Start with a background that is truly transparent, then decide which parts of the design should look solid and which should stay see-through. On Clear Stickers, anything without white ink behind it lets the surface show through. You can tell us where the white goes on the product page, or build the white layer yourself in Illustrator.
Start with a truly transparent background
Remove any white rectangle behind the artwork, any off-white paper color, and anything on a background layer you forgot about. In Illustrator, turn on "View" > "Show Transparency Grid" and look. The checkerboard should show everywhere you want the sticker to be see-through.
On a white artboard, a white shape and clear vinyl look the same on screen. On the sticker, they are completely different.
Decide where the white goes
Our inks let light through, so a color printed straight onto Clear takes on whatever is behind the sticker. A clear design has three kinds of area:
- See-through: nothing printed, so the window, the jar, or the laptop shows through.
- Translucent color: ink with no white under it, like stained glass. Your colors are lit by whatever is behind them.
- Solid color: white ink printed underneath, then color on top, so it looks as it does on screen.
Most designs want a mix: solid for a logo and a phone number that have to be read, and translucent or clear for the rest.
Telling us which is which
You don't have to build the white layer. On the product page, the "White Ink Backing" question offers "None", "Full Base", "Partial Base", and "Select Areas". With "Select Areas", describe what you want in the "Where would you like white ink?" box ("logo solid, background clear" is enough), and we set it up and show you on the proof. Where white ink should go explains each choice.
If you know exactly where you want the white, build it yourself. You may want one highlight to stay clear while the one beside it looks solid, and only you know that. To build it:
- Make a new layer for the white.
- Draw the white shapes on that layer.
- Fill them with a spot color named
SpotWhite, spelled exactly that way. - Set the fill to overprint.
If you send your own white layer or cut line
When you send your own white layer or your own cut line, we open your file in Illustrator and work from it. What you drew is what prints, and the placement is yours.
That means a careful file is followed exactly. If the white is only roughly where you want it, tell us, and we will set it for you instead of following a guess.
Resolution and type
Vector artwork is ideal. Raster images are fine at 300 DPI or more at the finished size. A 3" sticker needs a 900-pixel image, not a 300-pixel one scaled up.
Outline your type, or send a PDF with the fonts embedded. Outlining fonts shows how.
What to expect on Clear
Fine detail and pale colors both lose contrast when nothing is behind them. Thin, light-colored text over a clear background is the most common disappointment. If the text has to be read, back it with white or make it heavier.
Check the white on your proof
Your proof shows the sticker with the white ink as we have set it. On the proof page, "Show White Ink" lays solid white over the places the white ink goes. Before you approve is the time to say a solid area should have been clear, or the other way around.