Artwork Specifications

The most convenient way to send us files is via email to info@multicolorlabels.com. In case your outbound email server may have smaller limits or if you’re sending many files and/or email proves to be unreliable, you can also upload files to our secure FTP site – please contact us for details. If none of these options are workable for you, please burn a CD-ROM and send it to us. You may refer to Photoshop Tutorials to learn and easily design your labels.

A full bleed is when the color extends to the edges of the label. If your label design or background color is intended to cover the entire surface of the label, please note that we need a 1/8″ (0.125″) bleed around each edge of the label. For example, if you have a 3” x 2” label where the color bleeds the label edges, you should size your design to 3.25″ x 2.25″ as this will allow a 1/8” bleed around the entire label. All bleeds need to extend 1/8” outside the die-cut area. It is advisable to leave at least 1/8″ (0.125″) of clear space – without any design elements or text – inside the die-line to allow for slight shifts during die-cutting.

 

Other Considerations: Vector-based art: Vector-based images are made up of lines and curves and can be resized and manipulated without losing the quality of the graphic. Vector graphics enable us to scale the object to any size without losing any details or clarity. Files in ai/cdr/eps/PDF are common examples.

 

To ensure high-quality digital printing results, your images and designs should be saved to 300 dpi for all pixel-based art at 100% of the dimensions at which they will print. Adjusting your document page size to the final label size is required. tiff/jpg/PSD are common examples.

White Ink Artwork Specifications: Along with the standard CMYK process colors, with our white ink option, it enables us to put down white ink on either metallic stock or to increase the opacity of artwork on clear stocks or to create stand-alone white ink designs from your artwork. You will need to identify the elements in the design that are supposed to be white with a special spot color named “white layer” in a vector-based artwork design such as .ai or .cdr type files. In case you do have previous labels printed with white inks, sending us some actual pictures will always be additionally helpful.

 

When color matching is critical, it is required that we are informed from up-front before we begin the process of your order. A separate color matching charge is also applicable. In the procedure for color matching, you would need to provide the artwork in CMYK value in a vector format or provide us with your previously printed samples, so that we can match the color. When color matching is required, we would provide you with physical samples for your tests/observations and we take an OK approval from the customer. Job printing or re-printing would commence after the approval on color matching from the customer. For color matching, the file is required to be a true vector file like .ai, .cdr etc. If any response or approval is not received from the client within 30 days from the last communication, for printing or a re-print job, the file or the project will be considered finished and will be terminated. Please be advised, for all re-print jobs, previously printed goods must be returned within the 30 day period.

 

We handle standard CMYK mode.

 

Our advice is to avoid borders for an asymmetric view of labels and if you really want a border, is to make it a thicker one – more than 4 points, that borders should be more than 1/8” in thickness. That way a fractional move during digital printing will be much less noticeable.

 

Always spend extra time and look for spell checks and number corrections in your text before sending in your artwork to us. This way you can save yourself the disappointment and extra expense on your part after the printing of your digital labels is done.

 

If your artwork is of a different size than the requested label, please include detailed instructions with your order. Be sure to save your original designs with you before sending in the artwork specifications to us for your custom labels and stickers. If you don’t have an appropriate industry-standard software used (Corel/Adobe) or a proper format of your file or finished design or if you have a confusion about artwork specifications, feel free to contact us for assistance as we know what works best for our digital printing process with custom product labels. We provide a list of a handful of tips that will help you save money on labels printing and increase your productivity with labels printing.