Decals vs. Stickers: What's the Difference?

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“To sticker or not to sticker? That is the question.” The Bard, aka Shakespeare, said that.

Well, sort of.

If you’re a bard yourself, whether solo or in a band, chances are you’ve thought about getting stickers, decals, and other merch to sell at your shows and on your website. But as you start looking around the internet, you hesitate. There are two products: Stickers and Decals. But which is right for you? More importantly, does it matter? Is there really a difference?

While it can be confusing, there’s no need to get stressed out. The sticker experts at Stomp are here to help you understand the difference between stickers and decals.

What is a Sticker?

A sticker is a design printed on vinyl material with a paper liner. Once you know where you want to put a sticker, you peel it from that liner and slap it onto your water bottle, laptop, collective sticker wall (who doesn’t have one of those, right?), or elsewhere.

Stickers are fairly durable, which means they hold up well under the stress of heat, cold, direct sunlight, and even water. They can also be made in a wide variety of colors and shapes, with text as well as pictures, making them very popular across brands, industries, musical genres, and time. When it comes to stocking your merch table, stickers are a no-brainer.

Colorful stickers on a laptop.

What is a Decal?

Now that we know what a sticker is, that just leaves one question: What is a decal?

Drumroll, please. A decal is… a sticker.

That’s right! At least here at Stomp, a decal is just another name for a sticker. While other businesses may have their own definition of decals, the truth is that they are just stickers. At Stomp, decals are made of the same stuff as any other sticker; they’re equally durable, equally waterproof, and are just as good indoor or outdoor. They’re the same; the only difference is the name or purpose they’re used for.

So why the distinction? Well, some other companies do make a distinction between decals and stickers in that their stickers are printed on paper or use lower-quality inks and adhesives while decals are higher quality and made to last.

At Stomp, we don’t make that distinction. All our stickers are printed on durable vinyl that is waterproof and can stand up to outdoor hazards. The only distinction we make in our stickers is whether you want permanent adhesive or removable adhesive. Put another way, all Stomp stickers are of the highest quality we can offer.

So, why do our Stomp sticker experts call some products stickers and others decals? The simple answer is that our products labeled as decals are bigger. Really big, in fact. For example, our line of floor decals come in 10”x10” and 12”x12” sizes. Practically, these are just big stickers that go on the ground. Otherwise, they are of the same material as smaller stickers, with similar choices in the strength of the adhesive.

Stickers/decals on a storefront.

Can You Put Stickers Anywhere?

Sometimes, the term decal is used to describe how a sticker should be applied. For example, when you think of a window decal, you might imagine a small advertisement or award on a storefront window. These aren’t any special or unique products; they’re stickers.

While in the example above, the application is specifically for advertising, they work just as well placed on a store window as they would on a laptop or water bottle. Stomp stickers are meant to be placed anywhere; the only consideration is the strength of the adhesive.

If circumstances change and you need to remove our permanent options, we have plenty of tips to help you remove stickers and adhesive residue.

Customize Your Stickers and Decals with Stomp

If you need a product with a snazzy custom design that can stick just about anywhere, you shouldn’t worry about the difference between stickers and decals. They’re the same. All Stomp stickers are printed on high-quality materials that are made to last and resist exposure to the outdoors.

So, if you have your art ready, Stomp is here to help. Our easy-as-pie design tool, combined with a broad choice of shapes, sizes, and materials, means you’ll be designing and proofing your custom stickers in no time. And if you hit a snag, our customer service team is here to help.