Make this giant sticker more interesting.

May 10, 2011 11:28 AM

My employer gave every Mac user a giant sticker with the company logo for the entire back of our laptops. There is even an Apple-shaped hole cut out in the sticker. What can I do to customize this? In addition to scissors my wife has a die-cut machine that one might use for paper crafts.
posted by mkb to computers & internet (14 answers total)

It would help if we knew what your company logo was. My brother has a not-mac but got a bunch of the little Apple stickers with his iPod a few years ago that he wanted to affix to his computer. I put angry eyes on the big apple and scared eyes on the small apple, and made like the big one was trying to chase/eat the small one. People seem to enjoy it. I can't tell from your question if that's the sort of thing you're going for.
posted by phunniemee at 11:38 AM on May 10, 2011

What are your interests? Look on Etsy, they have a zillion. I like the video game designs best. Ones where the apple is incorporated into the design are good, like Yoshi eating it or Snow White holding it.

I can't tell if you want advice on a design or advice on how to cut the decal.
posted by iconomy at 11:42 AM on May 10, 2011

Using a blue Bic ball point pen, draw the logos of all your favorite rock bands. Include Van Halen, Led Zeppelin (make sure you shorten it to Led Zep) and, of course, The Doors. Also write your initials, a plus sign, and your wife's initials. Indicate that you will love her "4eva."
posted by bondcliff at 12:03 PM on May 10, 2011 [9 favorites]

While I love the idea of personalizing laptops, you might want to check with the company first and make sure that's okay. I get the impression (maybe incorrectly) that these are company computers on which the administration wants to emblazon their corporate identity. They may take exception to "modifications" to the approved design.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 12:06 PM on May 10, 2011 [1 favorite]

I like these guys stuff a lot. It's well made. I got the camera dial one.
http://www.suzieautomatic.com/
posted by cccorlew at 12:47 PM on May 10, 2011

This is my favorite one.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 12:56 PM on May 10, 2011

Alas, the sticker is almost entirely black, so I'll have to use a white-out pen.

I need advice on how to cut the decal AND what to cut it into.
posted by mkb at 12:58 PM on May 10, 2011

mkb, can you give some indication of what the decal looks like? I think folks are suggesting looking at other decals to give you inspiration. As for how to cut it, an exacto knife will do the job, unless your wife's die cut machine has designs you like that you want to use (or you need exact circles, etc). But to make suggestions on how to subvert - or enhance - the message of the decal itself, we pretty much need to see it (and I know why that's tough, since it's your company's logo).
posted by annathea at 1:50 PM on May 10, 2011

Here's the logo. It's centered above the cutout for the Apple logo on the laptop lid. The label is almost entirely black otherwise, with some blue wavy lines that run the length of the label below the apple.

I received clearance for modification.
posted by mkb at 2:03 PM on May 10, 2011

I think you should use white-out to draw little surfers on the company logo and the blue wavy lines. Don't cut anything away from the sticker itself, but make some custom stickers to adhere on top of it. Things like a sun, birds, palm trees... the whole beach thing. That would be rad.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 2:45 PM on May 10, 2011 [2 favorites]

You could add this to yours. It might work depending on how your wraps teh aple.
http://www.suzieautomatic.com/eveandapple.html
posted by cccorlew at 3:21 PM on May 10, 2011

I love this question! I think because before I got a shell case I agonized over how to sticker-decorate my laptop.

Love the beach scene idea - you could get a bunch of vinyl sticker sheets in different colors and cut shapes to make a collaged surfer-dude riding the blue wavy lines - brown/tan for face and body, yellow for surfer-dude hair, print a hawaiian pattern (white on red?) for boxers, a neon surf-board... totally heady, man. You could go crazy with over-sticker collage - pac man? robots? outer space/aliens?

You could also do a colorful cut-out of the big sticker by putting neon sticker sheets underneath and cutting the logo sticker in certain places. For a black sticker you could put neon green and yellow sticker sheets on your laptop, then cut out evil-eye shapes into the sticker. I guess this depends on how you feel about your company :) or, cut other fruit silhouettes from the big sticker to blend in with the apple cutout. or aliens! or fish! or bacon! or a lady silhouette in the style of truck mud flaps!

Another idea is to do the neon stickers first, but cut the bottom half of your logo sticker like a snowflake to get some geometric patterns.
posted by ghostbikes at 7:54 AM on May 11, 2011

also - silver sharpie or white-out pen on the black.
posted by ghostbikes at 7:59 AM on May 11, 2011

I like the beach idea too.
posted by mippy at 8:32 AM on May 11, 2011