Technological revolutions in printing at the beginning of the 20th century significantly boosted sticker production. Initially simple labels, these decals quickly made their way into countercultural movements, notably the hippie and punk scenes, before becoming fixtures in broader pop culture. Until the early 1990s, screen printing was the predominant method, only to be surpassed by inkjet printing and the advent of digital technology.

Screen printing, with its ability to use special inks such as fluorescent colors and its production constraints due to color separation, provides a distinctive retro texture and gives printed objects a unique quality that evokes a nearly bygone era. Amid a vibrant cultural and social context, marked by the rise of various countercultural movements in the 1960s and 1970s, the surf and skate culture played a crucial role in the expansion of fluorescent screen-printed stickers. These stickers were noted for their flashy aesthetics, which exploded in the 1980s before gradually receding in the early 1990s.

This archive features over 350 stickers produced between 1975 and 1995, offering a valuable glimpse into an era where graphic design and visual expression experienced a burst of creativity and color.

Collected by Charles Deroyan.

Designed by Tiny Studio.

Published by Kamengski Press and Masala Noir.