Send vector artwork, or images at 300 PPI or more, with text at least 6 pt and lines at least 1 pt. You don't need to draw a cut line. These guidelines apply to our custom stickers and labels. None of them is a reason to hold off ordering: where something won't print well, we contact you during proofing to work it out.
Resolution
Send vector files, or raster images at 300 PPI (pixels per inch) or more at the size you're ordering. Below that, we'll contact you during proofing. See what to do about low-resolution artwork.
File formats
These are the formats we accept:
- Vector: AI (Illustrator), PDF, EPS, SVG, and PS
- Raster: PNG, JPG/JPEG, TIF, and PSD
- Other programs: DOC/DOCX (Word) and PPT/PPTX (PowerPoint)
- Several files together: ZIP
If you upload a file we can't use, we'll contact you during proofing. See which file types to send.
Border
On stickers, you choose the border on the product page: Thin (0.065"), Standard (0.09"), or Thick (0.125"). You'll see it on your proof before anything prints. See sticker border options.
Bleed
If your design should run right to the edge, extend the background past where you want it cut: about 1/16" (0.06") on stickers and sheet labels, and 1/8" (0.125") on roll labels. If your file doesn't have it, we add it where it's needed, and a white border doesn't need it. Not all artwork suits printing to the edge; we'll say so on your proof.
Safe area
Keep important text and detail inside the cut line: at least 0.09" in on stickers and sheet labels, and 1/8" on roll labels. This is advice, and nothing gets refused for crossing it. See bleed, safe area, and how close the knife gets.
Cut lines
You don't need to draw one. We draw the cut line around your artwork, and you'll see it on your proof.
If you want a specific cut, draw it as a closed vector path with no fill, stroked in a spot color named exactly Flex (cut through) or Kiss (cut the face only, for sheets), and set the stroke to overprint. CutContour is recognized too. A plain colored stroke, magenta included, prints as part of the artwork. See sending your own cut line.
Font size
Keep text at 6 pt or larger, or 8 pt for thin (light or script) fonts. If your text won't be legible, we'll contact you during proofing.
Line thickness
Keep lines at 1 pt or thicker so they print cleanly and stay legible. If a line is too thin, we'll contact you during proofing.
Color
Send your file in the colors you designed it in. On stickers and sheet labels, RGB stays RGB and CMYK stays CMYK, and we print on an 11-ink extended-gamut press. Roll labels print in four-color CMYK, which reaches fewer colors than the 11-ink press. We convert an RGB file to CMYK for a roll label, and the brightest colors may come out a little duller. See RGB or CMYK and why screen color and printed color never quite match.