include a small hole for keychains, jewelry and more.

Why kiss cut stickers are better than back slit

We sometimes [receive requests](https://stickermule.canny.io/) for back slit stickers (or crack and peel stickers). In the video below, Vinny explains why we don’t sell them and instead recommend [kiss cut stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/kiss-cut-stickers).

<YouTubeVideo videoId="jDhTwBljqy4?rel=0" />

## Why we don’t sell back slit stickers

### Back slit stickers bend
Back slit stickers bend at the slit, adding an unwanted crease in your sticker. This crease gets worse with time.

### Back slit collects debris
Back slit stickers collect dust and dirt at the seam of the back slit, causing stickers to lose their stickiness.

### Kiss cut stickers are better
Kiss cut stickers can be cut to any shape. We use special blades that allow you to easily peel away your sticker from the paper backing. Meanwhile, the sticker backing itself can contain extra information or design elements.

<ButtonCta text="Order kiss cut stickers" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/kiss-cut-stickers" />

Back slit stickers are supposed to make peeling easier, but kiss cut stickers are a better option.

New holographic stickers: Flux capacitor not included

Starting today, [special holographic stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/holographic-stickers) will be available so you can add a retro rainbow sheen to any design.

<YouTubeVideo videoId="wS24KZon9Io?rel=0" />

Perfect for kids and kids at heart, we are eager to share this new product with you. [Holographic stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/holographic-stickers) are now available. 

All sticker material is specially developed in-house and holographic vinyl posed an exciting challenge. This material needed to be as sturdy as our original stickers but with an added iridescent shine. After over a year in development, we have it perfected to a place where we can share it.

Holographic material turns ordinary objects into animations. It engages people and grabs attention like crazy.

Try it today: [upload a plain color design](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/how-to-design-holographic-stickers) and our team will make it holographic. You can approve the effect during proofing to make sure your stickers are totally awesome.

<ButtonCta text="Make your first holo sticker" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/holographic-stickers" />


Add a futuristic rainbow sheen to any design.

How to remove backgrounds in Photoshop

In this easy-to-follow tutorial, we show how to remove the background from any image using [Adobe Photoshop](https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html). 

Before you start, take a look at Trace, [our new background remover tool](https://www.stickermule.com/trace). It erases backgrounds from photos instantly, and could save you a lot of time. 

<YouTubeVideo videoId="71o67pJxqLw?rel=0" />

__For best results:__

- Find a high resolution image; the more pixels, the more accurate you can be.
- Make sure the subject stands out from the background and they do not share too many similar colors or textures.

### Step 1
Open your photo in Photoshop and create a new background layer. 

![new-layer](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/1c967ad5325b23d084f0a473fe2f0624c3d1b2f5)

On this new background layer go to edit, fill, and then select white for the contents. 

![Fill](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/d5c5edc5c7483000e47c57540d03333b8c468aab)

Place this layer below your photo so that as we remove the original background the white one is revealed underneath. 

If your photo is a locked background layer you won't be able to drag another layer below it. All you need to do is double click on it, give it a name, and press enter to convert it to a normal layer so that you can move things below it. 

### Step 2
Grab the quick selection tool and start dragging over the part that you want to keep. 

![selection copy](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/8f3c7408bf85ecc9a334afb40bb098aaa308b85b)

The size of your brush determines how much is grabbed with each click or each drag of the mouse. To change it, use the open and closed square brackets to make the brush larger or smaller depending on how accurate you need to be. 

It's likely that as you're making your selection you're gonna highlight areas that you don't wish to. When this happens simply hold alt while using the tool and it will subtract from the selection instead of adding to it. 

The magic wand tool as well as the object selection tool can also come in handy here. Check those out if needed.

### Step 3
Once you've done a fairly good job of selecting your subject from the background we're gonna refine it by going to select and then select and mask.

![select and mask](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/45c0b25643fe2e2478ac4cf6a949af74157940aa)

Make sure that transparency is set to 100%. This will show you how your current selection is going to look once masked out from the original background. 

Also make sure that the high quality preview is on.

![transparency](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/b333056a545ea8ea9065ac61ed974d4461756b45)

Now you can see the temporary white background you made showing through behind. 

If you see a slight gray outline, this is some background elements you picked up when using the quick selection tool. 

To remove this, use ‘shift edge’. This will expand your selection or pull it in. Negative numbers shift edge in, and positive shift it out.

![shift edge](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/229485dcfddda414514ab5a7a9e80221fa1229a0)

### Step 4
Do not shift edge too much. For places with intricate details like hair or fur, use the ‘refine edge’ brush tool. 

![refine edge](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/fbf21470da64f1c4acc03b514edbeb89f98dd3d8)

Drag along the edges where the details are present. You will lose a bit of that background and it will look more like a correct crop. Just as with the quick selection tool, you can change the size of this brush with the square bracket keys. 

Lastly if you're finding that overall your selection is looking a bit jagged or there's too many sharp edges, you can use smooth or feather to fix that. 

![smooth](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ab9efdf42d63bba0f7e7fd22384c1213258fc6ee)

Just be careful not to add too much as you still want your selection to look crisp rather than blurry around the edges. 

At any point while you're in select and mask mode you can press P to toggle between what you started with and where you're now at. 

Press okay. 

### Step 5
Rather than actually delete the background around your subject, mask it out. 

With your selection still active, go into your layers menu and press add layer mask.

![add mask](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/8824d13bcf9680bd481241645e6f5af941efae1a)

Layer masks work in black and white: black means hide this part, white means show this part. Right now we want to show the subject (white) and hide the background (black).

At any point, if you want to make the same selection just do Cmd + click  or Alt + click on the layer mask.

You should now be able to move this layer around. Your subject is now separate from their original background. 

### Step 6 (optional)
If you think there are a couple problem areas you want to clean up, you can click on the layer mask in your layer panel and add or remove some of the original background. Use the paintbrush tool in black or white to remove or add details.

![layer mask](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/d61850f7eec6b53748c1b27ab3bb5c077ce4a531)

That is the end of the tutorial!

If you want an easier and faster way to remove backgrounds check out our new tool Trace. Trace is free to use and works instantly.

<ButtonCta text="Try Trace for free" size="large" variant="secondary"  align="center" href="https://www.stickermule.com/trace" />

An easy-to follow tutorial on removing backgrounds using Photoshop

New: Opt out of freebies

Surprises are one of the ways we make our customers happy. That’s why we include fun freebies in every order. Typically, you’ll get a few cute Sticker Mule stickers and maybe a button, coaster or magnet too. Our freebies change periodically to make them more surprising, fun and collectable too.

![freebie-opt-out](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/6ff5bb1dd69fd4bec52cd1e203868e7e8cf1180d)

Sticker Mule freebies end up on Instagram, Twitter and laptops worldwide, but some customers, especially frequent purchasers, ask not to receive them. To address this request, we are happy to introduce freebie opt-out. 

You can now opt out of freebies in [your account settings](https://www.stickermule.com/account) (or opt back in).

While most people enjoy the free swag, we recognize it can be wasteful – especially if you order frequently.

<Tweet tweetUrl="https://twitter.com/sarahdayarts/status/1176924428078407682?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" />

Freebie opt-out was designed 100% based on customer feedback. Hope you enjoy it!

If you no longer wish to receive freebies with your orders, you can now opt out in your account settings.

Blog