*Our professional-grade printers can print in CMYK mode only. Any files submitted in RGB will be converted to CMYK before printing which may result in minor color variations. If exact colors are required, physical proofs of your artwork are available. Uncut proofs are $4.95 and proofs with die cuts are $14.95 plus shipping.
Bleed is an industry term that refers to the process of extending your design 1/8" (0.125”) past the outline of your label. This “bleed zone” is a buffer that ensures your design prints to the edge of the label, even if printer shifting occurs. You should fill this section with background colors or imagery only, not critical design elements, as it may not make it onto your label. You can turn on bleed guidelines in Maestro Label Designer or see them automatically enabled in the Custom Printed Label tool.
The term "die cut" is used to describe the process of cutting shapes from paper and other materials. This process works a lot like a cookie cutter – we place a die cutter on our machines and run it over uncut label paper. The resulting labels have shapes cut into them that correspond to the shape of the die.
This means that the die line is the physical border of your label. You should design your label with the assumption that nothing outside the die line will print or remain on the label once it's peeled up from the liner. If you want your design to go all the way to the edges of your label (as opposed to it having a white border), consider adding a bleed.
In some instances, PDF viewers can't process certain fonts or images. When this happens, the PDF viewer may add squares around your design or lines through it. You can eliminate this issue by telling your PDF viewer that your document is an image. Here's how:
In Adobe Reader (our recommended PDF viewer), hit print. Click "Advanced" toward the top. Check the box for "Print As Image."
The easiest way to achieve true black print is by using "plain black" or 100% black ink. The color combination is: 0 Cyan (C), 0 Magenta (M), 0 Yellow (Y), 100 Black (K).
You can also create a "rich black" by utilizing the other ink colors. There are a variety of possible ink combinations, but the most common "rich black" is: 63 Cyan (C), 52 Magenta (M), 51 Yellow (Y), 100 Black (K).
While we don't provide custom design services at this time, our Maestro Label Designer program is an excellent tool for creating high-quality designs from scratch. The program is user-friendly and doesn't require previous design experience.
These gray lines are only displayed to show you exactly how your artwork will fit within the confines of the label. Don't worry, they won't appear on your printed label sheets.
It depends on the material and writing instrument. Permanent-style markers (such as Sharpies®) work on most of the materials we offer, but other utensils may vary. If you plan to add handwritten content to your labels, click "Learn More" below to view a list of materials and their compatible writing instruments.
Whatever writing utensil you choose, we recommend giving the ink ample time to dry. If you'd like to test the material and writing instrument for yourself, you can request samples anytime.
Our barcodes download as .png files with transparent backgrounds. Some programs like your computer’s default photo viewer may open your file on a black background. Because the barcode is also black, it might look like you opened a blank image.
To view your barcode on a white background, try opening the file in another program such as Microsoft Paint or Microsoft’s Photo Viewer. Rest assured, it will upload correctly to Maestro Label Designer and other programs; just be sure to keep it off of a black background.
Our nutrition labels download as .png files with transparent backgrounds. Some programs like your computer’s default photo viewer may open your file on a black background. Because the nutrition facts are also black, it might look like you opened a blank image.
To view your nutrition label on a white background, try opening the file in another program such as Microsoft Paint or Microsoft’s Photo Viewer. Rest assured, it will upload correctly to Maestro Label Designer and other programs; just be sure to keep it off of a black background.
Most home or office printers don't have the capability to print white ink. As a result, any white in your design is seen as the absence of color and will not print. Click "Learn More" below to see how your design may look in various applications without white ink.
Safe margin is an industry term that refers to the section 1/8" (0.125") between the center of your label and the label outline. This “safe zone” is a buffer that ensures the critical elements of your design are included on your printed label, even if printer shifting occurs. You should leave text, important graphics, and logos out of this section whenever possible. You can turn on safe zone guidelines in Maestro Label Designer to use this feature when designing.
Non-printable margin is an industry term that refers to the unprintable edges around your label sheet. Every printer on the market today has a fixed, maximum printable area. The area between the edge of the sheet and this fixed boundary is the non-printable margin.