How to Set Up Holographic Stickers and Labels for Designers

Creating a stunning holographic design can be easy, whether you're a graphic designer or need a bit of help from our talented Art Team! Be sure to use vector or high-resolution raster art files (300 DPI) for the best results.

DIY Design Set Up for Graphic Designers

If you're a graphic designer familiar with design software, creating a ready-to-print holographic sticker or label can be a fun and creative process. When designing for holographic effects, think about which parts of your artwork you want to shine. Logos, backgrounds, or text often look stunning with that reflective finish. Our guide can help you decide how to highlight specific areas for the best impact.

Please default to using vector files so our design team to easily select, modify, or adjust the elements within the design without impacting the quality or resolution. If you are unable to use vector files, we will accept high-resolution raster files. For the best print quality, make sure raster art files are 300 dpi or higher, and set in CMYK color space. Preferred file formats include Ai, EPS, and PDF, with vector or high-resolution artwork delivering the best results. There are some size limitations with our stickers – our smallest size is 0.5” x 0.5” and our largest size is 11” x 14”.

Learn more about artwork setup.

Key Elements for Eye-Catching Design

To get the best results with your holographic stickers and labels, use fully vector graphics or high-resolution images, and make sure to layer your design correctly. When designing for holographic effects, think carefully about which parts of your artwork you want to shine with holographic effects and which areas you don't. Focus on three key design elements to make your artwork truly pop: no holographic effect, fully holographic effect where the metallic rainbow shines through, and a colored holographic effect. Each of these design choices will help you create a more dynamic and visually striking sticker.

1. No Holographic (with a white backup layer): A white backup layer is a layer of white ink that is printed behind your design to make colors more vibrant and opaque, especially for light colors. Without this layer, the rainbow holographic effect will shine through and create colored holographic areas (more on this below!). It's recommended to apply a white backup layer to areas you want to stand out or be completely opaque.

In the example below, the solid white backup layer is placed behind the robot artwork layer to block the holographic effect from shining through the design.

Using a white backup layer is great for detailed line work, text and small details, company logos, and more.

To add a white backup (in Adobe Illustrator):

Duplicate your artwork layer
Change the color of the duplicated layer to white
Place the white layer behind your original artwork layer

If you prefer not to use a white backup layer and allow the holographic material to shine through all your design, skip this step.

2. Fully Holographic Areas (with completely transparent areas): To let the holographic material fully shine through, giving you a vibrant silver rainbow effect, leave holes or completely transparent areas in your design and the white backup layer. This allows the metallic, rainbow-like effect to show, which works well even for simple details like borders and outlines.

In this example, the robot's face and the corresponding areas of the white backup layer are left entirely transparent, allowing the metallic holographic effect to shine through without obstruction.

We love to see fully holographic elements as the background to a company logo, a border around a photo of our dog, or simple, easy to read text. There are so many ways to use fully holographic design elements!

3. Colorful Holographic: To create a colorful holographic effect, adjust the opacity of your white backup layer to up to 30% white, allowing the holographic material to partially show through the colors. Setting the opacity to 0% will let the holographic effect shine through the most but may mute the colors slightly. At 30% opacity, the colors will maintain their vibrancy, but the holographic effect will be slightly lessened. This approach lets the holographic material shimmer beneath the color while still ensuring that your colors remain vivid and bright. You can use this effect strategically by applying a fully opaque white backup layer to some elements of your design for solid colors, while using the 30% white backup or less in other areas to create contrast and achieve a stained-glass window effect.

In the example below, there is no white backup layer behind the robot artwork, allowing the holographic effect to shine through both the colored areas and the transparent parts of the design.

In the next example, several elements feature a solid white backup layer, creating contrast in the design, while the white backup layer behind the robot’s orange face and the red helmet is set to 30% opacity, allowing the holographic effect to shine those areas.

Holographic elements stand out best when part of the design also has a white backup, ensuring those holographic really shine!

Pro tip: If you intend to print a QR code on holographic stickers or labels, add a solid white background behind and around your QR code to make it stand out. Otherwise, it can be difficult to scan on the holographic material.

Designing holographic stickers and labels allows for a wide range of creative possibilities. Whether you want to highlight specific areas with a white backup layer, let the holographic material shine through fully, or create a mix of both, understanding these key design approaches will help you achieve the best results. By paying attention to the balance of color, transparency, and holographic effects, you can create eye-catching designs that truly stand out. And don’t forget—keeping your file resolution high and using the correct formats ensures the highest print quality.

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