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TL;DR:
What's the difference?
Glitter has small, overlapping holographic dots and a bold sparkle you can spot from far away. Pixie Dust has even smaller particles and a softer shimmer that shifts as the light moves.
What do they have in common?
Almost everything under the sparkle: the same base material, glossy laminate, and both work indoors and outdoors.
Can I control where it sparkles?
Yes, the same way on both. Add a white layer behind the parts that should stay solid, and the sparkle only shows where you want it.
Which one should I choose?
Go glitter when the sparkle should be loud. Go Pixie Dust when it should feel subtle and a little magical.
What do Pixie Dust and glitter have in common?
Quite a lot, actually. Pixie Dust is glitter's little sister (we like to call it our "smashed glitter" material), so the two share the same specs:
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Premium metallised PET with permanent adhesive
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Glossy laminate
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Full-colour print with a white layer
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Up to 2 to 4 years outdoors with glossy laminate
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PVC-free
The sparkle is part of the material itself, so it doesn't rub off. Nothing ends up on your desk. The difference is all in the look.
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Glitter: the bold one
Glitter stickers are always first on the dance floor. The material is packed with small, overlapping holographic dots that reflect the light in a rainbow shine, and you can see the sparkle from across the room.
Since the dots are small and packed tight, they can swallow fine details. So keep it bold and simple: big shapes, thick lettering and a few accents that soak up all that sparkle.
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Pixie Dust: the subtle one
Pixie Dust is the friend who whispers the best gossip. Its particles are even smaller than glitter's, so instead of a party sparkle you get a fine, refined shimmer that shifts softly as the light moves across it. Think starry night rather than disco ball.
Pixie Dust rewards a closer look. People pick it up, tilt it and find new details every time. My tip? Save it for the parts you want people to discover, like stars, highlights, eyes, jewellery or lettering.
How do you control the sparkle?
The same way on both: with a white layer. The colours we print aren't opaque, so the material shines through them. Red on Pixie Dust gives you red Pixie Dust, and the same goes for glitter.
A white layer is the stop sign. Wherever you add it, the sparkle disappears and the colours print solid. In our editor you click a colour in your design and choose No effect (white layer underneath), Colour effect (colour and sparkle together) or Full effect (the raw material, no colour).
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Design tips for sparkly stickers
The best sparkly designs know when to hold back. A few things that work for both materials:
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Decide where the eye should go. That's where the sparkle belongs.
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Let the effect live in the details. Put it in a logo, the lettering, the outlines or a few highlights, and print the rest solid on a white layer. In this sticker, only the letters glitter.
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Don't let everything compete. When every part of the design sparkles, nothing gets the attention.
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One material per sticker. You can't mix glitter and Pixie Dust in one design. Can't choose? Order the same design in both. Problem solved.
Same artist, two kinds of sparkle
@show.o_ has made stickers in both materials, which makes for a pretty good side-by-side. Which one's your favourite?
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Glitter
A koi streamer in glitter, with big shapes and thick outlines that hold their own against the sparkle. This one shines from across the room.
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Pixie Dust
Lettering in Pixie Dust, with a finer shimmer that shifts softly as the sticker moves in your hand. This one really rewards a closer look.
Time to sparkle
Glitter throws the party, Pixie Dust brings the magic. Both love the light, and with both you decide exactly where the sparkle shows.
Pick the one that matches the feeling of your design, and go make something that sparkles!
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