The ultimate guide to sticker and label adhesives

Ordering custom stickers and labels online doesn’t just mean you get to submit your own design, choose your favorite sticker materials, and get exactly the size and quantity you need. It also means you can choose how sticky you want your stickers and labels to be.

The glue on your sticker or label material is called an adhesive. Adhesives can get a little technical, and we’re all for it.

Below, you’ll find both a quick overview and a deep dive into all things adhesives. Here's what this article covers:

• What are my options: An overview
  
• How do I choose the right adhesive for my stickers and labels?
  
• Why do stickers have varying adhesive strengths?
  
• How is adhesive strength measured?
  
• What are removable, permanent, and high-tack adhesives?
  
• Conclusion
  

What are the options?

The custom stickers and labels we offer all use pressure-sensitive adhesive, which means the glue activates when you apply pressure, like sticking it to something and pressing it down with your hand.

These adhesives vary by strength, or in other words, how sticky they are. There are three common levels of adhesive strength:

1. Removable adhesive (also called low-strength adhesive)
   
2. Permanent adhesive (also called medium-strength adhesive)
   
3. High-tack adhesive (also called high-strength adhesive)
   

Each option is great for specific uses, but if you're unsure, we recommend starting with a permanent adhesive. Most of our eco-friendly and vinyl stickers and labels come with permanent adhesive. The only exceptions are static cling and heavy-duty materials.

How do I choose the right adhesive?

Choosing the right adhesive is essential to make sure your stickers last and don’t lift, peel, or appear low quality, which could reflect poorly on your brand.

The most important factors to consider are:

• The surface you’re applying the sticker to
  
• How long it needs to stick
  
• Environmental conditions it will face
  

Here’s a breakdown of each adhesive type with those factors in mind:

Removable adhesive

• Durability: short-term use
  
• Conditions: indoor, dry environments
  
• Sticks to: glass, paper, painted plastic surfaces where peeling is a concern
  

Removable adhesives are great for temporary promotions or seasonal campaigns on flat, smooth surfaces like store windows.

Permanent adhesive

• Durability: long-term (up to 3 years)
  
• Conditions: indoor and outdoor use, tolerates temps up to 176°F (80°C)
  
• Sticks to: glass, metal, paint, galvanized or powder-coated metal, paper, cardboard, wood, stone, leather, plastic bottles or tubs (ABS, PET/PETE, polyester), fiberglass
  

If in doubt, choose a permanent adhesive. It works on 90% of surfaces, ideal for promotions, product labeling, branding, laptops, and phones.

High-tack adhesive

• Durability: long-term, heavy-duty
  
• Conditions: outdoor, industrial, or harsh environments
  
• Sticks to: low-energy plastics (polypropylene and polyethylene), rubber, surfaces like water buckets, bins, MX fairings
  

Our heavy-duty stickers use high-tack adhesive. They’re designed for machines that get pressure-washed, go-karts, or engines. Don’t pick high-tack just because you want it to be “extra sticky”, only choose it if permanent adhesive won’t hold.

Still unsure? Ask your supplier. Most can send a sample for testing at a low cost.

And now, let’s dig into the technical details.

Why do stickers have different adhesive strengths?

Different adhesives make stickers usable in a wide range of conditions and on various surfaces, from smooth glass to textured metal.

Two key factors affect how strong the adhesive needs to be:

1. Surface energy
   
2. Surface texture
   

A smooth surface is easier to stick to because more of the adhesive can make direct contact. On textured surfaces, less glue makes contact, so each particle must be stickier to compensate.

Surface energy (also called surface tension) refers to how "sticky" the surface itself is. The higher the surface energy, the better the adhesion. Here's a chart showing how surface energy varies by material:

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Want to learn more about surface energy?

Technically, surface energy describes how much a material surface attracts or repels.

Think of a waxed or brand-new car, water beads and runs right off. That’s low surface energy. The water can’t stick.

The technical term for good sticker adhesion is "wetting out." It means the glue flows out over the surface. Better wet-out = stronger bond.

Higher surface energy = better wet-out = stronger adhesion.

We measure surface energy in dynes per centimeter (dyn/cm). If you want to explore the topic further, Adhesives.org is a great resource.

How is adhesive strength measured?

A common way to test adhesive strength is called peel adhesion. It’s an industry-standard test used by sticker and label material manufacturers.

They apply the sticker material (called media) to galvanized steel, let it sit for 24 hours, then peel it off at different angles. The amount of force required is measured as peel adhesion.

Tests are usually done at either a 90° or 180° angle to simulate different real-world applications.

The machines used look something like this:

Here are the typical peel strength values:

• Removable adhesive = under 19 N/25mm
  
• Permanent adhesive = 20–28 N/25mm
  
• High-tack adhesive = 29 N/25mm and above
  

Beyond peel adhesion, manufacturers vary adhesive strength in two ways:

1. Tackiness of the adhesive
   
2. Thickness of the adhesive layer
   

More tack = more grip. Easy enough.

But thicker glue layers can also help on rough surfaces. Most adhesive coatings are around 20 GSM (grams per square meter). For tougher applications, this can go over 40 GSM.

If only 40% of the sticker is touching the surface, more glue helps fill the gaps and hold better.

How do I know if a sticker is removable, permanent, or high-tack?

Most sticker suppliers list this info in the product description.

If not, check if there’s a material datasheet. See an example here. These often include the adhesive type or a peel adhesion value.

Conclusion

Adhesiveness is critical to your sticker’s success, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. That’s why 95% of our stickers and labels come with permanent adhesive by default.

Still not sure what to choose? You can:

• Take our quiz to find your best match
  
• Order a sample pack to test different materials
  
• Contact our team and describe how you plan to use your stickers