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The first question that people often come back with after looking over all of their options when it comes to decals for cars is, what’s the difference between a decal and a sticker? That’s actually a great question. The short answer is that all decals are stickers but not all stickers are decals.

The longer, more complicated answer is that a decal can be transferred across surfaces, whereas a sticker generally sticks and stays in one place, and a decal has three pieces: paper on the front, paper on the back, and the decal itself.

Why Decals are Versatile and Great for Branding?

Decals for Cars

Being able to go from glass to metal and other mediums is the main advantage with decals. In fact, decals gets their name from decalcomania, which originally meant transferring a print from an engraving to pottery.

The point is that decals for cars are extremely versatile and a potent branding tool. One of the most popular kinds of decals for cars are die-cut stickers because these kinds of stickers are colorful yet resilient.

Die-cut stickers are made from a special vinyl material that protects your sticker from the elements: water (e.g., snow, rain, sleet, and excessive moisture), exposure to sunlight, and scratching.

  • Die Cut or Kiss Cut: Which is Better?

Die cutting is a process that’s similar to but slightly different than kiss cutting. Die cutting is where you cut your sticker into a custom design shape with the help of a blade, stamp, or roller.

Kiss cutting, on the other hand, is a modified method used in die cutting where you only cut through the vinyl and leave the backing material alone.

The reason that many businesses prefer die-cutting over kiss cutting is that die-cutting lets you make unique shapes. Imagine having a cutout of a guitar or a football helmet as just two examples of decals for cars.

You can get those unique shapes with die cutting whereas kiss cutting is usually printed off on sheets or rolls. Kiss cutting might be a better option if you’re on a really tight budget or you don’t need complex shapes to make your branding message stronger.

When it comes to decals for cars in particular, die cutting might actually be the better option since you might be talking about a smaller run of decals. Die-cut stickers are going to give you amazing colors and protection against the elements.

That said, if you’re going to be using your decals for cars as bumper stickers rather than window stickers then kiss cutting might be just fine. If you don’t need a fancy shape, then kiss cutting could be the way to go.

Both die cut and kiss cut stickers are going to go the distance for you and last a long time because they’re both made with supporting pigment and durable vinyl so the colors won’t noticeably fade over time.

Decals for Cars and Mobile Advertising 

Decals for cars can help your business get hundreds or thousands of views every day on the roads and highways. These views (“ad impressions”) could be suburban customers who might not otherwise come across your brand.

The Outdoor Advertising Association of America found that decals for cars and other kinds of mobile advertising can reach 70,000 or more customers in a single day if used the right way.

It’s actually over fifty times cheaper to get 1,000 views with a mobile vehicle ad (e.g., decals for cars and vehicle wraps) than it is with a prime time television ad. And you know what? Durable vinyl decals for cars can be literally used for years! Contact us for more information.