Setting up your artwork
Are you supplying your own artwork to us and not sure how to set it up? Here are a few important points and steps!
Colour
Please ensure you convert all RGB colours to CMYK.
Please expect difference in colour between what you can see on your screen and what will print. This is because your monitor has a backlight, and so colours will appear brighter/more vibrant than how they will print.
Colours will also print differently on each printer, and each material. A specific colour printed on textured stock, foiled stock and matte/gloss stock will look different on all.
If it is important to you to achieve a specific colour, please let our team know it is a colour sensitive job when you place your order and we can provide options to help you achieve a colour match. Colour inconsistency is not grounds for a reprint, however there are lots of things we can do in the processing of your files to minimise this, however we do need to be made aware ahead of time.
If you need to match a colour for consistency please make sure you provide us with the CMYK Pantone colour. Without this we cannot guarantee colours printed will match other printed collateral you may have. If you are not able to provide a Pantone, you are welcome to send us a colour sample (like a sample label) and we can look up the closest Pantone for you.
Setting up your artwork correctly
Please read through the checklist for providing design files. Remember: If your files do not meet our
specifications, your product may be printed incorrectly. If you do not supply artwork which matches our
requirements, we will ask you to resupply it or charge you for the time it takes to adjust. When supplying your
labels to Long Story Short to print, you must make sure the following requirements have been met.
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Label Size & Bleed
Artwork MUST have a 3mm bleed. This is to ensure there is no white space printed around your artwork. If you are unsure of how to do this, simply make sure no text or crucial elements are within 3mm of the edge of your design as they may be cut off. If using Canva to design, save as a 'PRINT PDF' then select 'ADD BLEED AND CROP MARKS'
Please make sure your design is set up to the correct size. We can scale your design up or down, but if it does not fit in your measurements we will charge a layout fee to edit. As an example, a rectangle label will not print square and vice versa.
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Saving you Files
We accept PNG or PDF. However, we do prefer PDF. Please make sure all fonts are embedded (outlined) if sending a PDF design or it will not open correctly on our end. If downloading from Canva there is no need to do this, please download as PDF print. Please save your files at a mini of 300 dpi.
Naming your files: Please name each file with the below included
1. Name of your product
2. size of the label
3. quantity you would like us to print of that particular design
For example:
Exfoliating Salts 60x40mm x 100
Specialty Printing
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Foil
Make sure all elements of your design are vector and all fonts are outlined (including your logo). Please use a bright colour (not already in your artwork) and let us know that colour is to be foil. Please avoid any small or thin fonts and smaller detailed artwork as foil may fill in those areas.
Please note: Foil stock is notorious for affecting the colour, so for foil labels we always recommend you provide us with a Pantone colour to ensure it prints as per expectation. If you don't have access to this information, you can also mail us a sample of the colour you would like to achieve.
Foil also washes out colour slightly, so if you have a light coloured background please darken it by 20%
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White Ink
White ink can be used in two ways.
1. It could be to print WHITE ink on our artwork.
2 It could be used as an underlay under colour.
So it is important to let us know in as much detail as you can what you want white ink, what you might want as an underlay etc.
Make sure all elements of your design are vector and all fonts are outlined (including your logo). Please use a bright colour (not already in your artwork) to show us where the white ink should be.
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Spotgloss
Make sure all elements of your design are vector and all fonts are outlined (including your logo).
Let us know in detail where you would like the spotgloss applied.
Please note: Spotgloss always looks better on bigger, bolder areas. The more of it, the better it looks and the more it stands out. That isn't to say you can't have it on small text, but it looks fantastic on bigger areas!
Font Size
As a general rule we recommend not going below a size 6, this includes the size of text in any of your icons. For textured stock we recommend NO small font, especially on linen and monument. We can still print food or skincare labels with the ingredients etc, however make text as large as you are able within the parameters of the design.
Fine Details
We recommend not using small text or small details on textured labels. Any fine detail will not print well on texture. If using line art again, make sure it is in a contrasting colour to the background.
Colour
Colours tend to wash out on textured stock. Please ensure you do not use lighter colours. Colours will wash out on texture labels by about 30% so always darken your colours by about 50%. Always consider contrast. Light text on a dark background. Or dark text on a light background.
We do not proofread your labels, we will simply print what
you have supplied so please make sure your labels have no
spelling or grammar mistakes, and are saved in a high resolution.
Setting up cards / swing tags
Please avoid any borders on swing tags, business and thank you cards
Set up
Please ensure you supply your artwork to us with front and back combined into a single PDF file.
2 Sided Business Cards
Page 1 will print as Front
Page 2 will print as Back
NOTE – Gloss and Matte Lamination on 1 side will always be treated to Page 1 of your document.
When ordering Spot UV, we require a 3 Page PDF.
Page 1 will be the Business Card side which requires the Spot UV to be applied.
Page 2 will be the Reverse side of the Business Card.
Page 3 should be Spot UV to be applied to Page 1 ONLY (using a spot colour marked Spot UV).