Artwork Specifications
Ensure perfect print results with our comprehensive file preparation guide
Accepted File Formats
Preferred format - High quality, press-ready PDFs with embedded fonts
AI (Adobe Illustrator)
RecommendedVector artwork ideal for logos, graphics, and scalable designs
EPS
Encapsulated PostScript - Good for vector graphics
JPEG / JPG
High resolution only (300 DPI minimum) - May lose quality
PNG
Suitable for images with transparency - 300 DPI minimum
TIFF
High quality raster format - Large file sizes
PSD (Adobe Photoshop)
Layered raster artwork - Build the bleed into the canvas and save as Photoshop PDF (see our step-by-step guide)
What we check automatically: every PDF, JPEG and PNG you upload goes through our print-readiness check within minutes (size, bleed, resolution, colour, page count). Other formats are checked by our team. If something needs a decision you get one email with the options; nothing prints until you approve.
Resolution Requirements
Minimum: 300 DPI (Dots Per Inch)
This ensures sharp, high-quality printed output
Avoid: Below 150 DPI
Images may appear pixelated or blurry when printed
Vector Graphics: Resolution Independent
AI, EPS files scale perfectly at any size
Colour Mode
Always Use CMYK for Print
RGB is for screens only. Convert all artwork to CMYK to ensure accurate colour reproduction.
Important: Colours may shift when converting from RGB to CMYK. Always check your print preview before you approve it.
Bleed & Safe Zones
What is Bleed?
Bleed is the area of your artwork that extends beyond the finished trim size. This ensures no white edges appear if there's any slight movement during cutting.
- •Standard Bleed: 3mm (all sides)
- •Safe Zone: Keep important text and logos at least 3mm from the trim edge
- •Stickers: Keep text and logos at least 5 mm inside the cut line, as our sticker templates show
- •Background: Extend background colours and images to the bleed edge
Example: For an A4 flyer (210mm x 297mm), your artwork file should be 216mm x 303mm (adding 3mm bleed on each side).
Custom Shape Stickers
On Individual Stickers we cut right round your design on our Zünd, 2 mm outside its edge, and supply each sticker loose. On Sheet Stickers we kiss cut round your design, 2 mm outside its edge, so each one peels off the sheet.
- •Your file: Upload a PNG with a transparent background, your design on plain white, or a PDF.
- •Your own cut line: If your PDF has a cut line named CutContour we cut on that line.
- •The outline: Gaps inside the design are filled; the cut follows the outside edge.
- •Round the edge: The 2 mm band between your design and the cut is left unprinted: white on the white stocks, clear on Gloss Clear.
- •Your print preview: free before we print. Only what is inside the magenta line prints. Magenta line: we cut here. Grey stripes: trimmed off, not kept. The lines are not printed.
Font Requirements
✓ Recommended: Outline/Embed Fonts
- •Adobe Illustrator: Type → Create Outlines
- •Adobe InDesign: Export PDF with fonts embedded
- •PDF: Ensure all fonts are embedded (check PDF properties)
⚠️ Warning: If fonts are not outlined or embedded, text may display incorrectly or be substituted with default fonts.
Image Quality Guidelines
Good Quality Images
- • High resolution (300 DPI)
- • Sharp, in-focus photographs
- • CMYK colour mode
- • Properly exposed (not too dark/light)
- • Professional stock photos
Avoid These Issues
- • Low resolution web images
- • Screenshots (usually low quality)
- • Overly compressed JPEGs
- • Stretched or distorted images
- • Blurry or pixelated photos
File Size Recommendations
- •Upload limit: 350MB per file, the maximum our artwork upload accepts
- •Large format: Files may be larger, but compress images where possible
- •Compression: Use high-quality compression settings to reduce file size without quality loss
- •Too large? Contact our team for alternative upload methods
✅ File Checklist
Need Help with Your Artwork?
Our design team can help prepare your files for print or create custom designs from scratch.
Ready to print?
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