Sticker field guide

Design for where it will live.

Size, shape, surface and use all change the right answer. See the details before you commit the artwork.

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  • Size guidance
  • Application tips
  • Material help
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Original Carrco campaignSticker field guide
Premium illustrated Carrco stickers in eight distinct shapes

Brand art with a job to do

Make the package.
Make the keepsake.

The same visual system can move from the product label to a circle, square, oval, arch, badge, or completely custom die cut sticker. Every shape is printed to feel intentional, not templated.

  • 01Choose a stock shape or follow the exact edge of the artwork.
  • 02Match the finish to the product, surface, and handling.
  • 03Approve a human-reviewed proof before production.
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One clear system.
Every surface covered.

Upload the best artwork you have. Carrco will help turn it into the right shape, material, finish, and proof.

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Carrco field guide / sticker size guide

Sticker Size Guide

CARRCO FIELD MANUAL · REFERENCE The StickerSize Guide. The #1 reason people reorder isn't quality — it's size. Here's exactly what fits where, with the worksheets we use on the print floor. 001 / SIZE BY DESTINATIO...

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Custom waterproof labels across beverage, food, candle and cosmetic packaging
One material systemBuilt across industries
CARRCO FIELD MANUAL · REFERENCE

The Sticker
Size Guide.

The #1 reason people reorder isn't quality — it's size. Here's exactly what fits where, with the worksheets we use on the print floor.

001 / SIZE BY DESTINATION

What fits where.

Surface Sweet spot Why
Laptop 2–3″ Reads across a café table, mixes well with other stickers
Water bottle / tumbler 1.5–2.5″ Curved surfaces punish oversized stickers
Phone case 1–1.5″ Small canvas, high visibility
Car bumper / window 4–8″ Readable at a stoplight is the test
Cooler / kayak / toolbox 3–5″ Big flat panels carry big art
Helmet 1.5–2.5″ Compound curves need smaller film
Handouts / swag 2–3″ Best cost-to-impact ratio
002 / JAR & BOTTLE WORKSHEET

Label math for containers.

Width: measure circumference (diameter × 3.14). A front label should stay under 40% of circumference; a wrap label needs 1/4″ overlap. Height: measure only the straight-walled area — stop below the shoulder curve and above the base taper. Labels forced over curves wrinkle, always.

Example: a standard 12 oz longneck bottle ≈ 2.4″ diameter → 7.5″ circumference → front label max ~3″ wide. Straight wall ≈ 4″ tall → label height 3.5″ or less.
003 / THE SIX-FOOT TEST

Print it on paper first.

Print your design at actual size, tape it where it will live, and step back six feet. Can't read the main text? Go bigger or simplify. This 60-second test saves more reorders than any spec sheet.

When torn between two sizes, order the smaller one in a bigger quantity — small stickers get applied, huge stickers get drawer-ed. More advice in Tips & Tricks.

Any size, to the tenth of an inch.
Every shape takes custom dimensions with live pricing.
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Human proofing / every custom order

A real person checks the details.

We review artwork, shape, edge quality and production readiness before anything reaches the press. You approve the proof; we make it real. Start with your artwork ↗
Print specialist reviewing custom sticker artwork and finished sticker sheets
Reviewed here · Printed here · Made to last