Preparing your artwork for stickers and labels

Stickers and labels are printed and then cut to shape. Set up the basics below, and if your sticker is a custom shape, follow the cut-path note so we cut exactly where you want. For the full press detail, see our press file checklist.

File setup

  • PDF only, ideally PDF/X-4, with fonts embedded or outlined.
  • CMYK, Coated FOGRA39. RGB, Pantone and spot colours will be converted, which can shift colour, so convert them yourself first.
  • 300 ppi at the finished size for any images.

Size, bleed and cut clearance

  • Set your document to the finished sticker size.
  • Add 3mm bleed all round. Run any background or image right off the edge, so cutting never leaves a white sliver.
  • Keep text and anything important at least 4mm inside the cut. Cutting has a small tolerance, so content too close to the edge can be caught.

Standard shapes

If your sticker is a standard shape (a circle, square, rectangle or rounded rectangle), you do not need to supply a cut path. Just design to the size with 3mm bleed and we cut to that shape.

Custom shapes: the cut path

For a custom shape, cut to follow your design, we need two things: your design, and a separate cut path that tells the cutter where to go.

  • Your design as normal, with bleed, and with no cut line drawn on it.
  • The cut path as a separate page or file, containing only the path. It must:
    • be vector, one continuous path
    • be a stroke, not a fill
    • sit on the same page size as the design, in exactly the same position, as if laid over it
    • be as simple as possible, with as few points and tight corners as your shape allows

Your file checklist

  • PDF/X-4, CMYK Coated FOGRA39, fonts embedded or outlined
  • 300 ppi images
  • 3mm bleed, important content 4mm inside the cut
  • Standard shape: design to size, no cut path needed
  • Custom shape: design with no cut line, plus a separate cut path (one vector stroke, same position, kept simple)

Sending your file

  • Under 10 MB: email it straight to us.
  • Larger: use a file-transfer service such as WeTransfer, then send a quick email to say it is on the way.
  • Local? Bring it in on a USB stick.

Proofs and approval

  • We send a PDF proof before printing, so you can check the layout and, for custom shapes, how the cut path sits around your design.
  • On-screen colour depends on your own monitor, so the proof confirms layout and content rather than an exact colour match.
  • Please check your proof carefully. Anything you approve is what we print, errors included. You are also confirming you hold the rights to any images or logos used. Approval is given in writing and is contractually binding for the work. Full details are in our terms and conditions.

Turnaround

Usually 2 to 3 full working days from proof approval.

If we come back to you, it is usually one of these

  • No bleed, or the background stops at the edge.
  • Important content sits too close to the cut.
  • The cut path is missing, drawn on top of the design, filled instead of stroked, or too complex to cut cleanly.
  • The file is RGB, images are low-resolution, or fonts are not embedded or outlined.