Personalise your gadgets with printed stickers

These days, we're never far from our technology. Whether it's scrolling on our smartphone to pass the time on a bus journey, working on our laptop in a cafe, or spending a lazy morning watching our favourite streaming show on a tablet, our gadgets have become a part of us, so it makes sense for them to reflect our personalities.

Maybe you're just off to university and want to keep yourself surrounded with pictures of friends from home, or you want to decorate your laptop with motivational messages that will inspire you every time you power it up. Instead of sticking with a dull grey machine or generic tablet, or spending money on a smartphone case that doesn't really feel like 'you', customising your tech can be the perfect opportunity to express your individuality. Use your favourite colours, travel memories, group selfies or inspirational quotes. It also helps make your tech easily identifiable and could be a conversation starter.

Canon's range of compact printers makes it quick and easy to print straight from your smartphone, and the selection of sticky-backed papers means you can create stickers and personalised labels in seconds that can be applied directly to your devices.

• Canon Zoemini or Canon SELPHY printer and paper
• Your favourite images and designs

Your designs may vary depending on what you're customising. There's more space on a laptop than a smartphone, so think about whether you want to choose an individual image – a group festival shot, a cute dog photo, or a particularly good selfie – or a collection of images that can be turned into a collage. The Canon SELPHY Square QX10 produces square prints with a border suitable for a caption, which would be perfect for larger tech, such as a laptop or tablet. The Canon Zoemini range has two types of sticker paper, one rectangular and a smaller circular option, which would be ideal for customising headphones and smartphones.

Once you have your design in mind, there are lots of ways to personalise it further. With Canon's photo and print apps, you can try different options on your phone before you print them out.

The Canon SELPHY Square QX10 and the SELPHY CP1500 are compatible with the Canon SELPHY Photo Layout app, which enables you to experiment with layouts and finishes. You could also use the app's multi-photo layout templates to put several images on one sticker, and then cut them out to create smaller designs.

The Canon Zoemini range is compatible with the Canon Mini Print app, which enables you to get creative with filters, frames, stickers and doodles as well as collage and tiling tools.

The Canon Zoemini S2 is a camera as well as an instant printer. Its in-built selfie mirror and ring light should mean your photos already look perfect, but you can still play around with them in the Canon Mini Print app.

Next, you need to decide which paper or stickers to use and load them into your portable printer. The Canon Zoemini range uses Canon ZINK™ Photo Paper which provides borderless, sticky-backed prints that are water and tear resistant, and can be cut into any shape or size. Or why not try the pre-cut circle stickers? It's a fuss-free way to print mini stickers, so you can snap a selfie with your best friend and have the matching memory on your smartphone cover in seconds.

The Canon SELPHY Square QX10 uses bordered sticker paper with a thick caption edge where you can add dates, names or inspirational quotations. For even more choice, the larger Canon SELPHY CP1500 printer can print in a range of sizes, including mini stickers and credit-card size stickers. The SELPHY CP1500 also connects via USB if you want to print from another device. Just load your paper and have your print in front of you in seconds.

Plus, the ZINK™ Photo Paper and the range of SELPHY sticker papers can be removed without a trace, so if you get bored of your designs, you can simply peel off and start again.

Now it's time to remove the backing from the print and apply it to your tech. It can help to clean the surface first to make sure it's smooth and free of residue. Carefully peel off the backing and apply in one slow movement. A ruler can come in handy here to help peel and stick in a straight line, progressing steadily over the sticker.

Once your gadgets are looking good, you're bound to notice other things that could use a little customisation. If you've given your smartphone a fresh look, what about designing your headphones to match? You could even customise your tech specially for a celebration or event – such as a birthday or festival. Coordinate with friends or do your own thing. The process is quick and easy, and the possibilities are endless.

Written by Kat Halstead and Angela Nicholson