Guide to designing your file

How to design your file for printing adhesive labels?

1. File formats
2. Picture resolution
3. Color mode
4. Color and ink rate management
5. Format, bleed…
6. Security zone
7. Crop marks
8. Fontes
9. Contours
10. Grey and black colors
11. Cut shape
12. White underprint
13. Gold or bronze effect
14. Management of hidden layers

STEP 1 : FILE FORMATS 

For successful print quality, it is important to have a good quality file. Therefore, we recommend that you send us your design files in PDF format for printing. AI (Adobe Illustrator) or PSD (Adobe Photoshop) extensions are also accepted in web to print.

For vector files (PDF or AI), we recommend that you vectorize the fonts before sending us your file.

Attention: The files deposited during the preparation of your order must not exceed a size of 50 Mo (mega-octects).

If you absolutely have to send us your native files, import a JPEG or TIFF preview when preparing the order. You can comment out details of the elements of your file that you are not sure about so that our DTP team can check them. If you wish to make detailed modifications to your files, you will first need to contact the DTP service to let them know your expectations so that we can direct you to the "DTP package" most suited to your project.

STEP 2 : PICTURE RESOLUTION

Your bitmap visuals must have a resolution of 300 dpi (pixels / inch). This is the optimum resolution to ensure good printing. If your files contain bitmaps of a lower resolution, then the images may be rasterized and the print quality will be affected. Conversely, too high a resolution will slow down the processing of your files, without noticeable gain in quality.

Our prepress dept. will not be able to verify all the images present in the document, it is therefore your responsibility to verify that all the visuals integrated in your files have an image resolution of at least 300 dpi to guarantee a non-pixelated print.

STEP 3 : COLOR MODE

Please send us files saved in CMYK mode (Cyan - Magenta - Yellow - Black). The RGB color mode is dedicated to screen display and not to printing. If you send files in RGB, they will be converted by the machine to CMYK and you may notice color variations between the screen rendering and your printed documents. ATTENTION: If the result of the printing does not suit you, our responsibility could not be engaged. We therefore advise you not to integrate RGB elements in a file, at the risk of having colorimetric rendering problems. 

STEP 4 : COLOR AND INK RATE MANAGEMENT

Please make sure that the maximum ink rate (sum of CMYK color values) is less than or equal to 280% for images and solids. To determine the inking rate for your file:

FROM ACROBAT PRO (recommended): Open the "Pre-press" panel. You can set a maximum inking rate value. All areas where the inking rate exceeds the specified threshold will be highlighted in color. For more information, click here.

For best printing, we do not recommend that you apply a 100% registration color percentage. For example, if you want "black", you should not put 100% Cyan, 100% Magenta, 100% Yellow and 100% Black.

FROM PHOTOSHOP: In the "Information" panel, you can select the "Inking" tool to calculate the inking rate of a specific point

STEP 5 : FORMATS, BLEED…

Please prepare your files in actual format (scale 1) by adding the 2mm overhangs. If your document has a colored background (example: a solid color background, a photo extended over the entire document or graphic elements going to the edge), you must make the color exceed by 2 mm (i.e. 4mm overall) in relation to the final document size to cut "in color" and avoid a white outline on the edge. 2 mm must therefore be added at each end of the file: top, bottom, right and left. This color overshoot is called a bleed.

IMPORTANT: If you print a label with a solid black or dark (dark color) background, we draw your attention to the fact that the edge of the paper will be highlighted when cutting the label. This will result in creating a white net all around the label. If you wish to obtain a label with a black border (to affix a black label to black packaging for example), we recommend that you contact our customer service beforehand to consider other solutions.

STEP 6 : SECURITY ZONE

To ensure that you do not cut text, graphics, reduce thin webbing, or prevent texts from getting caught in the binding, we recommend that you do not place any important text or graphics within 2mm of the edge of the binding. edge of your label.

STEP 7 : NO CROP MARK

Your files must be prepared WITHOUT ANY PRINT MARKS (no fold lines, no assembly marks, no color ranges ...).

STEP 8 : FONTES

If you are sending a vector file (ai, eps, pdf), we recommend that you vectorize all the fonts.

In addition, we recommend that you do not use size less than 6 points for your texts.

STEP 9 : CONTOUR & OUTLINES

We recommend that you do not use outlines smaller than 0.5 points. 

STEP 10 : GREY AND BLACK COLORS

If your label has gray or black graphic or text elements, we invite you to use a color composed only of 100% black or descended black (for grays). You should not use four-color gray or black (made up of the 4 CMYK colors) for solids but especially for fine graphic elements (outlines and texts).

STEP 11 : CUT SHAPE

Please include the 0.2 point thick cutting path as a custom color (spot color) overprinted directly on the print file. For a good treatment of your order, please name the layer as follows 'Cutout' without accent, and with a capital D.

IMPORTANT: In the event of a cutting shape that is too complex, making mechanized weeding impossible, Adesa reserves the right to deliver the labels on rolls not chipped. For more information, please contact your customer service.

STEP 12: SUPPORT WHITE 

When ordering a label on transparent or silver Polypropylene (PP) backing or kraft paper, it may be necessary to print a full or partial white background to provide color support (to prevent it from being translucent). ), or to hide the silver material. The white of support must be specified in a layer in spot color, named "White" (with capital W), and positioned in the foreground and in superimposition of the process.

Start by creating the area where there should not be any supporting white:

If you print on silver backing, you can simulate a gold effect by applying a 6/20/60/6 tone: 

Then define the area on which the backing white should be applied (for example by creating a rectangle and then using the Pathfinder tool to combine several objects). Then create a new spot color in Illustrator, which you will name "White".

Then export your file in PDF format, and open it in Acrobat Pro. You can then visualize the white support layer "White" and the full color layers.

STEP 13: GOLD OR BRONZE

On silver polypropylene paper, it is possible to simulate a gold or bronze gilding effect by printing the following colors:

• GOLD :
  • Cyan = 0
  • Magenta = 20
  • Yellow = 60
  • Black = 6
• BRONZE :
  • Cyan = 0
  • Magenta = 70
  • Yellow = 100
  • Black = 0

When these colors are going to be printed on a silver polypropylene (PP) support, the tint associated with the metallic effect will give a golden rendering, as long as no support white is used.

STEP 14: HIDDEN LAYERS

It is important not to hide the layers in your file. Indeed, a hidden layer will be detected on machine and printed on your label. So make sure you don't leave any hidden layers in your final file.

Last updated: January 2021