File Setup - Adobe Illustrator
If you are an advanced user and have Adobe Illustrator, create the following layers and save the finished file as a PDF. Here's a link to our blog which explains these steps further.
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Layer 1: Name this layer "Artwork" - place your finished full color artwork here.
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Layer 2: Name this layer "Kiss-cut" - place kiss cut-line here. This is the inner outline of your sticker that takes the shape of your logo / design (after it is peeled off the backing). It should be contained entirely within the thru-cut line and the layer should also appear before the thru-cut line.
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Layer 3: Name this "Thru-cut" - place thru cut line here. This is the outer outline of your sticker that indicates how the individual sticker or finished product will be cut. Place this last in the Layers list. This must be offset from the kiss-cut line by a minimum of 0.2".
- Layer 4: Name this "Spot UV" - place your spot UV image here. This is the gloss layer on your stickers. It must be in 100% black and vector format.
Safety Margin
Text and images should be away from the trim edge by a minimum of 0.05".
Bleed
Bleed is the artwork that extends past the trim line or finished size of your product. If any element of your artwork is designed to be printed to the edge, it must be extended past the trim line and into the bleed area by a minimum of 0.05" on each edge.
The addition of bleed compensates for uncontrollable shifts that occur during the printing and trimming process; and ensures that any content touching the edges does not leave unwanted gaps or borders.
Minimum Cut Size
The smallest sticker that can be cut on a sticker sheet is 5mm.
Cut Lines
The stroke of the kiss-cut line and thru-cut line must be a minimum of 0.25pt.
Fine Detail
The finest detail we recommend is 0.5pt line-weight; however, please note that light colors or lines that are not solid (such as dotted lines) should be made thicker.
As for the spot UV, we recommend this on large and bold images only (the bigger the image, the better). It does doesn't work well for fine detail like type under 20pt.
Color
Artwork can be supplied in CMYK or RGB.
Image Resolution
All images should be 300 PPI or higher (at 100%).
See: Image Quality
File Format
Our preferred file format is PDF.
White Print
By default, we offer CMYK digital printing which consists of cyan, yellow, magenta and black inks. When supplying your print-ready design files or viewing a PDF proof, the white areas are considered transparent - they represent the sticker stock you chose.
White ink is available on our Super Matte Transparent and Super Gloss Transparent stocks only, which can be ordered from our White Ink Stickers page. Unless one of these stocks or the specialty ink, White Ink, is selected, then your stickers will only be printed in CMYK. See: How do I prepare files with white or metallic ink?
Transparent Sticker
Due to the translucent quality of ink, when printed over a transparent stock, the colors will be see-through and will look a lot lighter than they do when viewed on screen.
The surface which your transparent sticker will be placed on will greatly affect the overall appearance of the printed image. For example, when a transparent sticker is adhered to a white surface, the colors will appear more vibrant, opaque and closer to how they look in your proof. If the sticker is placed over a dark colored or patterned surface , it will reduce the visibility of your printed design. Additionally, when a transparent sticker is placed on a clear glass or a window, the colors can appear very light and will be the most see-through.
Overall, we recommend using dark colors when designing for transparent stickers and to avoid light colors as these will appear more translucent when printed and reduce the visibility of your printed artwork. Alternatively, consider adding a white ink underlay to enhance the colors and visibility by choosing either our Super Matte Transparent or Super Gloss Transparent sticker.