The history of stickers goes back longer than you might think. Remnants of ancient stickers have been discovered by archaeologists in sites dating back to ancient Egypt. As for modern stickers, there is a debate over who actually deserves credit for making the first sticker.
The Two Creators:
The first candidate for making the first sticker is Rowland Hill way back in 1839. At that time he invented an adhesive paper that eventually led to being used as the first postage stamp. The other candidate for the first sticker is R. Stanton Avery, the founder of Avery Labels. His invention was a little more forward in time. It is said that he invented the first self-adhesive label in 1935.
Difference Between The Two:
The difference in the time and the debate over who actually deserves credit is because of how each of these inventions worked. Hill’s invention was a paper that was traditionally stuck to items using adhesive of some kind, usually glue, paste, or plaster. Avery’s, on the other hand, was self-adhesive which are the stickers we know of today. These self-adhesive stickers do not require any additional adhesive to stick to the surface of objects. All you have to do to use them is to remove a peel on the back and apply them to the surface that they need to stick to.
Modern Stickers:
That was at the beginning of stickers’ history. Now the field has evolved and tremendous changes have been made to how stickers are made, how they are used, and what is used to make them. Now the most popular base materials for stickers are latex, foil, paper, plastic, and vinyl. The adhesive has changed too. The change in adhesives also allows them to be moved, removed, or be permanent. The various coatings that can be applied to stickers also enable them to be used in a variety of weather conditions so it doesn’t matter if it’s raining, hailing, or snowing, the stickers will stay stuck no matter what.
Green Stickers:
That’s not all that’s changed though. Over time the human race has realized the need for ecological preservation and that need has transferred to stickers. There was a time when stickers used to be devastating for the environment. There was immense outrage when it was found out how bad stickers were for the environment because of the plastic that was used to make them as well as the amount of trees that were being cut down for the paper. The adhesive was no less friendly as it required a lot of natural resources. That is not the case now though. The stickers that are being made today, especially the ones that we offer are eco-friendly. That means that we make sure that nothing untoward happens to the environment when we make our stickers. That ensures that both we, and our customers, don’t have to feel guilty when using our stickers. We expect the field will constantly change and we’ll be there at the forefront to make sure that you get the best stickers possible.