How to Prepare Your Sticker Files for Print: Bleed and Safety Guide
You’ve designed a beautiful logo, but when it comes time to print, you might hear us ask: "Does your file have bleed?"
At Custom Sticker Print, we want your final stickers to look 100% professional. To avoid white slivers on the edges or text getting chopped off, your artwork needs to be set up correctly before it hits our presses in Ontario.
Here is the simple guide to Bleed, Safety Margins, and Image Quality.
1. What is "Bleed"? (No White Edges)
Machines are precise, but even the best digital cutters have a tiny tolerance of movement (usually +/- 1mm). If your design stops exactly at the cut line, a slight shift during cutting could result in a thin, ugly white line on one side of your sticker.
The Solution:
You must extend your background color or image beyond the actual cut line. This extra extension is called Bleed.
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Our Requirement: Please add 0.125" (1/8 inch) of bleed on all sides.
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Example: If you want a 3" x 3" sticker, your digital file should be 3.25" x 3.25".
2. What is "Safety Margin"? (Don't Cut My Text!)
Just as the cutter might shift slightly out, it could also shift slightly in. If your text or logo is right on the edge, it might get sliced off.
The Solution:
Keep all important text, logos, and essential details inside the Safety Zone.
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Our Requirement: Keep text at least 0.125" (1/8 inch) inside the cut line.
3. Image Resolution (300 DPI)
Since we use high-end digital toner presses for crisp, vibrant results, sending a low-quality image is like playing an 8K movie on an old TV—it will look pixelated.
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Screen vs. Print: Images from the web are usually 72 DPI (Low Res).
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Print Standard: We need 300 DPI (High Res) at the actual print size.
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Tip: If you zoom in on your PDF at 100% and it looks blurry, it will print blurry.
4. Designing in Canva? Read This.
Many of our clients use Canva. Here is how to export print-ready files from Canva:
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Go to Share > Download.
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Select PDF Print (Best for printing).
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Check the box that says "Crop marks and bleed".
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Select CMYK (if you have Canva Pro) or flatten the PDF.
5. Quick Checklist Before Uploading
Before you send your files to our Markham team, check these 3 things:
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✅ Bleed: Background extends 0.125" past the cut line.
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✅ Safety: Text is kept away from the edge.
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✅ Color: File is converted to CMYK (remember, we do not print white ink or neons!).
Need Help?
Don't worry if you are not a professional designer. We offer free e-proofs with every order. We will check your file and let you know if there are any issues before we start printing.
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