Best Printer for Stickers · Vinyl stickers

Best Printer for Vinyl Stickers

For printable vinyl stickers, choose an inkjet with strong colour and a rear paper feed: our top pick is the six-ink Canon PIXMA G620. Most printable vinyl is sold for inkjet printers only, and Cricut warns that laser heat can damage its vinyl. A rear tray or straight-through slot keeps the thick sheet from bending, and extra inks give brighter illustrated stickers.

Fingers peeling a glossy printed vinyl sticker off its backing sheet on a craft table

Our top 3

Top picks at a glance

Best for vinyl stickers#1
Canon PIXMA G620 printer

Canon PIXMA G620

Mid-range price range

Six dye inks including red and gray, refillable tanks and a rear-only paper path.

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Best for big vinyl sheets#2
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 printer

Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550

Premium price range

Borderless up to 13″ × 19″ and a straight-through slot for media up to 1.3 mm.

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Best value#3
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 printer

Epson EcoTank ET-2800

Mid-range price range

A four-colour EcoTank with low ink cost; a budget pick in Art Side of Life’s and Castle Ink’s sticker guides.

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In detail

Who each one suits

Specifications are each brand’s own; notes draw on sticker paper makers, Cricut’s help centre and independent reviews. We have not tested or used these printers ourselves.

Best for vinyl stickers#1

Canon PIXMA G620

The G620 is a six-ink MegaTank built for photos, and that extra red and gray make illustrated stickers look punchier than on a basic four-colour printer. It feeds everything from a rear tray, which keeps thick sticker sheets on a gentle paper path.

Why it stands out

  • Six GI-23 dye inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, red and gray) in refillable tanks.
  • Rear tray only; Canon lists its own media up to about 275 gsm.
  • Castle Ink calls it the best value for vivid colour; TechRadar ranks it among its best photo printers.
Type6-colour MegaTank inkjet
Ink or mediaSix GI-23 dye inks, incl. red and gray
Largest sizeLegal 8.5″ × 14″
Paper handlingRear tray only; Canon paper up to about 275 gsm
Best forVivid illustrated and photo stickers

Good fit if

  • Your stickers are colourful illustrations or photos.
  • You want low running costs and better colour than a four-ink tank.
  • You print on letter-size sheets.

Skip it if

  • You need automatic two-sided printing or a front paper drawer.
  • You want sheets larger than legal size.
  • You need water resistance without laminating: all six inks are dye-based.

Canon notes that its Photo Stickers media cannot be printed borderless on this model. Canon’s own store page has also shown the G620 marked discontinued while still in stock, so check the listing is new before buying.

Best for big vinyl sheets#2

Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550

The ET-8550 is the upgrade for big sticker sheets and heavy stock. It is a six-colour EcoTank that prints borderless up to 13″ × 19″ and has a rear straight-through slot for media up to 1.3 mm thick, so it takes thick sheets one at a time.

Why it stands out

  • Borderless printing up to 13″ × 19″ (A3+), per Epson.
  • Rear straight pass for card stock and specialty media up to 1.3 mm.
  • Six 552 inks; Epson rates the black bottle at 6,700 ISO pages and each colour at 6,200.
Type6-colour ink tank inkjet
Ink or mediaEpson 552 bottles, six colours
Largest size13″ × 19″ (A3+)
Paper handlingRear straight pass for media up to 1.3 mm
Best forBig sheets and thick stock

Good fit if

  • You sell stickers or print large sheets you cut down later.
  • You use thick vinyl, magnet sheets or card stock.
  • You want low ink cost per sheet and photo-grade colour.

Skip it if

  • You only print a few letter-size sheets a month: the ET-2800 does that for far less.
  • Desk space is tight: it is a large, heavy wide-format machine.

Epson’s rear slot takes one sheet at a time, and card stock from 0.61 mm needs that slot.

Best value#3

Epson EcoTank ET-2800

The ET-2800 is the sensible default for most people who want to print stickers at home. It is a plain four-colour EcoTank with refillable bottles instead of cartridges, so the full-coverage designs that drain cartridges quickly cost far less to feed, and Art Side of Life and Castle Ink both name it a budget pick for stickers.

Why it stands out

  • Refillable 522 ink bottles; Epson rates a replacement set at 4,500 pages black and 7,500 colour on its ISO test pages.
  • Epson lists photo paper up to 300 g/m² and custom sheet sizes up to 8.5″ × 47.2″.
  • Named a budget pick for stickers and for Cricut Print Then Cut by Art Side of Life, and the best budget ink tank by Castle Ink.
Type4-colour ink tank inkjet
Ink or mediaEpson 522 refill bottles
Largest sizeLegal; custom up to 8.5″ × 47.2″
Paper handlingRear-loading feeder; Epson photo paper up to 300 g/m²
Best forEveryday stickers at a low ink cost

Good fit if

  • You print stickers regularly and want ink to stop being the expensive part.
  • Your sheets are letter size, which also covers Cricut Print Then Cut.
  • You also need a basic scanner and copier.

Skip it if

  • You want 13″ × 19″ sheets: look at the ET-8550.
  • You want the smoothest gradients: four colours are less subtle than six-ink photo models.
  • You need automatic two-sided printing for documents: the ET-2980 adds it.

Epson does not state on the ET-2800 page whether its 522 inks are dye or pigment. Either way, laminate stickers that will be handled a lot or get wet.

Also worth a look

Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000

The XP-15000 gets you 13″ × 19″ borderless sticker sheets without paying for an ink-tank wide-format printer. It uses six cartridge inks, including red and gray, and has a rear feed for specialty media.

Why it stands out

  • Borderless up to 13″ × 19″, including 11×17 and 12×12.
  • Rear specialty feed for paper up to 23 mil; Epson lists Photo Quality Adhesive Sheets as a paper type.
  • PC Guide’s editor’s pick among printers for stickers.
Type6-colour cartridge inkjet
Ink or mediaClaria Photo HD 312/314 cartridges
Largest size13″ × 19″
Paper handlingRear specialty feed for paper up to 23 mil
Best forLarge sheets without an ink-tank price

Good fit if

  • You want large sheets but print them occasionally.
  • You print art prints as well as stickers.

Skip it if

  • You print a lot of large sheets: cartridges get expensive fast.
  • You are in a hurry: PC Guide calls it slow even on documents.

Printing glossy vinyl this week?

A rear-fed ink tank keeps thick sheets flat and colour costs low. See what owners say about it on vinyl.

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Tips

Three things that make the difference

01

Check the pack says inkjet

Cricut’s standard Printable Vinyl is inkjet-only. Laser-rated vinyl exists, but the two are not interchangeable.

02

Use the photo setting, then adjust

Cricut suggests high, best or photo-paper quality for its vinyl and dropping to good if you see smudging.

03

Let it dry, then laminate

Cricut says to let ink dry before cutting. A laminate is what protects vinyl stickers from real water exposure.

Honest note

Printable vinyl is water-resistant, not waterproof. Avery defines water-resistant as surviving splashes but not soaking, and none of the home vinyl makers we checked claims dishwasher safety. If your stickers are going on bottles, laminate them.

FAQ

Questions people ask

What printer do I need for printable vinyl?

An inkjet printer, unless the vinyl is specifically laser-rated. Cricut says its Printable Vinyl is for inkjet printers only and that a laser printer may damage the material or the printer. A rear or manual feed helps thick vinyl sheets go through flat.

Can you print vinyl stickers on a laser printer?

Only on vinyl made for laser printers. Cricut sells a separate Printable Vinyl for Laser Printers, and OnlineLabels sells a laser weatherproof vinyl. Avery says inkjet products are not meant to withstand laser printer heat.

Is printable vinyl waterproof?

It is water-resistant rather than waterproof. OnlineLabels describes printable vinyl as durable and water-resistant, and its weatherproof inkjet material may still need a protective coat for heavy liquid exposure. Cricut’s Waterproof Sticker Set adds a laminating sheet for that reason.

Glossy or matte vinyl?

Glossy shows colour best; matte is easier for cutting machines to read. Cricut says Print Then Cut materials should be non-reflective or matte, and suggests matte tape over the sensor marks on glossy sheets.

Dye or pigment ink for vinyl stickers?

Dye ink looks brighter; pigment resists water and fading better, according to Canon Europe. Most vinyl sticker makers laminate whichever ink they use. The G620 uses six dye inks, so plan on laminating stickers that will get wet.

Why do my vinyl stickers smudge?

Usually too much ink or not enough drying time. Cricut suggests lowering the quality to good if its vinyl smudges, and letting ink dry before cutting. Check you are printing on the front of the vinyl, which Cricut also flags.

Bright colour, a flat paper path, then laminate

Want the full picture? See all our picks for the best printer for stickers, compared by use, and the FAQ on paper, ink and cutting.