Summary:
Stickers probably date back to ancient Egypt, but the first official examples appeared in the 1700s, when merchants hand-glued labels to products for easier identification during shipping. Alois Senefelder’s invention of lithography in 1796 allowed printers to mass-produce detailed designs with custom colors. R. Stanton Avery’s creation of the self-adhesive label in the 1930s revolutionized packaging and opened the door for stickers to become tools for art, protest, entertainment, and brand promotions.
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Modern stickers are one of the most useful branding tools there is. You can design them in almost any size, shape, and color and use specialty materials, like glow-in-the-dark-vinyl, to make them stand out.
If you’re handy with a digital drawing tablet, you might even be able to turn your creations into a side hustle by selling them as handmade art. They’re fun, functional, and so easy to design with tools like Canva that even a complete beginner can get great results their first time around.
What you might not know is that this level of creative freedom didn’t always exist. Up until the early 1700s, most “stickers” were actually just hand-annotated product labels attached to goods shipped by land or sea. Take a walk through history with us to see how they’ve evolved over the years below, then order your own from our team of Calgary printing professionals.
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How it All Started In Ancient Egypt
Scribes in ancient Egypt used papyrus to share messages, record trades, and display religious or civic information in public spaces. While there’s no evidence they were making stickers at the time, we do know they used plant-based adhesives like gum arabic to bind pages together.
Early adhesive technologies like these laid the groundwork for stickers, bound books, and most other forms of reading in the centuries to come.
1700s–1800s: The Labeling Gold Rush
Merchants needed a way to stand out and build trust with customers at this point (especially in North America, where life was still quite rugged and dangerous). Decorative product labels became the standard as companies competed with one another for attention.
They often contained info like:
- Certificates of origin to verify authenticity
- Credibility claims (e.g., Trusted for 50 Years”)
- Government approval or denial stamps, if they crossed the border
When food regulations came into force later on, producers were often required to meet federal inspection standards for country of origin and overall quality. Branded, regulation-compliant packaging became a business necessity rather than a luxury at this point.
1796: Alois Senefelder Invents Lithography
The next major breakthrough came in 1796 when Bavarian inventor Alois Senefelder developed lithography, a new process where ink could be transferred from smooth stone plates to paper. It was faster, cleaner, and much better suited to mass production than working each label by hand.
The discovery of chronolithography in 1837 brightened things up even further (literally). Commercial printing houses could now rapidly produce highly-accurate labels with multiple color layers, fine details, and clear lettering in the same run.
1870s: Steamer Trunk Labels
Transportation improvements were already well underway across Canada in 1870, and many industries were booming because of it. Hotels and travel agencies started producing decorative paper labels to help identify luggage and promote special destinations, like Hawaii or Alaska.
1930s: R. Stanton Avery Invents Self-Adhesive Backing
In 1935, American inventor R. Stanton Avery created the first commercially viable self-adhesive label. That meant no more licking the backs of labels or brushing on glue.
Because peel-and-stick adhesives were so much easier and more affordable to produce, the cost for a business to invest in them dropped. Before long, most brands had their own version or were working on making branded labels a part of their production lines.
1940s–1950s: The War, Safety, and Support
By the late 1930s, it was clear that war with Germany was coming. The Canadian government and private groups used the opportunity to kick off a series of stickers aimed at raising awareness, keeping people safe, and reminding people about rationing rules.
Government-branded stickers often showed up as:
- Fuel ration stickers on windshields and gas caps
- Victory Bond decals encouraging people to send financial support
- Souvenirs from provincial tourism departments in Nova Scotia, Québec, and New Brunswick
- Smokey the Bear PSAs and other safety reminders to lower the stress on first responders
Bumper sticker culture also got started in the same decade, but it didn’t really explode until after the war ended and people came home to settle down with their loved ones. That’s when they started showing up at every corner store, gas station, or Five & Dime.
1960s–1970s: Flower Power
The fact that stickers began as marketing tools did nothing to stop people from using them in other very creative ways. They became a physical medium for sharing ideas, challenging authority, and expressing a sense of identity through decorating public spaces and personal belongings.
Popular trends at the time included:
- Scratch-and-sniff scents that added novelty appeal and collectibility
- Artists placing “slaps” of their work in public to spread creative or political messages
- Stickers with protest slogans and band logos that became a part of hippie and festival culture
Further into the 1970s, band stickers became popular with many releasing limited edition stickers with each new album. Psychedelic artists also sold or traded stickers sometimes to make money.
1980s: The Sandy Lion Boom
In the 1980s, Ontario company Sandy Lion became the go-to brand for collectible stickers for kids. This kicked off a cult level craze among kids, teens, and young adults that was so pervasive, people would spend every dime of their allowance on it and smother their Trapper Keeper with them.
But stickers were getting more interesting, too:
- Glitter, holographic, and puffy textures were essentially the holy grail to collectors
- Panini and O-Pee-Chee stickers gained popularity in playground trades
- Clubs, albums, and collections turned a simple hobby into into a much bigger trend
Scholastic book fair day was like a sacred holy day at school. You’d flip through a token book or two, but what you were really waiting for was a chance to grab a glittery sheet of Sandy Lions before your friends.
1990s: More Advances in Stickers
Sticker fanatics continued right along loving them all throughout the 90s with zero complaints. Doctors, dentists, hairstylists, and other service providers started handing them out to kids at appointments in exchange for good behavior.
This was the perfect moment for new sticker materials to make their debut:
- Velvet, holographic, and gel finishes became more affordable and widely available
- Sticker walls in malls, stores, and craft outlets turned into hubs for passionate collectors
- Scrapbooking and pen pal networks gave people even more reasons to stock up
Stickers worked their way into nearly every part of daily life. Planners and calendars came preloaded with them, brands sent them out for free, and fast food joints tucked them into kids’ meals.
Read More: 15 Creative Sticker Ideas for Canadian Brands
2000s: Punk, Skate, & Guerrilla Tactics
By the early 2000s, stickers became a powerful tool for both subcultures and small businesses. They were cheap, fast, and easy to slap onto just about anything, which made them perfect for claiming space, sharing ideas, and promoting scenes or brands without big budgets (or permission).
There was something for everyone:
- Sticker bombing let teens wreak havoc in skateparks, on poles, and in alleyways
- Indie bands used DIY stickers to promote shows and as collectible band swag for fans
- Streetwear brands released small, short-run batches of limited-edition stickers to raise hype
This was also around the time that gas companies like Irving and fast food joints like McDonald’s or Tim Horton’s started sticker collecting contests. All you had to do to win was collect the right combination!
2010s: The Rise of Influencer Marketing
In the 2010s, stickers moved front and center in online and offline marketing. Influencers helped brands get noticed by testing their products live on the air and making sure to present the logo front and center. Others turned them into collectibles for their followers instead.
Suddenly, branded stickers started cropping up on:
- Laptops, tablets, and desktops
- Water bottles and Starbucks cups
- Event swag tables and pop-ups
- Co-working spaces, notebooks, and phone cases
For fans, each new sticker release felt like another status symbol. No one wanted to miss out, so people would actually spend money on products just to get that coveted sticker in the box.
2020s: The Pandemic Years
Stickers served as both a creative outlet and a practical tool during the pandemic. While hobbyists designed and collected them for fun, businesses and healthcare facilities used them to limit contact and share information with their patients.
With scannable QR codes, it was easy to:
- Link to touch-free versions of restaurant menus
- Let people check-in at at events live without exchanging a physical ticket
- Get updates about store hours, school days, and public transportation
- Connect with websites, forms, and apps without needing a printed copy
That little square of vinyl could carry a lot of important information, so it was a smarter way to bridge the gap without putting anyone at risk.
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What’s Next For Stickers?
If there’s one thing that’s easy to see from this timeline, it’s the fact that sticker tech has been in a state of flux for hundreds of years. That isn’t likely to change anytime soon.
What we are likely to see is improvements in sustainability and intelligence features:
- GS1 2D smart labels can hold more info in a single scan. They’ll make it easier to track shipments, check expiry dates, and share other data with your customers.
- NFC and AR features let people tap or scan a sticker to launch a video, open instructions, see extra content, or even engage with fun gamified experiences for users.
- Eco-friendly materials will replace plastic-heavy vinyl at some point, helping brands cut harmful waste without sacrificing sticker durability along the way.
Working with a professional print shop like Little Rock also gives you access to cutting-edge technologies like the Colex Sharpcut without needing to spend tens of thousands on your own tech. It’s devices like these that make it possible for us to say “yes” to your most creative ideas when other shops can’t.
Get Professional Stickers on Every Run With Little Rock
When Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “the medium is the message,” he was trying to say that the way you present information is just as important as what you have to say. Stickers are no different! You’ll get better results if you design them around your goals and what your customers actually want.
If you’re ready to place your order now, send us your print-ready file. Send us a message if there’s anything we can to help make your next printing project more successful first.
