A proof is a picture of the sticker or label we're about to make: your artwork, at the size you chose, on the material you chose, with the cut line drawn on it. Unless you choose "No Proof Needed" in your cart, you see a proof before anything goes on press.
Your proof arrives by email within 1 business day of your order. Trade stickers (hood cleaning and the industry service templates), stickers we design for you, and roll labels never print until you approve them. On other stickers, sheet labels, and Window Cling, if we haven't heard back from you 36 hours after we send the proof, we may go ahead and print what the proof shows. Check it as soon as it arrives, and reply, or ask us to hold it. See what happens if you don't reply.
The Live Sticker Proof, before you order
On sticker product pages for White and High-Tack vinyl, you can see your sticker before you add it to your cart. It's optional, and it works on one design at a time:
- Choose your options and upload one file.
- In the "See Instant Sticker Proof" box under the upload, press "Draw It Now".
- The "Live Sticker Proof" shows your sticker with its cut line and its width and height. You can try a different border, cut style, and background.
- If it looks right, press "Yes, Print This". No further proof is emailed, and our team still checks the cut and the file before printing. If you press "Request Changes" instead, we email you a proof.
If a file needs our team, no line is drawn, and the page says "Our team will prepare your proof before printing." In that case, we email you a proof after you order.
The "Live Sticker Proof" isn't offered on labels, on Clear, Holographic, Glitter, or Chrome, on Kiss Cut Stickers, on Sticker Sheets or Sticker Packs, or on the trade templates. See how to use the Live Sticker Proof.
The dashed green line is the cut line. It's where the blade goes, and it's not printed. The legend under the picture says "Cutline (Not Printed)". See what the dashed line means.
The proof we email
After you order, our team sets your file up for print and emails you a proof to approve.
- A file that isn't print-ready gets fixed, and we show you what changed on the proof.
- If you have no usable file, tell us what you need, and we can design it for you. Design work is charged. See what our design help covers.
- Artwork that won't hold up at the size ordered gets flagged before it's printed, not after.
Sometimes a proof comes with two versions, Option A and Option B, each with a note saying what's different. See why your proof has two options. If you chose "No Proof Needed" in your cart, there's no proof to approve. See whether you need a proof.
The buttons on your proof
Your proof opens from the link in the proof email. "View Larger" opens the proof bigger, with zoom. Under the proof are two buttons:
- "Approve This Design" sends the design to production.
- "Request Changes": first write what you want changed in the "Notes for us" box, then press "Request Changes". We make the change and send a new proof.
For 5 minutes after you approve, "Change My Answer" lets you take the approval back yourself. After that, see changes after approving a proof.
Anyone with the proof link can approve it or request changes, so you can forward the email to your designer, a colleague, or whoever signs off.
If the proof has white ink, a "Show White Ink" control lays solid white over the proof where the white ink goes. On Glitter, Holographic, and Chrome, the proof moves with your mouse, or a tap on a phone, to show the material catching the light. See reading a holographic, glitter, or chrome proof.
What to look at
Most mistakes that get past a proof are ones a few seconds would have caught. Check these four things (the full proof checklist has the rest):
- The spelling. Read every word, especially names, phone numbers, and web addresses. The order prints as you approve it.
- The cut line. Make sure it goes where you expect, and that nothing important sits close to it.
- The size. The size is written on the proof. Hold a ruler up if you're unsure, because a number on a screen is hard to picture in your hand.
- The color. Screens and ink differ. See why screen color and printed color never quite match.
If something is wrong
Say so. Requesting a change is a normal part of the process, and it's far cheaper than a reprint.
Be specific. "Move the logo up a little" is harder to act on than "the logo should sit centered, with even space above and below". You can request as many revisions as you need. See requesting changes to your proof.
Want one in your hand first?
A proof is a picture. To see your design printed before a full run of stickers, the 15 Custom Sticker Sample prints 15 of it on white vinyl, gloss or matte. For labels, a physical sample is usually cost-prohibitive, but you're welcome to ask us.
After you approve
Production starts, and the clock starts with it. Stickers and sheet labels ship 3 to 5 business days after approval, roll labels 5 to 7 business days, and trade stickers take 4 business days of production. Rush is available for a fee.
Approving is also when your card is charged. See how you can pay. If you need to change something after approving, read changes after approving a proof and contact us straight away.
Your approved artwork stays on file, so an exact reorder skips the proof round, even at a new quantity. That makes a second order of the same sticker faster than the first.