9 Ways Artists Use Stickers to Complement Their Prints

Stickers Make a Print Business Work Harder

If you already sell prints, custom stickers aren't a separate product line to figure out — they're a low-cost lever that makes the print business you already have work harder. A small stack of stickers gives customers more reasons to buy, raises the value of each order, and turns a plain shipped package into something people remember. Here are nine practical ways print sellers put stickers to work.

1. Branded packaging seals

Use a circle sticker to seal every print mailer, sleeve, or box. It's a small touch that turns generic packaging into a branded moment — the first thing a customer sees when their order arrives is your logo or artwork, not a strip of tape. Because this is something you'd do on every single order, it's a natural fit for ordering stickers in quantity rather than as a one-off.

2. A free gift with every print order

Be creative with why you print stickers. Tuck a sticker into each print order as an unannounced extra. It costs very little per order but noticeably lifts the perceived value of the purchase, and small surprises like this are one of the simplest ways to turn a first-time buyer into a repeat customer. Used across all your orders, a sticker becomes a dependable part of the unboxing experience.

3. Sell prints and stickers together as a set

Pair a print with a matching sticker and sell the two as a bundle at a higher price point than the print alone. Customers get a coordinated set, and you raise your average order value without having to create entirely new artwork — the sticker reuses a design you already have. Bundles work best when you can reliably keep matching stickers in stock, which means ordering them in a batch alongside your print runs.

4. Sticker packs as an entry-level product

Not every visitor to your shop or table is ready to spend on a framed print. A small, low-cost sticker pack gives those people a way to buy something now — and become a customer you can sell prints to later. Offering packs as a product in their own right naturally calls for stickers in volume. Kiss-cut stickers are perfect for this since you can offer multiple stickers on one sheet.

5. The impulse buy at conventions and artist alley

At a convention table, die-cut stickers do a specific job: they're the affordable, low-commitment purchase that gets people to stop, browse, and often move up to a print. Stickers are consistently among the best-selling items at artist alley booths because they're cheap, collectible, and easy to carry — and a busy table goes through them fast, so it pays to bring plenty.

6. Thank-you and loyalty inserts

Drop a sticker into repeat customers' orders as a thank-you, or send one to people who join your mailing list. It's a small gesture that rewards loyalty and keeps your brand in front of the people most likely to buy again. Since this is an ongoing habit rather than a single send, it's another use that favors ordering stickers in quantity.

7. A low-cost sample of your style

A sticker is a tiny, inexpensive preview of your work — a way for someone to own a piece of your art before they commit to a full print. Hand them out or include them with smaller purchases, and they act as a quiet trailer for the larger pieces in your shop. To use them this way consistently, you'll want a stack on hand.

8. An extra with commissions and custom orders

When you deliver a commission or custom order, including a sticker as a small bonus costs you very little but feels generous to the customer. It's a finishing touch that makes custom work feel complete and personal — and because commissions are ongoing, keeping a supply of stickers ready makes this easy to do every time.

9. Trade and collaboration material

Stickers are easy and inexpensive to produce in quantity, which makes them ideal for trading with other artists, including in collaborative sticker packs, or co-branding with shops and creators you work with. Having a batch on hand means you're always ready to swap, gift, or collaborate without a special order.

The Highest-Leverage Small Addition to Your Shop

Each of these ideas allows you to add a small, affordable product that supports the prints at the center of your business - more reasons to buy, higher order values, and a brand experience customers remember. For most print sellers, stickers are the highest-leverage small addition you can make.