How to prepare your
your artwork files.
Read this once before opening Illustrator — it'll save you a round of softproofing later. Already prepping a file? Jump to the final checklist. If anything's unclear, email us the file before uploading and we'll have a look.
How to prepare your your artwork files.
Read this once before opening Illustrator — it'll save you a round of softproofing later. Already prepping a file? Jump to the final checklist. If anything's unclear, email us the file before uploading and we'll have a look.
01Document setup: bleed and safety zone
Getting your document dimensions right from the start is the single most important step. Every label file needs two things beyond the label size itself.
02File layers
Your file must be set up with these named layers. Layers that don't apply (e.g. Foil if your label has no foiling) can be omitted — but the names and order of the layers you do use must be exact.
03Colours
We print in CMYK only. All colours in your file must be in CMYK colour mode — no RGB, no lab colours.
- In Illustrator:
File → Document Color Mode → CMYK Color - Convert any Pantone colours to CMYK for predictable results. If left as Pantone, they'll be auto-converted using the Pantone “C” palette.
- Black text and small elements must be K100 only — not rich black (C60 M40 Y40 K100). Rich black on small type causes registration issues and looks muddy.
K100 vs rich black, side by side
Both look black on screen — but they print very differently:
04Images and resolution
Any pixel-based images (photos, textures, raster graphics) embedded in your file must be at 300 dpi at print size.
- Lower resolution prints blurry — we'll flag it in the softproof but cannot fix it.
- Higher than 300dpi is fine but doesn't improve print quality. Just bigger file size.
- Images must be embedded, not linked. Check via the Links panel — any warnings mean it isn't properly embedded.
- All embedded images must also be in CMYK colour mode.
05Transparent and metallic elements
Transparent labels (PP Clear)
On a clear label, anything without a white underprint will be transparent. To make elements opaque, copy them to the White layer and colour them with the HPI-White spot colour (C30 M0 Y0 K0). The white layer tells our press which areas to print white ink beneath the artwork.
Metallic effects (PP Silver)
PP Silver has a metallic base. Areas you want to keep metallic should be cut from the Artwork layer and pasted into the White layer — the absence of white ink reveals the metallic base. Lighter colours show more sheen; darker colours mask it. Pure black has no metallic effect.
White layer elements C0 M20 Y60 K0. Adjust to taste, and always check the softproof before approving.06Fonts and minimum line weights
To avoid unreadable text or lines that disappear in print, stay above these minimums:
All text must be converted to outlines before exporting. This prevents font substitution if we don't have your font installed. In Illustrator: select all text → Type → Create Outlines (Shift+Ctrl+O).
07Barcodes and QR codes
Test that all barcodes and QR codes scan reliably before creating your final print file. For best results:
- Black barcode on white background — highest contrast, most reliable scanning.
- Use vector barcodes where possible so they scale without quality loss.
- 300dpi raster barcodes also work if vector isn't available.
- Leave a quiet zone (white margin) of at least 4× the narrowest bar width on either side.
08Exporting your PDF
When your artwork is complete: File → Save As → Adobe PDF. Use these settings:
09Final checklist
Run through this before uploading. Tap to mark each one off — it's just a visual aid, nothing's saved.