Everyone loves a good sticker! They can be sold in shops and online stores to help boost revenue. They can be given out at events and conferences to boost marketing and promotional goals. And they can be used in creative projects to add a fun and personal touch to almost anything. Getting quality stickers on demand is a great way to improve your business, personal brand, or creative project. But there are some things you need to prepare ahead of time if you want to ensure your stickers are printed properly and delivered in good condition.
Stickers on Demand: File Formatting
Before you can send your stickers off to be printed, you need to make sure your file is formatted properly. Having your file set up correctly will ensure that everything prints out the way you want. It will also make the entire stickers-on-demand process move faster, as you won’t have to spend time reconfiguring your files after sending them. When formatting your stickers for printing, you have to pay attention to three important settings that regularly cause issues.
Color Spectrum
Stickers can be vibrant and colorful, but only if they are formatted to be so. Most image software defaults the color spectrum used to RGB (red, green, blue). This is because that’s how computer screens filter colors. When designing in RGB, you may get the perfect color combination you want but then find that it prints out differently. While computers use RGB to filter colors, printers use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). If you try to create your festive green or brilliant blue with RGB, they could come out looking lackluster or off-kilter when printed. Making sure your file is formatted to CMYK before sending it to the printer is key to your stickers on demand being done properly.
Tip: In some cases, editing colors in CMYK may look different than you’d expect. To make sure your stickers are the right colors, print a test sheet at home or in the office and check the colors to make sure they’re correct.
Image Size
When discussing image size for printing, we don’t mean the width or height. We’re talking about dots per image (DPI). The DPI determines the overall quality of your image when displayed or printed. Most computer screens have no trouble displaying images with a resolution of 75 DPI perfectly. However, if you tried to print that same image, it’s likely to come out wobbly or blurry. Printers need a higher DPI to ensure the image comes out perfectly clear. So, when sending in your image, make sure the DPI is set to at least 300.
Tip: 300 DPI is the suggested minimum for physical printing. You can set your DPI to a higher number for even crisper, clearer stickers on demand.
Photo by MK +2 on Unsplash
Bleed and Margin
Physical printing comes with a unique challenge that on-screen images don’t often have to worry about. There’s a small margin of error that can occur when printing that may cut off a small part of the edge of an item. Even if the machine is perfectly calibrated, this issue can still occur. That’s why it’s important that you include a bleed area and margin line in your sticker designs. Anything outside of this area should be non-important artwork, such as a simple border or design background that can be lost without worry.
Tip: The industry standard for most printing bleed areas is 1/8”. Making sure you have this edge of each sticker set up with non-important features can help you avoid losing anything necessary during the printing process.
Finding a Stickers on Demand Printer
Once your file is perfectly formatted and ready to go, you need to make sure you find the right printer to get your stickers on demand. Choosing the wrong printer could result in poor printing quality or slow or damaged shipping. When picking out a printer for your stickers, be sure to consider the following.
Printer Reputation
Looking up reviews and testimonials online can help you determine whether or not a printer is right for your stickers. Many reviewers will post pictures of their orders so you can judge the quality and safe shipping of each company. A reputable printer will likely have an area on their website boasting about their positive reviews. A lack of reviews or testimonials could indicate that the printer may not be the right choice.
Printer Location
Having a printer located near you is the perfect way to get your stickers printed quickly and delivered safely. With each mile your order has to travel, that’s an additional risk of harm. Being close to your printer allows you to reduce the chances of your order being damaged during delivery. Many local printers also have pick-up options available, allowing you to take the delivery into your own hands and ensure your order arrives safely. This close location also helps avoid delays that could be caused by storms or other harsh weather conditions.
Stickers on Demand with Guru Printers
At Guru Printers, we believe in providing high-quality printed products for every business or personal need. Whether you’re looking for sticker sheets to sell in your store, roll labels to help promote your goods, or classic sticker designs to improve your creative projects, we have everything you need. Our stickers on demand are printed on high-quality paper with a variety of customizable options. We deliver quickly and have local pick-up options for clients near downtown Los Angeles. If you want to boost your business or brand with stickers, start placing an order online now or give us a call at (213) 371-9412 if you have any questions.
Leave a Reply