Label Design Checklist: Bleed, Resolution, and File Formats That Won't Get Rejected

Most design files we have to send back aren't rejected because the artwork looks bad — it's almost always a handful of technical details that are easy to miss if you're not printing for a living. Here's what to check before you upload.

Bleed

Bleed is the extra artwork that extends past your label's final cut line, so you don't end up with a thin white edge if the cut shifts slightly during production. Our standard bleed is 0.0625″ per side (0.125″ total) — make sure your background colour or image extends that far past the edge of your design, not just up to it.

Keep text and logos off the edge

Anything you don't want at risk of being trimmed — text, logos, important details — should sit safely inside the cut line, not right up against it. A small buffer here is what keeps text from looking cramped or accidentally clipped.

Resolution

300 DPI at final print size is the standard for sharp, clean printing. An image that looks fine on a screen at 72 DPI will often look soft or pixelated once it's printed at full size — check your file's actual resolution at the size it'll be printed, not just how it looks zoomed out.

Color mode

Design in CMYK, not RGB, whenever possible. RGB is built for screens and covers a wider colour range than a printing press can reproduce, so colours (especially bright blues and greens) can shift once they're printed. Starting in CMYK avoids surprises.

File format

For anything with a custom die-cut shape, a vector file (AI, EPS, or a vector-based PDF) is the most reliable format, since the shape itself can be defined precisely. For standard rectangular or circular labels, a high-resolution PDF or flattened image at full size and the correct resolution works fine.

When in doubt, ask before you upload

If you're not sure your file meets spec, send it over before placing the order — it's a lot faster to fix a bleed or resolution issue upfront than after a run is already printed.