Preparing artwork for print: bleed, CMYK and files

Bleed, cut line and safe zone

Every label and sticker file has three outlines. Set your artwork up with all three and the finished piece looks right even when the cut lands slightly off centre.

• Cut line. The finished size and shape of the label.
• Bleed. Extend background colours and images 3 mm (0.125 in) past the cut line on every side, so no white edge shows if the cut moves. A 2 × 2 in label becomes a 2.25 × 2.25 in file.
• Safe zone. Keep text, logos and anything that must not be trimmed at least 3 mm (0.125 in) inside the cut line.

Allow for the cutting tolerance

Digital cutting can shift by up to 1 mm in any direction. That is normal for commercial printing, and the bleed and safe zone exist to absorb it.

Borders show the shift the most. A thin frame close to the edge ends up visibly thicker on one side than the other. Leave the border out, or make it at least 0.18 in (about 4.5 mm) wide so a small shift goes unnoticed.

Custom shapes

Rectangles, rounded rectangles, circles and ovals only need a size. For a custom die-cut shape, send a vector file (PDF or AI) with the cut line drawn in:

• on its own layer named "Dieline"
• as a 0.25 pt stroke in a 100% magenta spot colour
• set to overprint

Smooth, continuous curves cut best. Very spiky outlines can tear the backing during production, so give sharp points a small rounded corner. The stickers peel more easily that way too.

Colour

We print in CMYK, the four process colours. Set your file up in CMYK. RGB files are converted automatically, and very bright screen colours such as neon greens and electric blues can come out duller.

A screen gives off light and a label reflects it, so the two never match exactly. A difference of 5 to 10% between your screen and the printed label is normal for digital printing. We print from the colour values in your file and don't match Pantone (PMS) colours.

Blues and blacks

• Blue that prints purple. Blue and purple sit close together in CMYK. Make the cyan value at least 30% higher than the magenta value.
• Small text, fine lines and barcodes. Use pure black: C0 M0 Y0 K100. It prints with crisp edges.
• Large solid black areas. Use a rich black such as C60 M40 Y40 K100 for a deeper finish. Keep it away from thin text.

White areas and clear stickers

Our presses don't print white ink. Anything that is white in your file is left unprinted, so on white film and paper it shows the white label stock underneath.

Clear vinyl stickers work differently. White areas in the file come out see-through, so a design that relies on white disappears. Dark artwork on a light surface works best on clear vinyl.

For Canadian natural health product labels, the required text has to read like black on white. Leave the area behind it unprinted so the white stock does the job. Our NHP label guide explains the rule.

Resolution and file types

• Vector files are best. AI, EPS or a vector PDF keeps text and edges sharp at any size.
• Images need 300 DPI at print size. JPG and PNG files work if they are 300 DPI at the size of the label. A label 2 in wide needs an image at least 600 pixels wide.
• Web images are too small. Pictures saved from websites and social media are usually 72 DPI. Raising the DPI in an image editor doesn't add the missing detail, so start from the original file.
• Flatten effects. Transparency, drop shadows and glows can print unpredictably. Flatten the artwork before you save the PDF.

Text and fonts

• Outline your fonts. Use Create Outlines in Illustrator, or rasterize the type in Photoshop, so the letters print exactly as designed.
• Smallest size. Keep text at 6 pt or larger on labels and stickers. A 6 pt font is about 2.1 mm tall.
• White text on a dark background. Ink spreads very slightly on dark fills and can close up thin white letters. Use a bold sans serif at 8 pt or larger.

Natural health product labels have their own legal minimums for required text. See the NHP label guide.

QR codes and barcodes

Make QR codes at least 0.75 × 0.75 in (about 19 mm), in dark ink on a light background. Print the file at 100% on a home printer and scan it with your phone before you upload. Our file check covers print setup, so it won't tell you whether a code scans.

Business cards

• Keep text at 7 pt or larger.
• Double-sided cards print head to head: the top edge of the front lines up with the top edge of the back. If one side is vertical and the other horizontal, rotate one of them in the file so both face the same way.
• Dark colour running to the edge of an unlaminated card or paper label can chip slightly where the blade trims it, showing white fibres. Keep the edges lighter, or choose a laminated stock.

Before you upload

• The file is the label size plus 3 mm of bleed on every side.
• Text and logos sit at least 3 mm inside the cut line.
• The file is CMYK, and small text and barcodes are 100% K.
• Images are 300 DPI at print size.
• Fonts are outlined and effects are flattened.
• Nothing important depends on white ink.
• Custom shapes have a separate dieline layer.
• QR codes scan from a test print.

We check every file for resolution, bleed and safe margins, set it up for print at no charge, and email you a digital proof. Nothing is printed until you approve it.