Professional support. Professional results.

Want to turn your logo or artwork into a custom label? Our Pre-Press Department can help. We’ll provide you with technical support to ensure your label is perfect. View our art specs in the Guide for Digital Art Files for Printing below..

Label Specialties also offers our clients access to our extensive inventory of in-house dies at no additional charge. With thousands of dies to choose from, our staff can help you avoid costly die charges.

Contact the Art & Pre-Press Department:

Email:  art@labelsp.com
Phone:  1.502.261.9000 (x115)
Fax:  502.261.9001

Female at a computer working on label art

Guide for Digital Art Files for Printing

Preferred File Formats

For applications not listed below, including applications which do not have a Macintosh equivalent, you can provide an EPS file (resolution should be at least 300 dpi) of the document along with the original file.

  • Adobe Illustrator CC 2024 or earlier version: Please provide links and all supporting graphics.
  • Adobe InDesign CC 2024 or earlier version: Supply all supporting files; convert all text to outlines.
  • Photoshop CC 2024 or earlier version: Photoshop native files (.psd) with all layers intact are the preferred format. Other acceptable formats include TIFF (.tif) or EPS. (.gif and jpg files CANNOT be used.) Please send images as CMYK with a minimum of 300 ppi. RGB images can result in color shifts when converted. Black and white images (halftones) should be saved as grayscale with a minimum of 300ppi. Black and white images (vector) should be saved as bitmap with a minimum resolution of 600ppi. All files should be saved with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Web graphics are generally 72 dpi and cannot be used.
  • Adobe Acrobat: Distill your file as a PDF with the following specs. Job Options —”Print”; Fonts—”Embed all fonts”; Color—”Color management turned off”. Do not embed raster images with your vector artwork into your PDF file. Please submit all raster files in original program they were created in. Do not send process color art in PDF format.

Art Prep Guidelines

To help prevent any delay in outputting your file, please provide us with the following:

  • Send a current color laser with each supplied file to be output. This will help ensure file received matches the supplied print out.
  • Supply all fonts (printer & screen) used in files. Acceptable fonts are Post Script Type 1 and TruType. We will attempt to match any font not included as closely as possible. If possible, avoid creating type out of multiple colors.
  • Prepare artwork in full composite color using custom line colors. Clearly define all colors being used. All colors must be either PMS (Pantone Matching Systems) or CMYK (process).
  • Registration tolerance is 1/100th inch depending on the complexity of the artwork’s design. Keep this in mind for small multi-color objects such as logos.
  • Make sure all positive type is 4 pt. and keylines are 1/2 pt. (.007”) minimum. All reverse type is 6 pt. bold and keylines (.010”) minimum. Avoid using types with serifs as they are very difficult to keep open.
  • Provide artwork that extends 1/16” beyond the die-line on each side that bleeds.
  • All reverse copy out of 2 or more colors should have a minimum 1/2 pt. keyline around it.
  • Screens are normally run at 133 lines per inch for spot colors and 150 line per inch for process color art. 200 lines per inch screens are available. If possible, carry low end vignettes (3% min.) through copy (i.e. dropping vignettes to 0% dot will create a hard line).
  • Limit background color (large coverage areas), especially lighter colors to PMS spot colors if possible.

Guidelines for Barcodes

If your label art contains barcodes, please be aware of the following:

  • We will re-create your barcodes and verify they scan properly.
  • For best scanability, barcodes need to be set at at least 80% magnification. The larger they are the better they will scan.
  • Barcodes must have at least 1/8” white space (quiet space) on all sides.
  • The barcode itself needs to be printed in black ink with a white background.
  • We cannot guarantee a barcode to scan if these guidelines are not followed.

Spot Color Ink Chart

Standard Pantone® Inks*

Non-standard inks are an additional $20.00 each.

Click the color chart to download a printable PDF of this chart.

Chart of standard spot color swatches with PMS numbers

*PANTONE trademark is the property of Pantone, Inc.
**See opposite page for details of this special offer.
Color swatches reproduced above may not be the actual color. We will match the PANTONE PMS book within one shade.