Print your own sticker

A sticker a finder can scan, from your own printer, in about fifteen minutes. Here's how to make it scan first time and last for years.

You'll need

  • Any home printer
  • Matte sticker paper or label sheets
  • Scissors and a ruler
  • Your phone
  • Clear film or a laminator (optional)

  1. Pick your sticker

    On My Items, open an item's ••• menu and choose Print Sticker. Pick the shape, size and colour. The preview shows exactly what you'll get, and See it on shows it to scale on a phone, laptop, bag or keys.

    • Key ring · 25 mm: keys, small fobs
    • Small · 30 mm: phone, earbud case, wallet
    • Medium · 40 mm: laptop, tablet, camera
    • Large · 60 mm: luggage, bike, larger items

    A greyed-out size is too small for that item's code to scan reliably, so it isn't offered.

  2. Choose your paper

    • Best: waterproof matte vinyl sticker paper (A4). It lasts outdoors and in bags.
    • Good: matte full-page label sheets. Fine for things that stay indoors.
    • OK: plain paper, then laminate it (step 7).

    Buy paper that matches your printer: inkjet paper for an inkjet, laser paper for a laser. Inkjet paper can melt inside a laser printer.

    Matte, not glossy. Shine can stop a phone reading the code.

    Best Good OK

  3. Any home printer works

    • Laser: sharp, and doesn't run when it gets wet.
    • Inkjet: brighter colours, but the ink can run when wet, so use vinyl or laminate it.
    • No printer? Save it as a PDF and print it at a library, an office or a print shop.
    • From your phone: AirPrint on an iPhone, or Mopria or your printer's app on Android.

  4. Use these print settings

    • Scale 100 % or Actual size, never "Fit to page".
    • Quality High or Best, with economy or toner saving off.
    • Set the paper type to match your paper, and turn colour on.

    Do one test on plain paper first and measure it with a ruler. A 30 mm sticker should measure 30 mm across.

    Print Scale Actual size (100 %) Quality High Paper Matte Print

  5. Scan before you cut

    Open your phone's camera and hold it about 20 cm from the sheet. If ReturnMeBack opens, you're good. If it doesn't, see It won't scan? below.

  6. Cut it out

    Cut along the faint dashed line around the sticker, with scissors or a 25 mm circle punch for key-ring tags. Keep the white edge around the QR code. A phone needs it to find the code.

    Cut on the dashed line Keep the white edge

  7. Make it last (optional)

    • No machine: cover it with clear self-adhesive film or wide clear tape, and smooth it with a card so there are no bubbles.
    • Laminator: use 75–125 micron pouches. Cut it out leaving a 2–3 mm sealed edge, and punch any key-ring hole in that edge, away from the code.

    Use matte laminate if you can, and scan it again afterwards.

  8. Stick it on

    Clean and dry the spot first. Choose a flat place someone will see: under a laptop, on the back of a phone or inside a clear case, on a suitcase or a bike frame.

    Avoid curves, hinges and places that get hot.

  9. Done!

    Scan it once more to see what a finder will see. Whoever finds your item can now scan the sticker and send you a message.

It won't scan?

Cause Fix
Printed smaller than 100 % Print it again at actual size
Faded or streaky print Choose High quality, or put in a fresh cartridge
Glare Use matte paper or laminate, or tilt the phone
Cut into the white edge Print it again and cut on the dashed line
Still stuck Go one size bigger

Every sticker also has a code printed under the QR. Anyone can type it at returnmeback.com/found, so a finder can still reach you if the QR gets scratched.