Artwork Guidelines
We have put together a list of helpful guidelines to ensure a fantastic printed product. You can find everything you may need below to take your art from digital to print ready.
We have a full service graphic design department ready for anyone needing a little help or a fully custom design. Learn more about our in-house design services here. Or you can fill out a design services request form at the bottom of this page.
Resolution: At least 300 PPI (pixels per inch)
If you are working with vector art, such as an ai. or eps. file, you do not have to worry about resolution. This is our preferred format.
If you are working with pixel art, such as a jpg. or png. file, you will need to make sure it is 300 PPI (pixels per inch) at final size. Use the before and after slider see the difference between vector art or 300 PPI compared to 72 PPI rasterized art.
A good rule of thumb is if you are looking at your art on screen at actual size and it looks pixelated, blurry or has artifacts, it will print that way.
Color Mode: CMYK
When designing for something that is printed, it is best to start in CMYK color mode, or at least be aware that colors in RGB might look different when printed. We do also do our best to provide accurate Pantone Solid Color matching ,but please note all colors are printed out of CMYK and are only an approximation of the true color and we are unable to print metallic or neon colors.
Units: Inches
Using inches rather than pixels allows for higher accuracy for cut lines or bleeds. You can easily figure out the dimensions without doing any calculations.
Cut Lines / Bleeds / Margins
Cut lines indicate where to trim your artwork. Some items, like die cut stickers, can be cut to any shape. If no cut line is indicated on your submitted art, we will use a uniform offset of the shape of your design.
Bleed is anything being printed past the cut line. Bleeds are necessary whenever you want something to extend past the cut line, leaving no white margin. We require a minimum of 1/16″ of bleed past the cut lines and are happy to add bleed to your artwork as needed.
Margins are the minimum space needed around a cut line. The closer your art is to the cut line, the greater the possibility it may be trimmed. We require a minimum of 1/16″ margin to ensure that the artwork does not get cut off within the sticker.
Sticker sheet margins can be a bit more tricky, as it is a combination of all the above. But a good rule is to keep all cut lines at least 1/4″ away from each other. This will allow you to have enough bleed and margin within the peel offs and the carrier sheet. Please reach out to us if you need help laying your sticker sheet out.
Saving Files
Below are some tips for saving files. They may seem basic, but they are often overlooked before saving the finial art file.
- Outline all fonts used in your design. It is the best way to make sure any text used is as you intended it to be. In Adobe Illustrator, you can do this by selecting the text then selecting Type > Create Outlines.
- Embed all linked images so that everything you are wanting to print is on the art file. Alternatively, you can include the linked image in a ZIP file with your art.
- Save as a one of these file types: PDF, AI, EPS, JPG, PNG, PSD, SVG, or TIFF. If you need to send multiple files, please send a ZIP file.
Copyright
Do not send us someone else’s art or logo. By sending us an image file, you are acknowledging that you own the rights or have permission to use the artwork as it it being produced. We may ask for licensing information or proof of ownership on any artwork.
If no ownership/licensing can be provided, we will ask that you send us a different image. Alternatively, the order will be canceled.
Please visit our Terms and Conditions page for more information on working with Skylark Printing.
Need help with your art?
You can give us your image and we’ll turn it into an awesome sticker design that you can share with the world! If you need some help creating your art or would like us to review your art, please send us a message and we will be happy to help. The fee for this service is $75 per hour.
