Advice on best sticker paper to use?

[jonwil]

Can anyone advise on the best sticker paper I can use for making custom stickers?

Is there a product out there that is similar to the transparent stickers LEGO produces?

Is there a way to print white on transparent stickers using an inkjet printer? (Canon Pixma MP510)

[JopieK]

well... printing white is extremely difficult. You could use old ALPS technology (second hand). We have a 15.000€ Versacamm VS-300 for it (there are cheaper ones but not below 8000€).

A Canon Pixma MP510 is a CMYK printer without white options... You don't normally print stickers on paper but on vinyl.

[Peppermint_M]

The other thing is to collect the RGB/RAL numbers on official LEGO colours to match the tones to perfection when printing on regular sticker paper.

[jonwil]

ok, so printing white ink on a see-through sticker requires expensive equipment I am unlikely to have access to? Damn, there goes that idea :(

[Faefrost]

ok, so printing white ink on a see-through sticker requires expensive equipment I am unlikely to have access to? Damn, there goes that idea :(

There are a few custom shops on the Internet that will print you a few sheets of your own custom decals at reasonable prices. They typically use Alps printers. They are mainly targeted at the plastic modeler and model railroading crowd, and usually do water slide decals. You may be able to get them to do stickers. If not chances are water slide decals would work better for what you are seeking to do, if you are comfortable using them.

The big problem with inkjet printers is the ink is translucent. It is expected to be printed onto a white background. They cannot print white, as white for an inkjet is simply "no ink". Alps type printers are the only common ones that print opaque, and can do white, metallics, etc. the problem is while great specialty printers, they tried to sell and market them as standard business / home use ones and failed. Right now here is a large market for legacy Alps printers among hobbyists and garage shop type specialty vendors. They have also started making new ones but they are targeted at specialty uses and are several thousand dollars.

Edited January 15, 2013 by Faefrost

[legolijntje]

The other thing is to collect the RGB/RAL numbers on official LEGO colours to match the tones to perfection when printing on regular sticker paper.

You can find many RGB/CMYK Lego colors here.

[Swifty118247]

I use normal white sticky lables (very annoying unless you have normal white decal paper)

Then for torso I go over with sticky back plastic (book backing) to give it the shiny quality

but when I started i just felt like doing this: