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What are cracked ice stickers, and what does the laminate do?
Cracked ice is the laminate for when glossy feels a little too plain. It covers your sticker in a frosty, holographic shimmer that looks a lot like sunlight hitting a frozen puddle. Below you'll find what the laminate actually does, which materials you can get it on and how to make it look great on your design.
TL;DR:
What are cracked ice stickers?
Stickers with a cracked ice laminate on top: a clear, protective layer with a frosty, holographic pattern that looks like shattered glass. It covers the whole sticker and replaces glossy or matte.
Which materials can you get with cracked ice laminate?
White vinyl, clear and holographic.
Are cracked ice stickers waterproof?
Yes, and they can be used outdoors too. The laminate has no UV protection though, so colours can fade faster in direct sun than with glossy.
So, what does cracked ice laminate do?
A laminate is the thin protective layer we put on top of your printed sticker, and most of the time it's either glossy or matte. Cracked ice is the third option. It's clear, so your design shows through, but it's packed with a holographic pattern that looks like shattered glass (or freshly cracked ice, hence the name).
When you tilt the sticker, the little shards catch the light and throw glittery reflections around, so it looks a bit different in every light.
Just like our other laminates, it also protects your print against scratches and wear. One thing to know from the start: cracked ice always covers the whole sticker, so it can't be added to just one part of your design. Our support page on cracked ice has the short version too.
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Three materials, one frosty finish
You can get cracked ice on three of our materials, and each one gives the shimmer a slightly different feel. The editor only shows the finishes available for your material, so if cracked ice is missing, check which material you've picked.
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White vinyl
Our classic vinyl has a white base underneath, so your colours stay solid and bright. The frosty pattern sits on top like a thin layer of ice, and you get all the shimmer without losing any of the colours in your design.
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Clear
On transparent stickers, whatever is behind the sticker becomes part of the look. I think cracked ice looks extra nice here. On a window it catches the sun, but it won't fill the room with rainbows like suncatcher foil.
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Holographic
For when you want all the sparkle at once. Holographic gives you the rainbow shine, and cracked ice adds the shattered-glass pattern on top. Two kinds of shimmer in one sticker, so let a bold design do the talking.
Designs that get along with the ice
Since the pattern covers the whole sticker, cracked ice works almost like an extra layer of design on top of your artwork. That's why we recommend it for designs that aren't too detailed. Tiny text and thin lines can get a little lost among all the shards, while bold shapes and contrasting colours give the shimmer room to do its thing.
Logos, characters, chunky lettering and simple illustrations are all great candidates. If your design is full of fine details, I'd probably go for glossy or matte on that one and save the ice for something bolder (you can always order both, no judgement over here).
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Good to know before you order
A few practical things worth knowing before you pick cracked ice in the editor:
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Sun and weather: cracked ice stickers are waterproof and can be used outdoors, but the laminate has no UV protection, so colours can fade faster in direct sun. For a sticker that will live outside all day, like on a car, glossy laminate is the safer pick since it's UV protected.
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Back paper print works: you can add back paper print to your cracked ice stickers, for example with your logo, a QR code or contact info on the back.
Time to get frosty
So, to sum it up: cracked ice is a clear, holographic laminate that gives your whole sticker a frosty, shattered-glass shimmer. You can get it on white vinyl, clear and holographic, it's waterproof, and it looks its best on bold designs that aren't too detailed. Just keep it out of all-day sun if you want the colours to stay fresh for as long as possible.
Still torn between laminates? Have a look at how to choose the right laminate for your stickers, where glossy, matte and cracked ice sit side by side. And if you're making clear stickers, our guide on how to make transparent stickers has a few more tips. Already picturing your design all frosty and sparkly? Then you know where to go.
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