Stickers vs. Printing

[Daiker]

Poll for Takanuinuva. Original topic.

When it comes to the small details Lego needs to put on bricks. Do you prefer when they print the designs on the bricks or make stickers you have to apply. Note this does not apply to minifigures since they always have printing.Me I prefer both. Each have there pros and cons. Printing means no stickers to apply but if you want to remove the printing its takes a long time. With stickers you don't have to put them on but if you want the detail you have to use them and with some stickers its a pain to get them on right.So what's your opinionStickersPrintingI don't mind either

Personally, I prefer stickers.

[Mare Tranquillitatis]

Printings. Just because I wouldn't have to mind to put stickers correctly.

[FrozenFlash]

Printing because I don't like putting on stickers.

[BenLuke]

I don't really mind either. Printing generally is preferable if I want to keep whatever detail on, but at least with stickers you can choose not to apply them.

[JPNML]

stickers. sometimes i don't like stickers, or i need to take them off, they are prime. I HATE having scratch printings off. it damages the pieces.

[Wotz]

Printing. I'm just too lazy to add/remove stickers

[Axilus Prime]

Printing. My fingers can't properly apply the stickers without making them lopsided.And when do I ever remove the prints? XD

[Aanchir]

Nulled, because while I'm not indifferent about the issue (which is what the third option seems to imply), whether I prefer stickers or printing is very context-specific. Certain parts are great to have as printed elements, like decorations that are likely to be used for a lot of different things or parts where a sticker would be impractical (2x2 round bricks and astromech droid bodies, for instance, since stickers like to peel off of those). I also don't like having round stickers on non-round parts (makes it extremely difficult to line up the sticker right, not to mention to get the right sides facing the right directions-- a good example is the sticker from the tail fin of the LEGO City Space Shuttle).However, having every detail of a set printed feels wasteful and forces you to deface certain parts if you want to have them without a decoration. It would also limit the number of set-specific "easter eggs" designers could put into sets, since they wouldn't want to create too many printed elements they wouldn't reuse elsewhere. Naturally it would drive up the costs of sets as well.Personally, I've always considered the applying of stickers just another part of building a set, and obviously some builders feel the same way-- stickers have long been standard in some themes like Technic. At the same time, sets aimed at younger kids often favor printed elements, especially if the elements are meant to have personality. Examples include the Cars theme, which uses printed elements for almost all character decorations. So really even TLG acknowledges that the choice between stickers and printed elements is heavily dependent on context.

[Sumiki]

I nulled - but for a different reason than Aanchir's reasoning above. The way I see it, if a part must have a design on it, then I vastly prefer printing. Stickers are hard to apply properly and eventually peel back and/or flake. However, if given the option, I'd take the stickers, simply because I don't have to apply them, keeping the part to which they would have been applied free to use in my MOCs. With printing, they're still usable, but not as versatile. I started this with Tuma's helmet and never stopped, which was the beginning of my transition into an exclusively MOCist mindset.

[Sybre]

Since I'm not much of a MOCer, I prefer printing. I can't stand stickers.

[that guy from that show]

I love stickers. When they go on it feels so satisfying when you do it right

[MaksDudekVA]

I prefer printing because then I dont have to take so much time trying to put the stickers on and because I sometimes don't put stickers on properly.

[Toa Smoke Monster]

I voted for printing, because I never did like putting stickers on my Lego pieces.

[LewaLew]

I'm not much of a builder, so I prefer printing. Stickers are too hard to get exactly right.