#032 ⤑ The Creative Process Behind Our Stickerbomb Book Series
From Concept to Print - making our Stickerbomb sticker book series
The Creative Process Behind Stickerbomb: From Concept to Print
Creating a Stickerbomb book is a journey that feels a bit epic to us. It starts long before any ink touches the page or any layouts happen. It always begins with an idea—one that gets tossed around, debated, and explored until we finally settle on it. Once we do, that’s when the real adventure begins.
With Stickerbomb, we take on many roles—authors, editors, designers—and of course, curators and producers who seek out the artists. What follows is a stretch of about 8 months to a year and a half filled with emails, calls, discussions, and designs, all leading up to that moment when a sticker book finally finds its way to a shop shelf somewhere.
Today, I want to give you a peek behind the scenes and share how a Stickerbomb book comes to life—from that first spark of an idea to the moment it’s ready to land in your hands.
The Beginning of an Idea
Stickerbomb was born back in 2007 with a simple yet powerful idea: a book that brings together an eclectic mix of stickers from artists all over the world. Back then, in 2006 and 2007, there were plenty of street art and street graphics books showcasing stickers from across the globe. But we had a different vision—what if the readers, the fans, could actually have those stickers themselves? Social media wasn’t really a thing in 2007—Facebook was still new, and for us, it was all about FLICKR.
Those early days were spent scouring the internet, connecting with artists whose work really spoke to us. Some of those connections from the old Flickr days remain strong today. We were all about graffiti. Street art was on the rise, and outsider art with unique illustration styles was thriving. Stickerbomb was our way of trying to bottle that spirit—whether it was character art, lettering, or design, we wanted to capture the raw energy of street art and creative expression.
Over time, Stickerbomb has evolved. We’ve tended to focus on more specific themes—whether it’s skulls, monsters, or craft beer. These days, we often start with an idea that fits both us and the artists we know and admire (or want to know better). Once we’ve nailed down that idea, we either produce it ourselves or team up with a partner publisher like Laurence King Publishing to help bring it to life.
If you're curious why we partner up—well, good sticker books are expensive to make, and we’re still a small operation.
The first spark is always an idea. Take our 2023 release, The Craft Beer Sticker Book. It just made sense. We’ve watched craft beer culture build over the past decade, and we’ve seen some amazing titles from other publishers. We simply wanted to add our own twist to it, and for us, that meant doing it in the Stickerbomb way.
Reaching Out to Artists
Using The Craft Beer Sticker Book as an example again, the process was as hands-on as ever. We dove into research, reaching out directly to breweries. This meant creating a huge Excel sheet, tracking details, and going after as many as we could. It’s a relentless task, but that’s part of the journey.
One of the things we’ve always prioritized is a direct connection with the artists. One of the standout artists from The Craft Beer Sticker Book is Kasper Ledet, a brilliant designer who creates stunning artwork for the Danish brewery To Øl. We were so impressed with his work that we ended up collaborating with him again on our South-East Asian photography journal, Plaza.
In the early days, it was all about emails—countless emails—where we’d reach out, receive files, and eventually piece them together into a book. It was a natural process of finding artists whose work spoke to us and inviting them to join the Stickerbomb family. As we grew, so did our network. Instagram opened up new possibilities, but our approach hasn’t changed. It’s still personal and thoughtful.
We do callouts to discover new talent, we email artists we’ve never worked with before, and we always reach out personally to those we’ve admired for a long time.
It’s a mix of excitement and curation that drives us, and that’s how the magic of Stickerbomb comes together.
Gathering the Artwork to Designing the Layout
Each Stickerbomb book tends to begin with a Callout To Artists. Typically, we set a two-month deadline for submissions, though this often stretches as the designs start to roll in. During this phase, we cast a wide net, reaching out to artists with varied styles, backgrounds, and stories. Graffiti and street art will always be close to our hearts, but we also look for abstract pieces, illustrations, and designs that bring something fresh and different.
Once the submissions are in, the real work begins.
We collect hundreds of designs and lay them out—like assembling a giant puzzle. Our job is to find the pieces that fit, identifying emerging themes and spotting gaps that need to be filled. The curation process is thrilling but also challenging, as we aim to create a collection that feels cohesive while still honoring the range of voices we’ve gathered. There’s a subtle sense of narrative that runs through the pages. You may not consciously notice it, and with Stickerbomb, you don’t necessarily have to, but it’s there, helping to hold together each page, layout, and section of the book.
With the artwork selected, we move into the layout phase. This is when the book starts to take on its final form. We lay everything out to see how the pieces work together, making adjustments and tweaks through multiple rounds of collaboration until everything clicks into place.
The cover design also takes center stage during this phase. The cover is crucial—it’s the first thing people see and it needs to capture their attention while hinting at the story inside. We brainstorm colours, styles, and themes to ensure that the cover not only stands out on the shelf but also feels like a natural extension of what lies within its pages.
Stickerbomb has always been about the mash-up, and I don’t think we’ve changed that over the years. The cover, for Stickerbomb, has always tried to be representative of what’s inside.
A Note on Payment
Over the years, the topic of payment has come up with artists, illustrators, and brands. We're always upfront about this. For most of our titles, we aren’t able to offer financial compensation beyond providing a free copy of the book. Considering some Stickerbomb titles feature hundreds of artists, the licensing fees would be astronomical—and as you can imagine, sticker books are already quite expensive to produce.
That said, not many artists have raised concerns about this, especially since we don’t ask for original work. We make that clear from the start. We never ask artists to create something specifically for us. If we have a theme (or even if we don’t) and we like an artist’s work, we simply reach out and ask if they’d like to contribute. For graffiti and street artists, Stickerbomb is another platform to showcase their skills, to get their work out there—call it whatever you like, but for many, it’s another opportunity to get up and be seen.
Preparing for Print
As we get closer to the publishing date, the focus shifts to the final touches. About 6 to 8 months before release, we begin assembling a sales kit. This kit is crucial for our sales and marketing teams as they start reaching out to distributors and retailers.
It includes everything from mockups to promotional materials, giving everyone a clear understanding of what the book is about and how to present it.
Once the layout is locked in, the files are submitted for printing. This stage is all about precision—checking cut lines, making sure no stickers are compromised, and ensuring the colours are spot on. The repro team is vital in this process, meticulously reviewing everything before the book heads to press.
The Final Steps
The last piece of the puzzle is securing any necessary permissions. If we need rights or licenses for certain designs, we make sure it’s all sorted before we go to print. After months of pouring ourselves into the project, the moment finally comes when the book is ready for production. There’s this incredible feeling of relief and excitement when we hold that first copy—it’s the payoff for all the hard work. And knowing it’s the result of a creative journey that’s connected artists from all over the world makes it even more rewarding.
Distribution and Beyond
Once the books are printed, the next step is distribution. We send copies to our warehouses and get ready for the official release. There’s always a special kind of thrill in seeing the finished product on store shelves and in the hands of fans across the globe.
For us, making a Stickerbomb book is about more than just gathering stickers—it’s about connecting with the community, discovering new artists, catching up with old friends, and sharing art with the world. We’re proud to keep this going with every new edition. Thank you for being part of the journey—we can’t wait to show you what’s next.
Thanks as ever for reading!
Next Week: Sticker Culture's Lasting Impact on Art and Design - yep we’re doubling down on more Stickers *and books!