Start by looking for a bigger version of the file. A raster image (a PNG, a JPG, or a photo) needs about 300 pixels for every inch of the finished sticker to print sharp, so a 3" sticker wants about 900 pixels across the design. If no bigger file exists, the next best fix is a smaller sticker.
Check what you have
Divide the pixels across your design by 300, and that's the largest size it prints sharp:
| Pixels across the design | Prints sharp up to about |
|---|---|
| 300 | 1" |
| 600 | 2" |
| 900 | 3" |
| 1,200 | 4" |
| 1,500 | 5" |
Here is the same 3/4" piece of a sticker at three resolutions, enlarged so the difference is easy to see:
Count along the design's longest side, because that's how sticker size is measured. Count the design itself, too, not the canvas: a logo in the middle of a big empty canvas has fewer pixels than the file size suggests.
To see a file's pixel size on a Mac, open it in Preview and choose Tools → Show Inspector. On Windows, right-click the file and choose Properties → Details.
The DPI number in the file's details doesn't tell you much on its own. A "72 DPI" image 3,000 pixels wide is plenty for a 4" sticker, and changing that setting to 300 without adding pixels only changes the size it claims to print at.
Vector files (AI, SVG, EPS, and most PDFs from design software) don't have this problem at all. See vector or raster.
Where blurry files come from
- Logos saved from a website or social media profile, which are sized for screens.
- Screenshots.
- Images sent by text or a chat app, which shrink and recompress them.
- Pictures placed in Word, PowerPoint, or Google Docs. See sending office files.
- AI-generated images, which often come out around 1,000 pixels across. See AI-generated artwork.
What you can do
- Find the original. Whoever designed your logo, built your website, or printed your business cards probably has a large or vector version. Ask for the AI, EPS, SVG, or PDF file, and send it even if you can't open it yourself.
- Export again from the source. If you made it in Canva, Procreate, or Photoshop, export a fresh full-size copy rather than reusing a small one. In Canva, set the design to the sticker's real size in inches first; see our Canva guide.
- Order it smaller. A file that's soft at 4" can be crisp at 2". Small text and thin lines go soft before anything else, so a file with fine print needs to be sharper than a photo does. A vector file avoids the problem altogether.
- Be careful with upscaling. Enlarging an image adds pixels, not detail. AI upscalers make edges look cleaner, but they guess at what's missing, so check text, faces, and fine lines closely afterward.
- Tell us. If a small file is all you have, say so when you order. Redrawing a low-resolution logo is always extra: it's design work, and it's charged. Ask us for a quote, or start with the Custom Designed Sticker.
Why it's worth fixing first
If your artwork looks soft on the proof at full size, it will look soft on the sticker. We'd rather tell you at the proof than after printing.
It matters for our guarantee too. The 100% Satisfaction Guarantee covers the quality of the product, and it requires artwork at a proper resolution (at least 300 DPI) that wasn't AI generated. A quality concern about a file below that doesn't qualify for a credit, refund, or reprint. See refunds and reprints.