Introducing quick order 

We are excited to introduce [quick order](https://www.stickermule.com/quick-order). It’s common for customers to order dozens of items at the same time, but building the cart for large, multiple item orders was cumbersome. Not anymore. 

## Order dozens of items in seconds

[Quick order](https://www.stickermule.com/quick-order) lets you order dozens of items in seconds. Simply pick the items you want, identify the number of unique designs per item, attach your artwork and breeze through checkout. 

## Quickly generate quotes

Quick order is great if you need to quickly research pricing for a large order too. We’ll automatically calculate your [multiple item discount](https://www.stickermule.com/support/can-i-get-a-discount-for-ordering-multiple-designs) as you build your order too.

We hope you’ll love it as much as we do! 

<WistiaVideo videoId="bo1hpv7k33" />

<ButtonCta text="Try quick order" href="https://www.stickermule.com/quick-order?ref=blog" />

Quick order let’s you order dozens of items in seconds. This is the next step in our relentless drive to make ordering fast and easy. 

DIY front adhesive stickers

Are you familiar with [front adhesive stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/front-adhesive-stickers)? Front adhesive stickers are just like our [clear stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/clear-stickers) except the sticky side is on the front of the design, not the back. They are made to apply the design-side to the inside of a window. 

![Custom front adhesive stickers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/bba2b92679baaf8980894781314b0528e9092da5)

Let’s learn more about custom front adhesive window stickers and how you can make your own without breaking a sweat!

## What are front adhesive stickers? 

Front adhesive stickers are printed on [clear material](https://www.stickermule.com/products/clear-stickers) and have an adhesive on the front, printed side of the sticker. These stickers are particularly helpful for certain uses including business storefronts that want to display their memberships, information or causes they support. 

They are also called the “[Inside Window Stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/uses/window-stickers)” since they are stuck on the inside of windows.

When we launched these stickers, we originally called them window stickers. We changed the name because "front adhesive sticker" is more intuitive and because other sticker types are also considered [window stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/uses/window-stickers).

## Where can you use front adhesive stickers?

There are many uses of front adhesive stickers for both businesses and personal uses.

__Businesses:__

- Storefront displays that you occasionally have to change (since it’s so easy to stick on and peel off!) 
- Announcement for your business or social cause 
- Display professional memberships 
- Show off awards and reviews 

__Personal: __

- Hassle-free window decors during special occasions such as Halloween or Christmas 
- Showing support for your favorite team or organization by sticking their logo or banners on the inside of your car window
- Simply making your personality shine through custom front adhesive window stickers 

## Back adhesive vs. front adhesive stickers 

So, when is it ideal to use back or front-facing adhesive stickers for windows? Not all stickers are made alike and that is exactly why you should know which one to use.

### Use back adhesive stickers when…

- Your sticker is located in a safe area where it’s not at risk being peeled off by passersby 
- You don’t have a store window but you still want to jazz up your exterior with customized decals 
- The opacity of your store window is high that customers wouldn’t be able to see your stickers and designs when it’s stuck on the inside

### Use front adhesive stickers when…

- You have big windows or glass doors that catch the attention of passersby 
- You have very clear windows and they are not prone to dirt or any kind of obstruction to your decals 
- You need a cost-effective way to improve your front store marketing 

## Pros and cons of front adhesive stickers

That said, front adhesive stickers aren’t perfect. Here are a few considerations: 

| Pros       | Cons       |
| ---------- | ---------- |
| - Tamper-proof       | - They cannot be seen clearly on tinted or opaque glasses       |
| - Protected from weather and dirt from outside your window       | - If the glass is obstructed by an external object, the sticker cannot be seen       |
| - Easy to stick on and remove, perfect for display windows that need to change every so often       | - Stickers can still be subjected to wear and tear. They are less permanent compared to other decors, such as paint       |
| - More economical compared to other means of decorating your storefront       |        |

## How to make front adhesive stickers 

Making front adhesive stickers is easier than you thought! Here at Sticker Mule, it’s as easy as 1-2-3!

1. [Upload your sticker](https://www.stickermule.com/products/front-adhesive-stickers) design on our page.
2. Select the desired size, quantity, then request a proof.
3. Request additional changes (if needed) and we’ll ship your stickers within four business days!

We hope you try our new [front adhesive stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/front-adhesive-stickers) and let us know what you think.

<ButtonCta text="Check out front adhesive stickers" size="large" variant="secondary"  align="center" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/front-adhesive-stickers?ref=blog" />

Front adhesive stickers are printed on the sticky side of the sticker. This makes them a perfect option for the inside of any window. 

DIY Front Adhesive Stickers 

How Grado Labs built their word-of-mouth marketing machine 

When I first heard of Grado Labs, my immediate thought was: here’s *another audio company*. Probably not much different than the rest.

Boy was I wrong. Grado Labs is totally different.

Before Beats came along, Grado Labs was unleashing sweet, melodious tunes into their customers' ears with award-winning headphones.

In fact, Grado Labs has now been around for 64 years.

And while Grado’s competitors spend millions on marketing — with a flashy internet ad here and  another commercial there — Grado has built their brand without any advertising since 1953. They rely completely on word-of-mouth.

Some of Grado’s successes:

* Massive companies, like Microsoft, beg Grado to commission special limited pairs of Grado headphones
* Musicians, like John Mayer, swear by Grado headphones in the studio when recording and mixing an album
* Celebrities, like Elijah Wood, retweet Grado tweets *just because they love the brand so much*

![Grado Labs 1995 Tweet - Retweeted by Elijah Wood](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/1ae9d906e15c17b83e64ec2a6efa9c154bc5795e)

For Grado, this is business as usual.

Random retweets from Elijah Wood? Regular occurrence.

("I just wish Elijah would retweet some of my better tweets," VP of Marketing Jonathan Grado laughs.)

For audiophiles everywhere, Grado Labs stands above the rest. What makes this brand special? Why are they so successful?

I went on a mission to find out. Here’s what I discovered.

<YouTubeVideo videoId="BfQQrReQmkw" />

## Grado Labs timeline

__1950__ — Joseph Grado, a watchmaker at Tiffany & Company, had an idea to start producing audio equipment. 

“Joe was making phono cartridges out of his house,” grandson and current VP of Marketing Jonathan Grado explains. “These phono cartridges hold the needle for a record player to play a record”

![John Grado and Jonathan Grado in the Listening Room](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ccbe17487f2ccfacbeaab8d637c102e4efad5a52)

__1953__ — As phono cartridge production outgrew the family’s kitchen table, Joseph took over the small building of his family’s struggling fruit business and officially created Grado Laboratories.

__1961__ — Fueled by the unexpected success of phono cartridges, Grado Labs started growing rapidly. They released new products for record players, including the Dustat Record Cleaner, speakers, turntables, and more.

![Grado Cartridge Gold](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/32596f5fc93abd1a8c6679f38113c882f8ccde10)

__1965__ — John Grado, Joseph’s nephew, starts sweeping floors at Grado Labs at age 12. In between cleaning duties, John learns about sound and electrical engineering from Joseph. 

“I’ve been working at Grado for 52 years now. But it doesn’t seem that long. Feels like I’m just getting started,” John told me.

__1974__ — John graduates from college (and sweeping duties) and joins Grado full-time.

__1984__ — Phono cartridge development is at its peak. Grado is making 120,000 cartridges per year. All cartridges are hand-made at a small Grado Labs building in Brooklyn, where the family also lives on the top floor.

__1990__ — Tides quickly turn. Turntable sales slow down, and so does Grado Labs and their phono cartridge business. Joseph retires, and John buys the company, becoming President and CEO. 

Jonathan: "Grado went from 10,000 cartridges per week in the mid-1980s to 10,000 cartridges per year in the early 1990s."

__1991__ — John needs an idea to keep Grado Labs from closing down. He decides to enter the headphone market. "I noticed headphones were considered second-class citizens. Most people focus on speakers, so I thought we could have the best impact on headphones."

__1993__ — The SR325, Grado’s first pair of headphones, is released.

__1994__ — A second pair of headphones, the SR60, gets a glowing review from a popular magazine and goes “viral”

__1997__ — The popularity snowballs. *Forbes* magazine profiles John and calls him “one of the finest names in stereo headphones”

__2003__ — Grado Labs celebrates their 50th anniversary

__2013__ — Jonathan, John’s son, joins Grado Labs full-time after graduating college. With a $0 marketing budget, Jonathan has to rely on word-of-mouth to grow the brand. He uses stickers and social media to push Grado products, and Mashable names Grado Labs a top 8 most social small company in America. The praise continues as Wired says Grado builds the "best headphones in the world."

__2016__ — Grado sees record revenue. And they’re just getting started.


## From the brink of extinction to massive success

“I was having the most fun when we were struggling the most,” jokes John Grado about the early days of Grado Labs.

In 1965, vinyl records were growing in popularity and Grado Labs phono cartridges were a popular choice for enthusiasts.

Over the next ten years, Grado would make almost 500,000 phono cartridges each year.

Every cartridge was build by hand in their small Brooklyn building, manually tested part-by-part, and carefully packaged and sent to stores.

But then, it all came to a screeching halt.

![Grado Labs Building](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/c14635b028c2a2643dff4537a808ca5a7950be6f)

*The unassuming Grado Labs building, as it stands today. It’s still used by Grado Labs 60+ years later.*

In 1988, phono cartridge production had slowed to a crawl as consumers moved to portable audio devices.

Overnight, Grado Labs went from “growing business” to “uncertain future.”

Deciding to retire, Joseph sold the business to his nephew John as big questions loomed on the horizon. Will phono cartridge sales ever pick up again? Is the business doomed? Where do we go from here?

“Business is like being a captain on a ship,” John explains. “There are ‘up’ times, where the weather is nice and anyone can steer the ship. But there are also ‘down’ times when you’re in the middle of a storm. It’s during the storm the talented people survive.”

Down to three employees and a lot of uncertainty, John made a critical decision for the future of Grado Labs.

Pivot the business.

"At first, I considered getting into the speaker business. I tinkered, looked around at what others were doing, and ultimately decided against it. There was so much competition and I thought there was a bigger opportunity with headphones."

![Grado Headphones SR225e with stickers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/3869dc751bd98c805455833a22ca8ed324cc8f1f)

Taking lessons he picked up working under Uncle Joseph, John started experimenting.

Failure after failure, and iteration after iteration, John tested until he built the perfect pair of headphones. 

"Even today, people tell us everything we put out is a hit and it’s perfect. But what they don’t see is a big pile of stuff on the chair we didn’t put out because it didn’t match our standards."

In 1994, two years after starting headphone tests, John and Grado Labs released their second pair of headphones called the SR60.

They were a massive hit. An [unexpected review in Stereophile magazine](http://www.stereophile.com/headphones/532/#HmF46HjTERkOesAt.97) put the headphones on the map in the audio community. The headphones started selling like crazy.

In 1994, just a few years removed from near-extinction, Grado Labs saw revenue of seven figures.

Within a few years, audiophiles everywhere were raving about Grado Labs headphones. The business was growing again.

## Building word-of-mouth marketing to the next level

"Every ad says it's the world’s greatest product. Everything can’t be the world’s greatest. Wherever I look, I see ads I don’t believe. Why would anyone believe ads for Grado headphones?"

When John re-focused Grado Labs in 1990, he refused to pay for advertising — just like Joseph, going back to 1964.

Instead of spending money on ads, John decided to reinvest the money back into the business to create more incredible headphones.

Relying solely on good reviews and word-of-mouth from loyal supporters, Grado Labs grew their reputation.

Generation to generation, the headphones were passed down.

Grandparents handed down SR60s to their children — who then handed it down to their children.

Kids gathered around the living room to listen to a record player using a Grado phono cartridge made 40 years earlier.

And entire families would bond over the near-perfect sound Grado products produce.

Grado’s reputation didn’t stop with just families, though. Celebrities, musicians, and audiophiles obsess over their Grado headphones.

(Plus, unlike traditional headphone brands, which pay money for celebrity endorsements, Grado has never spent a dime asking people to wear their headphones.)

For example, Jimmy Fallon wears Grado headphones live on his award-winning show.

![Jimmy Fallon wearing Grado Headphones on the Tonight Show](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/d3aa1df2b2515254d2e39d19d3697039ca91249d)

Music producer Rodney Hazard — who’s produced for Joe Budden, A$AP, and Meyhem Lauren — uses Grado SR80s to help him create the best possible music for his artists.

![Rodney Hazard wearing Grado Headphones](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/179359e4e94f00c546d7a321bd50af4e7801ecef)

*Rodney Hazard rocking a Heritage pair of Grados.*

And Grammy Award winner John Mayer bought a pair of PS500e Grados to make sure his music sounds the best it can (and to enjoy the music of other artists).

![John Mayer wearing Grado Headphones](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/1131f7563be83941296d317e127001eb00844308)

*John Mayer, listening to music on a pair of Grados.*

Families, musicians, celebrities… for music lovers everywhere, Grado is synonymous with “premium.”

Recently, Grado Labs had another trick up their sleeve to grow the brand: social media marketing.

While in college, Jonathan Grado wanted to help his dad with the family business. “I had the idea to start marketing our brand to more people and hopefully help us grow.”

But Jonathan was in for a big surprise.

“My dad said I could help with marketing, but he couldn’t give me a budget. I had $0 to work with.”

Forced to be creative, Jonathan turned to Facebook and Twitter, “I wanted to create a place for Grado Lab fans and audiophiles to congregate.”

Almost every day, Jonathan would tweet and post on Facebook. His most successful posts were photos of Grado’s beautiful, hand-made headphones. 

> Photos pull people in, and the sound of our headphones keeps them here."

Since Jonathan started using social media to showcase the headphones, Grado’s popularity has skyrocketed.

In 2014, the leading social media news company Mashable named Grado Labs one of the top social media small businesses in the United States.

And over the past three years, revenue has more than doubled.

Now, with a Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter page, photos are just as important. “Photographs of our headphones drive a ton of great comments and draw a lot of potential buyers to our brand.”

## What will Grado Labs do in the future?

“The major focus here is behind-the-scenes. We’ve never paid for an endorsement. We’d rather random people like our stuff than become a name-brand enterprise.”

As Jonathan shares the vision of Grado Labs, it’s clear the team is careful not to grow too quickly and lose their quality.

Even with healthy revenue, there’s no talk of building an ad budget. No talk of buying celebrity endorsements. And definitely no talk of mass-producing the headphones in China to lower cost.

“We don’t need to be the world’s largest company or conglomerate to be successful,” CEO John is quick to remind the small team at Grado.

With steady, focused growth there are two other marketing strategies Grado Labs is using with success:

* Beautiful, high-quality stickers to match the brand (and grow viral marketing)
* Monthly email newsletter — including a birthday surprise for subscribers

Jonathan has always been a big fan of cool stickers. Going forward, he plans to further incorporate stickers into the Grado Labs brand. 

“I keep some stickers with me at all times and some on my desk. They’re great to share with friends or include in orders.”

![Grado Headphones Stickers](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/5cc883d11882a94a7205a9406c54a73836287993)

Over the years, Jonathan has used [die cut stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/die-cut-stickers), [rectangle stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/rectangle-stickers) and [transfer stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/products/transfer-stickers) from Sticker Mule. "No matter where our customers put the stickers, Sticker Mule quality speaks for itself. The stickers always last and look great."

Going forward, look for even more stickers from Grado Labs.

On the email side, Jonathan has been building the Grado Labs newsletter.

Over the years, Jonathan heard from thousands of dedicated followers who wrote to Grado Labs begging for updates.

Add in people who entered Grado contests and purchased headphones, and there were about 15,000 email addresses Jonathan had saved. 

To appease their raving fans, Jonathan built a newsletter. Every month, he sends out new stories, films, photos, and more for the Grado Labs faithful.

The results have been positive. "Email works pretty well for us. It’s a good sign for the future."

## What can you learn from Grado Labs?

After talking with John and Jonathan at Grado Labs, three key principles come to mind:

1. Quality
2. Creativity
3. Contentment

These key focuses bled through everything they shared:

“Give people the best product you can and eventually you’ll be successful.”

“We had a recent 5-year gap between new headphone products. We only release when it’s needed.”

“All the work and experience of 64 years leads to creating high-quality headphones today.”

The craftsmanship, care, and focus is what makes Grado Labs different. Instead of nickel-and-diming, or focusing on revenue and satisfying shareholders (like so many other companies), Grado focuses on releasing amazing products and let everything else take care of itself.

Today, 64 years later, you can still find Grado Labs in the same unassuming Brooklyn building. While they continue to grow, they’re doing it on their own terms. 

There’s no sign on the door, and if you’ll have to knock loudly because John, Jonathan, and the rest of the team are hard at work building perfect headphones.

If you want to say hello to John and Jonathan (and the rest of Grado Labs), [click here](http://gradolabs.com/).

![Grado Labs Stickers and RS2e Headphones](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/db04cf67206f7eaeeee939e12da211fcf3ff58f4)

There are countless ways to delight your customers and build *your* word-of-mouth marketing machine using stickers and other custom printed products. 

Check out more ways Sticker Mule can help your business grow.

<ButtonCta text="100+ ways to use Sticker Mule" href="https://www.stickermule.com/uses?ref=blog" />

Learn how Grado Labs has built a successful business that has stood the test of time through word-of-mouth marketing. 

The making of our new homepage video 

Our [home page](https://www.stickermule.com/) is the first interaction most visitors and customers have with our brand. Our previous home page video showed the ordering process, but lacked a story that focused on our customers. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how we created our new homepage video.

<WistiaVideo videoId="qwwgsbtbav" />

## Script
Instead of making a basic “how-to” video, we wanted to make something that was more inspirational and persuasive. To do this, we knew we had to tell a story – one that revolved around our customers. One blessing & curse with our business is that we have all sorts of different customers: big businesses, small businesses, non-profits, hobbyists, do-it-yourselfers, developers, designers... the list goes on. There isn’t just one “target customer” we go after, so we decided to focus our story on three: a startup, a do-it-yourselfer, and a designer.

With our personas selected, we focused on a few key features of Sticker Mule that we wanted to highlight in the script:

### Ease of use
- No file restrictions
- Mobile friendly

### Proofing
- Online proofs within 4 hours
- Unlimited revisions

### Speed
- Quick turnaround
- Free shipping

It was important to highlight the minor differences in how each person used Sticker Mule. For example, if we only showed someone uploading a photo from their phone that might turn away the designer who wants a pixel perfect print. But if we only showed the designer uploading a vector image that might turn away someone who doesn’t have graphic design skills.

After showing the entire ordering process, we focused on how each person used their stickers in real life. Easy ordering and fast shipping are great, but how they plan to use the stickers is the main reason people buy in the first place.

## Storyboard

A storyboard is a scene by scene drawing of how the video will look. We created a storyboard to plan the shoot and fix any potential pitfalls before we shot anything. We kept things simple by limiting the video to 4 different locations: Aaron’s office, Jess’ workspace, Brian’s desk, and a location that would tie in all three of them.

![Storyboard vs finished video](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/2f46e23cb97fb91c553a40b3324fcb9f1df24f76)

## Voiceover
We used the same voiceover pro to remain consistent with our other videos. One big advantage of using a voiceover (as opposed to on-camera dialogue), is that we didn’t have to worry about sound once we began filming. This made shooting and editing much easier and faster.

## Shooting
We shot the entire video in one day. This required a tight schedule for each location and set call-times for the actors. Luckily, each location was relatively close together, and everyone showed up on-time.

We kept the storyboard on hand as a reference to make sure each shot fit what we had envisioned.

<WistiaVideo videoId="rpcmc9d01e" />

For the final scene, we knew the timing was key. So we played the voiceover through an iPhone, which kept our camera movement and actors all in sync.

## Editing
We used a combination of Premiere Pro and After Effects for all the post production work on this video.

Since the ordering process is a key part of this video, we knew that whatever took place on the screens in the video had to look really good. But shooting a screen isn’t always easy and doesn’t always look as sharp as you would want it to. For this reason, we decided to overlay screencasts on top of the screens shot in the video. For the MacBook and iMac this was relatively easy, but the iPhone took some motion tracking and masking work to have it look realistic.

![Editing Sticker Mule's home page video](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/3e55e77faff205857f231219d199327935598642)

Instead of using straight-up screen capture footage, we recreated each scene and animated it in After Effects. This made all the movement perfectly smooth, and helped us with the next step: translating.

## Translating
Since the whole video was narrated via a voiceover this made translating very straightforward. However the on-screen scenes needed to be updated to have the localized versions of the site in each language. To make this easy, we used the Templater Rig After Effects plugin from Dataclay.

![Homepage video text](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/2f826187fe6b95ad4856ba701df6d7719033742c)

The Templater plugin allowed us to update each layer of text via a Google Sheet. We only had to animate the screencasts once, and we could easily change languages with a click of a button.

If you’re interested in seeing our homepage video in different languages here are the links. Just make sure you switch back to English (bottom right) when you’re done!

[Italian](https://www.stickermule.com/it#video)

[French](https://www.stickermule.com/fr#video)

[Spanish](https://www.stickermule.com/es#video)

[German](https://www.stickermule.com/de#video)

[Dutch](https://www.stickermule.com/nl#video)

[Portuguese](https://www.stickermule.com/br#video)

[Japanese](https://www.stickermule.com/jp#video)

## Conclusion
We’re thankful to have 100,000 customers that trust us to print their custom stickers, magnets, and poly mailers. It’s impossible to capture everyone’s unique story, yet we aimed to capture a representation of many stories in one minute and fifteen seconds.

And if you liked this video, you should [subscribe to our channel on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/stickermule?sub_confirmation=1).

A behind the scenes look at how we made the video on our homepage. From script to post-production. 

Introducing custom size roll labels

Sticker Mule first launched circle roll labels in March 2016 and since then, it’s become a hit, especially among small business owners. 

Sticker Mule first [launched circle roll labels in March 2016](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/introducing-circle-roll-labels). Now, we offer four additional shapes: [oval roll labels](https://www.stickermule.com/products/oval-roll-labels), [square roll labels](https://www.stickermule.com/products/square-roll-labels), [rectangle roll labels](https://www.stickermule.com/products/rectangle-roll-labels)and [rounded corner roll labels](https://www.stickermule.com/products/rounded-corner-roll-labels).

Let’s get it rolling and learn more about roll labels, shall we?

## What are roll labels?

Roll labels are sticker sheets with printed labels or logos. As the name suggests, they are rolled up so they can easily stick on cylindrical surfaces such as bottles or jars. 

### How are custom roll labels used?

You can use personalized roll labels on a lot of things. While most people use it for commercial purposes such as labels and packaging, you can also use it in your home to label your mason jars, refillable shampoo or soap bottles, and essential oils.

Customized roll labels are also used for return address label rolls and identification tags.

## What are the different types of custom roll labels?

Roll labels are the gift that keeps on giving! Did you know that there are different types of roll labels to choose from? We recently updated our custom labels to feature custom sizes. 

Previously, we offered 5 fixed sizes for each shape of the label. Now customers can enter an exact size when ordering their roll labels.

Custom sizes allow customers to get the exact size needed for product labeling, packaging, and other specific uses. We’ve found that small businesses and new e-commerce shops use roll labels when they expand their customer base and begin focusing on scaling their production. 

Customized roll labels are perfect for bottles or jars or different sizes, especially small ones like essential oil roller bottles!

### Circle roll labels
[![Custom circle roll labels from Sticker Mule](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/ddecb2c2faf66cbdddbbe47f5c931b6b1612d3af)](https://www.stickermule.com/products/circle-roll-labels)

Our first roll label and our most popular, [custom circle roll labels](https://www.stickermule.com/products/circle-roll-labels) have an unlimited number of uses. From labeling jar lids, to the products, circles are versatile and work for any surface  — curved or straight.

### Oval roll labels
[![Custom oval roll labels from Sticker Mule](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/b0b4bd8de0a6a82769de4812a2fe528539dfe849)](https://www.stickermule.com/products/oval-roll-labels)

[Custom oval roll labels](https://www.stickermule.com/products/oval-roll-labels) offer a protective laminate and strong adhesive, which makes them ideal for beverage, food, and cosmetic applications. Like all of our roll labels, these are easy to peel and can speed up production and shipping for small shops and large businesses. 

### Square roll labels
[![Custom square roll labels from Sticker Mule](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/5cdceca0deba3dd76e238384410e1b0123920cdf)](https://www.stickermule.com/products/square-roll-labels)

[Custom square roll labels](https://www.stickermule.com/products/square-roll-labels) are ideal for product labels, gift and box packaging, events and more. We’ve seen a number of merchants and small shops use square labels to add an extra layer of customization to their packaging; in some cases turning a standard box into a custom unboxing experience. 

### Rectangle roll labels
[![Custom rectangle roll labels from Sticker Mule](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/58d6acab0f775c1194e2df76960209f3780efbab)](https://www.stickermule.com/products/rectangle-roll-labels)

[Custom rectangle roll labels](https://www.stickermule.com/products/rectangle-roll-labels) are most often used to label products like bottled drinks, cosmetics (including beard oil) and also for shipping. Each rectangle label is precisely cut and made with a matte finish that is perfect for bright colors and crisp designs. A protective laminate and strong adhesive make them able to stand up to production.

### Rounded corner roll labels
[![Custom rounded corner roll labels from Sticker Mule](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/069b620ed228ed55160e619945bf63491901fe2f)](https://www.stickermule.com/products/rounded-corner-roll-labels)

[Custom rounded corner roll labels](https://www.stickermule.com/products/rounded-corner-roll-labels) are ideal for labelling products like wine bottle, spice jars and as address labels or for packaging. As with all of our labels, rounded corner roll labels are made with a matte finish that is perfect for bright colors and crisp designs with a waterproof protective laminate.

## How to make your own roll labels without a roll label printer? 

The good news is that you don’t need your own roll label printer to make your own personalized roll labels! Simply follow these steps: 

### Step 1: Create your design 

The first step is making your own logo or label. You may use your preferred design software. If you don’t know how to design yet, you may also read our [tutorial on designing stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/how-to-design-stickers). 

### Step 2: Upload your design

Use the Sticker Mule website to upload your customized roll label design. [Upload the roll label design here >](https://www.stickermule.com/custom-labels?ref=blog) 

### Step 3: Order your roll label 

Specify what type of roll label you need, the quantity, and get a proof of your design. If you’re happy with it, Sticker Mule will ship it to you faster than you can say *let’s roll*! 

Our roll label quality exceeds anything on the market today. We use the latest generation of print technology that's currently unique to Sticker Mule and offer the highest quality materials available to deliver roll labels that are durable, waterproof and feature a beautiful matte finish. 

Printed in full color with a matte finish on [BOPP material](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/what-is-bopp). Each label has a laminate that protects them from moisture making them ideal for beverage and food applications.

<ButtonCta text="Try our roll labels today" size="large" variant="secondary"  align="center" href="https://www.stickermule.com/custom-labels?ref=blog" />

We recently updated our custom labels to feature custom sizes. Now customers can enter an exact size when ordering their roll labels. 

Omit needless words 

Every needless word you omit is an investment in the foundation of your organization. Here’s why: 

## People don't read

People [read 20% of the words](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-little-do-users-read/) on a web page. A concise message is more likely to be absorbed. 

## Save time 

Extra words waste time ~~for your customers and coworkers~~. 

## Simplify translations

Be concise in your native language to make translating content easier. 

## Strengthen your brand 

Search engines may like more words but customers appreciate fewer.  

Content grows exponentially which makes it harder to maintain quality. The sooner you start [omitting needless words](http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk5.html#13) from your organization the better. 



Every needless word you omit is an investment in the foundation of your organization.

Where to buy customized poly mailers

If you’re a business owner or if you’re running an e-commerce store, you’re no stranger to shipping troubles. Aside from doing all you can to [lower shipping costs](https://www.stickermule.com/blog/save-on-shipping-costs), another point of concern would be the actual packaging. You do want some branding in there, right? And, for sure, you also want to excite your customers? (We could hear the resounding “Yes!”) 

Usually, there is a tradeoff between on-brand packaging and the weight of the packaging itself, which can lead to more shipping costs. So, is there a solution to this? Is there a lightweight alternative that can also put a spotlight on your brand? 

The answer, my friends, is a [poly mailer](https://www.stickermule.com/products/poly-mailers). 

![Introducing poly mailers by Sticker Mule](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/f6079e1231b33bf4037d7cc43fdeb52178444c57)

## What is a poly mailer? 

Poly mailers are elastic-like envelope packaging. They are made from 100% polypropilene material which makes them lightweight, durable, and tear-resistant. Because of this, they are ideal for shipping apparel and non-fragile goods as they also come with a self-seal adhesive strip and an easy-open tear tab.

So for e-commerce store owners asking if you can mail a gift bag or a package in a plastic bag, this can be a good alternative to bulky boxes. 

### What are poly mailers used for? 

Poly mailers are used for shipping products, especially soft goods like clothes. Of course, since it does not have the same protection as a box, it would be better if items placed inside poly mailers are those that are not too fragile. 

### Are poly mailers recyclable?

Yes, poly mailers are recyclable! Most poly mailers are made from eco-friendly materials. Here at Sticker Mule, our poly mailers are made with 100% polypropilene material. They are identified by recycling code 4 and this symbol is printed on the bags. Many local community recycling centers accept code 4 as a safe form of plastic. 

![irl-poly-mailers-1](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/95439fa9333a74c889404b5921dda121e9e55e07)

## How much does it cost to ship poly mailers? 

So if you’re already considering poly mailers (we hope you are!) you may have some questions about shipping. The first being -- Is a poly mailer a large envelope? Well, shipping companies consider a poly mailer a package or a large envelope, depending on its dimensions. 

As a general rule, however, poly mailers are frequently shipped by the United States Postal Service as First Class, Priority Mail, and Media Mail. The service used would be Package or Thick Envelope. Make sure to check with your local post office for more details.

### How much does a poly mailer weigh?

Most people ask how much weight they can put in a poly mailer. Again, this depends on how big the poly mailer is and how much stuff you’re putting inside. 

At Sticker Mule, our poly mailers are available in two sizes (7.5" x 10.5" and 10" x 13"), so you can find the perfect poly mailer for your product. 

Here’s a handy table that can tell you which items can usually fit in the different-sized poly mailers:

| 7.5" x 10.5" | 10" x 13” |
| ---------- | ---------- |
| Socks       | 1 T-Shirt  |
| Napkins     | Dress shirt|
| Washcloths  |            |
| Tea towels  |            |

Take note that this is only a rough guide and the fabric used in the clothing can affect how much would fit in the poly mailer. 

## How to make poly mailers 

Making your poly mailer stand out from the rest can now be easy peasy. Instead of sourcing plain poly mailers and customizing each packet one by one, we have a better solution for you.

Here at Sticker Mule, we’re offering poly mailers to support customers who run small businesses, online shops and e-commerce sites with custom packaging. Our poly mailers also use the same easy checkout and proofing process as custom stickers.

### How do I print on poly mailers?

There are many ways to print on poly mailers, including screen printing, offset printing, inkjet printing, and more. However, this process can be quite complicated because you need the necessary machinery. But don't worry because Sticker Mule is here for you. Simply upload your design and we'll take care of the rest.

Sticker Mule’s custom poly mailers can be printed in full color on one-side. With no restrictions on the artwork, you can fully brand your packaging experience for your own customers regardless of your business size — order as few as 50 units of one design. All orders ship within 4 days after proof approval and include free shipping in the U.S. Free worldwide shipping is also available. 

### Where to buy custom poly mailers 

You’ve come to the right place! Every mailer we print at Sticker Mule is completely custom. Simply choose your quantity then upload your artwork. With no limits on the artwork, you can upload high-resolution photography, an artistic reproduction, a company logo, and more.

Within 4 hours you'll have a free digital proof that you can approve online or request changes to the design. Once approved, we’ll begin production and within 4 days ship your poly mailers directly to you.

![irl-poly-mailers-2](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/a66faa8423802da82131e2c3ea509447d7107a13)

## Ordering poly mailers

Are you ready to get started? Check out this video that tells you the many ways you can use poly mailers and some sample designs. 

<YouTubeVideo videoId="Q3jLkg9Xt_k" />

Go ahead and try our tear-resistant, waterproof, eco-friendly, and customized poly mailers for your next shipment! 

<ButtonCta text="Try poly mailers today" href="https://www.stickermule.com/products/poly-mailers?ref=blog" />

Poly mailers are ideal for shipping apparel and other products. Fast turnaround. Free shipping. 

Customer service principles 

Our aim has always been to be the internet’s favorite printer. To that end, we respond quickly and effectively to our customers to help them be as successful as possible. 

Although we can’t plan for every scenario in customer service, we use principles to give our team a framework for replying to customers. They are:

__1. Avoid negatives__

Avoid saying sorry, can’t, won’t, not able to, unfortunately and so on. People become adversarial when they read these words.

__2. Avoid patronizing__

Avoid saying anything that seems patronizing or insincere. Words like “sorry” and “appreciate” often seem insincere. Also, use exclamation points cautiously! 

__3. Be concise__

Respond in the fewest words possible. Practice by editing your responses after you write them to see if any words can be omitted. Practice editing your responses to omit needless words.

__4. Be comprehensive__

Do not leave anything to wonder, but do not overwhelm the customer with needless information.

__5. Ask coworkers for help__

Practice replying to difficult conversations with help from coworkers. 

__6. Don’t respond when upset__

Some customers are rude. Get help from a coworker or take a break if you're upset.

__7. Use saved replies__

Saved replies ensure consistency and we can report on their use to prioritize improvements.

__8. Tailor saved replies to fit the conversation__

Do not use saved replies exactly unless appropriate. Tailor replies to be clear and concise.

__9. Research the situation__

Retrieve all the facts surrounding a situation and craft your reply based on them.

__10. Research the customer__

Evaluate the customer's potential and tailor your response accordingly. 

__11. Use names__

For example, don't say "Thanks! Credit added!" say "Thanks Brian! Credit added!"

__12. Use screenshots to add clarity__

Take & share annotated screenshots to add clarity to replies when sensible. 

__13. Offer solutions & alternatives__

Use the information and experience you have to help customers discover the best possible option given the limits. 

__14. Develop FAQs when possible__

When new questions are encountered create public FAQs to document the proper response and potentially deflect inquiries. 

## Concluding thought
Of course, these principles don’t solve everything, but they lay a foundation for our team to build upon. 

To deliver outstanding service we also hire great people, relentlessly improve our training programs and collaborate with software development to devise elegant solutions to help customers. 

If you agree with these principles and are seeking an organization where exceptional people love to work, [we are hiring](https://www.stickermule.com/careers?ref=blog).


14 customer service principles that Sticker Mule uses to deliver great service to more than 100,000 customers. 

How to save time and money with creative packaging 

Most online crafters don’t need to be told what branding is. They know it intuitively. They framed their branding as they developed their products. They put it in writing when they got a logo and a business card. 

But what about a product’s shipping box and packaging? If you’re an online crafter, you probably already get that this is another aspect of branding. It’s not just a fulfillment cost. The packaging you use is the first real life experience your customers have with your brand.
 
What is that experience going to be?
 
You want to make an impression, obviously. But you’re also in business. So while it might be fun to make every package into a work of art, that’s not realistic. Your time and money are limited. 

You need to deliver a package that is:

**Durable**

There’s no worse branding experience than receiving a package that’s been pummeled in the mail.
 
**Attractive**

Our expectations frame our experiences. If your packaging is appealing, your customers will have a pre-set expectation that your products will be appealing, too. This can reduce returns, increase loyalty, and even result in better product reviews.
 
**Memorable**

There's no shortage of competition, even for handmade goods. You want first time customers to remember your products and your packaging enough to buy again.
 
**Efficient**

Time is money. You can’t spend hours preparing each package. I’d guesstimate that any more than ten minutes simply isn’t feasible. Five minutes per package is probably the absolute max.
 
**Affordable**

It might be awesome to wrap your work in gold leaf… but you can’t. So how much is reasonable to spend on each package? 3-7% of your product cost is what most companies aim for, but 10% is not uncommon. And 10% is probably the number that most small-scale crafters should aim to beat. Limited budgets and small operations often mean you can’t buy in bulk. Also, because you’re a crafter, there’s an expectation that your shipping should be more distinctive than if you were shipping, say, batteries.
 
Here’s how those different percentages might break out for a $50 order:
 
* 3% of the product cost would give you a $1.50 packaging budget
* 5% would be $2.50
* 7% would be $3.50
* 10% would be $5.00

Let’s say you decide on 7%. That’s $3.50 of budget to package a $50 order. Impossible? Not at all. You can definitely keep the outside box to $1.50 or so. Judicious use of stickers and a custom stamp can turn a “boring” brown box into something reasonable cool and memorable, but also tough enough to survive even an abusive postal worker.
 
That leaves you $2.00 per package.
 
So what can you do with that? Quite a lot, actually. Take a look at what these three small online crafters have done with their packaging.

## 1. Pick a theme
 
Packages literally tie things together. So do themes.
 
Here’s how [Love Bud Photography](http://www.lovebudphotography.com/index2.php?v=v1#!/HOME) announces its work in the mail. 

![LoveBudPhotography Uses a Party Theme for their Online Store](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/545e44e6ced80f0e99580ea30da4c1cf9af9d243)

The party theme used here is an easy way to invoke celebration – and we want our customers to celebrate when they get their packages, right?
 
But the party theme is also a smart business move. You see, party supplies are easy to find. They’re inexpensive. And they come in hundreds of colors and variations. The hardest part about picking what to use will be to winnow down your options.
 
Just a few things to notice in this box:
 
**1. The package filler.**

Want to know the single best way to keep stuff from getting damaged in a shipping box? Make sure it can’t move around during transit.

That’s why so many people use box filler. And this particular box filler – the crinkled strips of paper – definitely has a party feel to it. It’s known as crinkle paper, and you can get a 10 lb box of it at Staples for $18, retail. With a third of a pound of that in each shipping box, you’d pay about 60 cents per box.
 
**2. The printed card.**

This serves a clever dual purpose. It’s an insert card you can use for loyalty or feedback (ask for an honest review) or another message. But it can also be a thank you card. You can get thank you cards printed up for ten cents or less each. Then write a quick thank you note to customize each package. That personalized touch is exactly the sort of thing people remember and share.
 
**3. The confetti.**

Using confetti in shipping packaging is pretty popular right now. But it makes sense. We all have fun associations with confetti, plus it’s colorful and cheap. It’s an easy way to add splash to a box for barely a dime per package.  

Want another spin on the confetti idea? Here’s how [The Bees Knees](http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2011/3/4/this-is-the-bees-knees.html) ships their honey.

![BeesKnees Uses Creative Packaging to Ship their Honey](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/a2d667c715a07e80de5869a6ecfe20e428931d7b)

One quick comment on this, though. That glass jar will need protection during shipping. They might want to borrow some of Love Bud’s crinkled paper. Or use honeycomb packaging to expand upon that theme.

**How much for that party in a box?**
 
With those three things plus the shipping box, and we’re at $2.30 per box ($1.50 for the outside shipping box, plus 80 cents for the filler, the card, and the confetti).
 
That still leaves $1.20 of budget per box left. Enough to buy a bit of candy, like Love Bud has done here. Or to include some other small gift like the heart in a tin.
 
Want another twist on the party theme? How about skipping the crinkled paper and using half-filled balloons instead? They’re the party version of air pillows. You can get packs of 100 balloons for less than $6. You can even get them in a particular color, and nail another branding opportunity.
 
## 2. Use common materials in a creative way

This is the best secret for small shop packaging. If you can use common materials in a new way, you’ll:
 
- Save money
- Be memorable
- Skip lots of sourcing headaches (because you can get your packing supplies just about anywhere)
 
My favorite example of this is…
 
The humble paper bag.
 
Here’s how the handmade craft company [Nestled](http://nestledblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/packaging.html) does theirs:

![KraftBag Nestled Packaging for Etsy Store](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/da2728cbbd14994c18b17a9099c0e72884053a66)

It’s simple, affordable, and appealing.
 
Here’s the cost breakout:
 
-   	The bag: 5 cents
-   	The twine: 5 cents
-   	The die-cut printed label: 20 cents (this is my estimate). 

"Die cut" refers to the shape of this tag. Notice how it’s not a square? That’s why it’s so expensive. But Megan (Nestled’s owner) saved so much money with her other packaging materials that she can splurge a little on the label.
 
Total cost for this? 30 cents!

That leaves enough left over to possibly add another layer of protection for the jewelry inside. Add a sticker and a stamp and you’ve got a custom-printed package. Oops… getting ahead of myself.

## 3. Invest strategically in your printing

Yes – custom printing can be expensive. And yes – your budget is small. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do any custom printing. You just have to do it strategically.
 
One example of this? Custom tape.
 
A lot of cool little craft companies are using custom tape. No surprise, really. You have to use tape anyway to seal the box – might as well make it into a branding statement.
 
There’s two types of tape being used these days: Packaging tape (sometimes known as “Carton sealing tape”) for outside the shipping box and “Kraft” tape, which is suitable for lighter uses.

Rolls typically come in 55 or 100 yards. If you buy about 25 or fewer rolls, you’ll pay roughly $10 per roll. Buy more and the cost per roll goes down.
 
If you use one yard of tape per package, that’s about 10 cents of custom tape per package. Not bad, given how much of a statement it could make.
 
But you could go even cheaper. Here’s plain tape made marvelous with a custom stamp. It’s not suitable for packaging tape, but it would keep interior boxes and envelopes closed. And it makes for a very cool return address label.

![Custom Stamped Masking Tape](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/fdea7890831ae500d8618850bd2ee4b39b6d1d6b)

Custom stamps bring up a ton of other possibilities. They basically make you into your own print shop. Here’s how [one coffee roaster](https://shopventory.com/blog/diy-stamp-projects) packs their coffee:

![Custom Stamped Coffee Bag](https://storage.googleapis.com/sm-content/blog/de09998c759db71bf90e4a626def40b45275ca14)

And there’s another paper bag…
 
[Custom stickers](https://www.stickermule.com/custom-stickers), of course, work great too. They’re similar to stamps, but stickers can seal boxes (like custom tape does), which makes them dual use. And stickers can go on the outside of shipping boxes, too.
 
With all those options, you can save enough to be able to splurge on some custom printing. And it doesn’t always have to be a custom box, either. Custom printed poly mailers (aka “poly bags”) work well, too.

## Conclusion
 
There’s absolutely no reason to give up on having cool packaging. Even if you’re on a shoestring budget.  Especially if you're on a shoestring budget, actually.
 
Just be sure that whatever you use will hold up during shipping. And keep your package prep time to a minimum. That’s one area many handmade companies don’t estimate for properly. For instance, if you earn $20 an hour, and you spend 15 minutes prepping each package, you’ve just put $5 of your time into that package. Those hours add up and can throw off your spend per package… which is why a little custom printing can quickly pay for itself.

## Back to you
 
There are countless ways to delight _your_ customers and grow your brand using stickers and other custom printed products. Check out more ways Sticker Mule can help your business grow.

<ButtonCta text="100+ ways to use Sticker Mule" href="https://www.stickermule.com/uses?ref=blog" />

The packaging you use is the first real life experience your customers have with your brand. What is that experience going to be? 

Our approach to compensation

Compensation is hard to get right. It's a tool to keep us aligned, but it's easy to design a compensation strategy with harmful side effects. Our obsession with simplicity serves us well so we opted for a strategy that’s easy to administer and understand. 

__Our approach is to pay above market wages for all positions.__ While many companies develop bonus programs that are difficult to understand and create undesirable incentives, our simple approach encourages financial discipline and long term thinking while reducing anxiety. 

## Encourage financial discipline
Doing more with less is the only way to pay exceptional wages. This incentivizes us to avoid wasteful spending, such as over hiring, and to be vigilant about hiring top performers, designing effective processes and avoiding low impact activities. Doing these well strengthens our ability to provide exceptional compensation for the long term. 

## Encourage long term thinking 
Bonus programs tend to encourage a short term focus by tying compensation to annual results. We hope our team retires at Sticker Mule. Paying above market wages encourages us all to be committed to making our company financially stable for the long term. 

## Reduce anxiety
Some companies use bonuses to compensate people because they can be reduced. This creates anxiety for both employers and employees. Employers stress about the disappointment created if bonuses don't meet expectations while employees, who have limited control over results, have anxiety over exactly what their bonus will be. By focusing on offering exceptional wages, we reduce uncertainty and make a lasting commitment regarding pay. 

## How we determine wages
We design sensible pay grades that define what a person makes based on their role and years of service. Grades may be revised upwards based on changes in the job market or nature of a job, but we do not offer wages to new hires that deviate from our system. If a grade increases, it constitutes a pay raise for everyone on it. 

## Why we don’t use equity based compensation
Companies use equity to encourage long term thinking and reduce costs by exchanging wages for equity. While these are desirable characteristics, equity-based compensation has downsides. It shifts risk onto employees and requires outside investors to allow employees to realize the value of their equity. 

By avoiding investors, we have absolute freedom to focus exclusively on the well-being of our customers and coworkers. We can be as big or small as we want and grow at a pace that’s sensible and pleasant. Our freedom allows us to attract exceptional people and maintain outstanding employee satisfaction.

If you agree with our approach and are seeking an organization where talented people love working, [we are hiring](https://www.stickermule.com/careers?ref=blog).



Compensation is hard to get right. It's a tool to keep us aligned, but it's easy to design a compensation strategy with harmful side effects. 

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