Setting up artwork can be quite the task if you're new to printing or a first time Graphic Designer. Rest assured, whether you're a seasoned Adobe pro, or a Canva first timer, we have the tips to help you set up your artwork so every label comes out looking fab!
For our artwork uploader we accept the following file types, jpeg, jpg, png, gif, pdf, svg. These are the most common file types and most artwork creation sites will allow your files to be saved as these.
If you'd like our preference? We often find that a high quality PDF is the best option, especially if it is in vector form as this will allow your artwork to come out at the best quality, no matter the size. If a PDF isn't available, the next best would be a jpg/jpeg, or a png, howevere please make sure the quality is okay before uploading.
Bleed is an extended area past the trim line (where we cut your artwork). This allows your artwork a little buffer space so that if the die moves at all during the finishing process that you won't have any white space around the label.
Bleed is essential for your artwork to look its best, we prefer a 3mm bleed on each edge of your artwork.
CMYK is our preferred colour profile as well as the industry standard for printing.
RGB is a digital colour profile which relies on light as its base, this makes it best for digital uses and is why it is used on most computers, phones, and other digital devices. CMYK by comparison is a print standard profile.
If you supply your artwork in an RGB format, our printer will automatically convert it to CMYK. There may be colour variations between CMYK and RGB, this is why we ask you to supply your art in CMYK so you can see it and confirm yourself.
The best file type to save your Canva artwork as is "PDF Print". This will produce the highest quality file type and will keep as many elements of your artwork as possible vectorised which allows it to scale to any size.
If you're looking for a guide to downloading your Canva artwork, we like this one here which explains how best to save your files, as well as how to add bleed, crop marks, and how to convert it to CMYK.
Too easy! To do this, when you're ordering your Synthetic Silver Labels, make sure you select the option "Add white ink" in the price calculator as this is what allows us to choose some elements to be metallic, and some not.
Next, when setting up your artwork, please ensure that it is not flattened (that the layers are still separated, allowing them to be editable), and that it's clear what you would like to be metallic. If your artwork is entirely flattened the entire artwork will be metallic as to apply it to only some elements we need to separately select them.
If you are using a design program like Illustrator which allows you to define your layers clearly, please create a separate layer which specifies what you would like to be metallic.
For this example, let's presume you have a blue background which you'd like to be flat/ not metallic, and a logo and golden text that you would like to be metallic. Select the logo and text which you'd like to be metallic, duplicate this, and name this layer metallic. This allows us to set up your artwork with only these elements metallic and will make sure we know to leave your blue background flat.
If you are using something like Canva to save your designs, please ensure you have saved your artwork as a print PDF which will allow the layers to remain separated (this allows us to select only the elements we need metallic as so) and then clearly write in your order notes what elements you would like to be metallic.
If you have any confusion with the set up of your metallic labels, write in your order notes what elements specifically are meant to be metallic as this way we can confirm if there are any issues.
That's okay! Our artwork uploader shows a low resolution of the file, this allows the website to load more quickly and smoothly. Rest assured that the quality of the file on your end is the same when it arrives on ours. Our artwork uploader scans the quality of your artwork as you're setting it up. This will tell you if your artwork is:
High Quality - The image is of excellent quality and will not be affected when printing
Medium Quality - The image is of OK quality and may be affected when printing in large format
Low Quality - The image is of bad quality and will be affected when printed
Vector - The image is a vector so no matter how much you Zoom In or Zoom Out, the image resolution remains unchanged.
Vector or High quality are the two most desirable options and will result in your artwork looking its best when printed.
Unfortunately, no. In order to keep costs low, we have tried to eliminate as many additional steps as possible so you're really only paying for the bits you need. As such, we don't do test runs or sample prints.
If you're wanting to see what a certain stock look and feels like, or you want to test how well it sticks to your products, we'd recommend checking out our Label Sample Kit here. The sample pack contains all of our stocks with each of our finishes on it. This will help give you an idea of how the labels look and feel and can show you the range of colours we can print with. This is the best option if you want to see something tactile before your first order.
