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How to prepare a label for print: a seven-step file guide

Preparing a label for print means putting the finished design into the layout your printer asks for: net size, cut shape, bleed and safe area, a separate cut layer, colour setup and a proof. These values have no single universal answer; each printer issues its own specification. The order below shows which question to ask and when.

Open studioHow it works?

Short answer: specification first, file second

Ask the printer for its file specification before you prepare the label. Then build the label at net size, give bleed to colours and images that run to the edge, keep critical text in the safe area, put the cut shape on a separate layer, set colour in the mode the printer asks for, and approve the proof on the real product.

Key takeaways

Summary of this guide

  • Bleed, safe area, resolution and colour profile come from your printer; this page gives no universal numbers.
  • The cut line is a layer apart from the artwork and is named the way the printer asks.
  • On clear and metallic stock the white layer is planned separately.
  • Fonts are outlined and images are embedded.
  • Do not approve until the proof has been tried on the product.

Preparation order

1. Material
CheckPaper, clear, metallic or durable film
Who to askPrinter
2. Size and shape
CheckNet size, corner radius, orientation
Who to askProduct size + printer
3. Bleed and safe area
CheckColour to the edge, text kept inside
Who to askPrinter specification
4. Cut layer
CheckSeparate layer, name and line type
Who to askPrinter specification
5. Colour
CheckCMYK, spot, white layer
Who to askPrinter
6. Text and images
CheckFonts, resolution, embedded images
Who to askPrinter
7. Proof
CheckTrial on the product
Who to askYou + printer

Related glossary terms: Bleed, Dieline, CMYK, Pantone® / spot colour, Wrap-around label.

Settle the label material and print method

File setup depends on the material. On opaque white paper CMYK is predictable; on clear and metallic film you also need a white ink layer and extra colour decisions. Confirm the material with the printer before the file starts.

For the clear-versus-opaque decision see Clear vs opaque label; for the ink side see Label CMYK, spot colour and white ink. Whatever the material, the final call is made on a printer sample.

Set the net size and the cut shape

Label size comes from the product surface: width and height on a flat face, circumference and overlap on a cylinder. Corner radius and cut shape are chosen here as well. The file is built 1:1 at this net size, bleed excluded.

For measuring bottle and jar labels see Bottle wrap label and Cream jar label. Write the size in millimetres and state which direction is the edge direction; direction mix-ups between printer and file are a common error.

Set up bleed and the safe area

Background or imagery that runs to the edge is prepared with bleed beyond the cut line, so a shifted cut does not leave a white edge. Logos and text stay inside the cut line, in the safe area. The printer gives both values.

How cut, bleed and safe lines differ is explained on Dieline bleed, safe area and tolerances.

Watch out

Do not memorise a number

The “this many mm of bleed” values you see online belong to one printer; yours may ask for something else. The value in your printer’s specification applies.

Supply the cut line on its own layer

The cut line (die line) is not part of the artwork; it goes on a separate layer or colour channel. Many printers define the line’s name, weight and overprint setting in their own specification. Putting it on the artwork layer can get the line printed or send the cut through the wrong place.

  • Put only the cut shape on the cut layer.
  • Set the layer name and line properties as the printer asks.
  • Keep the cut line and the bleed line in different colours or layers.
  • For multi-part or special-shaped labels, confirm each shape as its own die.

For the die-line concept see the Dieline page.

Set up colour and the white layer

Most labels print in CMYK; when a brand colour does not hold in CMYK, a spot colour is used and defined as its own channel. On clear and metallic stock a white layer prints underneath so the colour does not disappear, and it is prepared as its own layer. Colour profile, spot name and white-layer naming vary by printer.

Opaque paper label
General approachSet up in CMYK
ConfirmColour profile
Brand colour does not hold in CMYK
General approachSpot colour, own channel
ConfirmSpot name and library
Clear film
General approachA white underlayer may be needed
ConfirmWhite layer name and coverage
Metallic film
General approachPlan which area stays metallic
ConfirmA proof is advisable

For the wider frame see Colour mode and file preparation for packaging artwork.

Lock text and images

Fonts are outlined or embedded; otherwise another font may take over on the printer’s computer. Raster images must be embedded at the resolution the printer asks for, and a low-resolution image prints soft. For small text, thin lines and reversed-out type, ask for the printer’s minimum values.

The accuracy and currency of mandatory label information is the brand’s responsibility. For food, the Food label mandatory information fields page summarises what the fields are; check the regulation text separately.

Try the proof on the product

A label that looks right on screen can behave differently on the product: it can wrinkle on a curve, the contents’ colour can show through a clear bottle, ink can sit differently on metallic stock. Stick the printer’s proof onto the real product and only then approve.

Last check before delivery

  • Is the file at net size and 1:1?
  • Is the bleed the value the printer gave?
  • Are logo and text inside the safe area?
  • Is the cut line on its own layer with the right name?
  • Are spot colour and white layer on their own channels?
  • Are fonts outlined and images embedded?
  • Was the proof approved in writing on the product?

For a wider list see the Packaging preflight checklist; for what to ask the printer see Questions to ask a packaging printer.

How do these steps run in Grapxo?

In Grapxo you write the label’s size, material and brand direction into the brief. The vector engine produces a dieline and an editable, layered label surface; text and shapes are separate objects and revisions run on the same brief.

  • Bleed and safe area are fixed at 3 mm and layer names (Cut, Crease, Glue and so on) are preset; if your printer wants a different value, you adjust the file to it yourself.
  • The 3D preview in the browser is a visual check; it does not replace a printer proof.
  • You send the file to the printer yourself; final preflight and print approval sit with the printer.

Start your label in the studio with the link below; for a category overview see Label design.

Frequently asked questions

Is bleed mandatory in a label file?

Yes if any background or image runs to the edge. The value comes from your printer’s specification.

How should I supply the cut line?

As a layer or colour channel apart from the artwork, named as the printer asks. The printer defines the name and line properties.

Does a clear label need a white layer?

Usually yes if you want an opaque look. The layer’s name and coverage vary by printer; a proof is advisable.

Why outline the fonts?

If the printer’s system lacks the font, another one may take over and break the layout. Outlining or embedding prevents that.

Does Grapxo hand over a print-ready label file?

Grapxo produces a dieline and a layered vector label surface. Conformity to the printer’s specification, preflight and proof approval are on your side and the printer’s.

Start producing in the studio

Write your brief and let Grapxo produce a print-ready vector surface.

Open studioHow it works