{"id":4799,"date":"2024-10-14T11:40:17","date_gmt":"2024-10-14T00:40:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightstarprints.com.au\/blog\/?p=4799"},"modified":"2025-01-23T15:35:42","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T04:35:42","slug":"sending-the-right-file-for-printing-avoid-blurry-or-pixellated-stickers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/sending-the-right-file-for-printing-avoid-blurry-or-pixellated-stickers\/","title":{"rendered":"Sending the Right File for Printing: Avoid Blurry or Pixellated Stickers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re getting ready to print your custom stickers, one thing you want to avoid is a blurry or pixellated design, especially if you\u2019re aiming for a larger sticker size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If your file is too small, that\u2019s exactly what can happen\u2014and no one wants a fuzzy sticker! To make sure your design prints out nice and crisp, it\u2019s super important to send a file that\u2019s large enough for printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beware of Compressed Files<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A common mistake is using a file that\u2019s been compressed for online viewing<\/strong> like those logos found on your website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These files are great for websites and social media but not so much for printing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you use a compressed image, it\u2019s almost guaranteed that your sticker will come out blurry or pixellated, especially if you\u2019re going for a larger print. See the image below left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Two Main Types of Files for Printing<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to printing your stickers, there are two main types of files that work best: vector files<\/strong> and pixel-based files<\/strong>. Let\u2019s break down the differences between them so you know what\u2019s best for your design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Vector Files: Perfect for Logos and Illustrations<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A vector file<\/strong> is ideal if you\u2019ve got a flat colour illustration, logo, or design that uses typography. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best part about vector files is that they can be scaled up to massive sizes without losing any quality<\/strong>. No matter how big or small you want your sticker, a vector file will stay sharp and crisp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most popular program for creating vector files is Adobe Illustrator, but Canva also has a lot of vector-based designs, especially those that allow you to change the colours, like in the below example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If your design is a logo or something similar, this is the type of file you want to use!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Export Vector Files:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you make it larger than you need it printed as, then export your design as a PNG file. Try to ensure it\u2019s set to the highest quality possible for best results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideally, CMYK is best for printing, but if you can only do RGB our printers will convert it for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Pixel-Based Files: Great for Photographs and Artwork<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re working with a photograph<\/strong> or artwork created in Photoshop or Procreate, you\u2019ll be dealing with a pixel-based file. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These files are trickier because they\u2019re made up of tiny squares (pixels), which means the bigger you print them, the more likely they are to get blurry if the original file isn\u2019t large enough (see image below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To avoid a blurry or pixellated print, you\u2019ll need to make sure your original file is large enough from the start. If your file is too small, unfortunately, it\u2019s hard to fix, but sometimes our team can use special technology to help improve the quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re working on a design in Photoshop, Procreate<\/strong>, or similar software, we always recommend starting with an artboard or canvas that\u2019s larger than you intend to print<\/strong>. That way, you can easily scale it down if needed, but scaling up without losing quality? Not so easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Sure? We\u2019re Here to Help!<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We know all of this can be a bit confusing and frustrating, especially if you\u2019re not a graphic designer. But don\u2019t worry! If you\u2019re unsure whether your file is the right size or type for printing, just reach out to our team<\/a>. We\u2019re always here to help answer any questions and make sure your sticker design prints perfectly!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re getting ready to print your custom stickers, one thing you want to avoid is a blurry or pixellated design, especially if you\u2019re aiming for a larger sticker size. If your file is too small, that\u2019s exactly what can happen\u2014and no one wants a fuzzy sticker! To make sure your design prints out nice […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[363,362,364,358],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4799"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4799"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5102,"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4799\/revisions\/5102"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stickerbug.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}