Before you upload
Artwork Guidelines
Five minutes here saves a back-and-forth later. Most of it comes down to one question: how many pixels does your file have?
Accepted file formats
We accept PNG, JPG, JPEG, PDF, SVG, AI and EPS, up to 50 MB. Export PSD, INDD, DOCX or CDR files to one of these first.
- AI, EPS, SVGVector
- No resolution to run out of. One file prints at any size.
- PDFEither
- Great if exported from vector art, no better than a JPG otherwise.
- PNGPixel
- Best pixel format: it can carry a genuinely transparent background.
- JPG, JPEGPixel
- Works, but holds no transparency: the background comes with it.
What makes a file print clean
Two things: the file type, and whether it has enough pixels for the size you want. Vector has no resolution to run out of. Everything else needs enough pixels and a transparent background.
Vector or raster
A vector file redraws itself at any size. A photo or a screenshot has a fixed number of pixels, and enlarging it turns a curve into a staircase.
Big enough to print
A small file blown up to sticker size goes soft at the edges. If yours is borderline we will tell you before it is printed, not after.
Transparent background
Artwork saved on a transparent background cuts to its own outline. Artwork saved on a white rectangle brings the rectangle with it, and you can take that off in the browser before you order.
Send PNG, JPG, PDF, SVG, AI or EPS, up to 50 MB per file.
Aim for 300 dpi at the finished size: multiply the sticker width in inches by 300 to get the pixel width you want.
- 2 inch sticker: about 600 pixels wide
- 3 inch sticker: about 900 pixels wide
- 4 inch sticker: about 1200 pixels wide
- 6 inch sticker: about 1800 pixels wide
Below 150 dpi at your chosen size, the upload check flags the file for a closer look, not an automatic rejection. An already-enlarged image can't be fixed after the fact, so send the original if you have it.
PNG, SVG, AI and EPS can all hold true transparency. JPG cannot: it has no transparency at all, so a logo saved as a JPG always carries a solid background baked into the image.
A white background is not transparency. A PNG with a white rectangle looks the same on a white page, but behaves differently on the cutter. Remove an unwanted background with the order page's tool, which runs in your browser.
Cut line, bleed and safe area
The cut follows your outline, not a rectangle. Let background color run slightly past the edge, and keep text or a phone number a little clear of it. A border option handles the first one for you.
Cut as a square
The cut goes around a rectangle and the corners come with it.
Cut to your outline
The cut follows the shape you drew, into the corners and back out.
The practical version
What to expect from color
- Bright, saturated colors read a touch deeper in print than on screen.
- Matte reads darker than glossy, most noticeable across large solid areas.
- Holographic shows through light areas, fades under heavy dark solids.
Matching a brand color? Tell us the reference in the order notes.
Artwork review
A person checks every order before it prints, included in the price.
What we check: resolution for the size you ordered, whether the background is genuinely transparent, how the cut path will fall around your shape, whether anything important sits too close to the edge, and whether the file opens correctly at all.
What we do not do: redesign your artwork, recreate a low-resolution logo as vector art, proofread your text, or change your file without telling you. Your original upload is kept with the order and never overwritten.
If there is a problem
A short checklist before you upload
- Send the vector file, or your largest pixel version, not a resize.
- Check pixel width against sticker size with the math above.
- Make sure the background is transparent, or remove it on the order page.
- Move text and other essential content in from the edge.
- Read every word out loud, twice, including the date and phone number.
- Size floor: neither side under 1 inch.
Questions
Artwork questions
Sometimes. It depends on how many pixels it has and how big you want the sticker. A 2000-pixel-wide logo is fine at three inches, marginal at six. Upload it: if it's too soft for your size, we flag it and contact you before printing.
Yes, in your browser on the order page: an instant first pass, then a stronger one seconds later. It handles photos and busy backgrounds, but still struggles with soft edges, hair, smoke and glass. We also check the result during artwork review.
Close, and consistent within a run, but printed ink and a backlit screen never match exactly. If a color is critical, say so in the order notes and tell us the reference you're matching.
No. We generate the contour from the outline of your artwork. If you want the cut to follow something other than the outline, describe it in the order notes and we will look at it during review.
We email the address on your order, explain the problem, and say what would fix it. Nothing prints until it's resolved; your order sits at on-hold status rather than quietly failing. Prefer to talk? Call 631-458-3842.