Print-Ready Label Artwork: Bay Tech Label's File Setup Guide

A label can only look as good as the file it's printed from. This guide walks through exactly how to build your artwork so it comes off press sharp, correctly trimmed, and free of last-minute delays — from choosing a die shape to uploading your final file.

Start with a die shape

Before any artwork gets built, figure out what shape and size your label will actually be cut to. Bay Tech Label keeps a wide range of stock cutting dies on hand, and building your file to match an existing die keeps your project moving faster and keeps tooling costs off your invoice. If nothing in stock fits what you're picturing, we can cut a custom die — pricing depends on the shape and size you need.

Reach out to your account rep or our customer service team for the current die library before you open a blank canvas. It's a five-minute conversation that saves a redesign later.

File types we work with

Adobe Illustrator is our top choice — specifically version 21, aka "CC 2020," or newer — because it's built for vector artwork and carries color, type, and slicing information cleanly through to press. Here's how we'd rank everything else we accept, in order of preference:

1. Adobe Illustrator (.AI) — preferred, ideally saved with a PDF preview and all linked support files included.
2. PDF — accepted, but a PDF standing in for the original working file can slow processing down. If you're sending a PDF, include the source .AI file or a layered .PSD alongside it when you can, and make sure it's a print-quality, CMYK export: embedded thumbnails, preserved color and editability, no compression, 300 DPI downsampling, no color conversion, no password.
3. Adobe InDesign ("CS6" preferred) or an exported .IDML file — usable, though gradients, drop shadows, and embedded images occasionally need a second look after export, so give your PDF proof a careful read.
4. QuarkXPress (version 7.0 or earlier).
5. Adobe Photoshop, EPS, TIFF, JPEG, or BMP — workable for continuous-tone or background art; see the resolution notes below for the specifics on bitmap files.

We're not able to work directly with files built in CorelDRAW, Microsoft Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, or Excel, WordPerfect, Corel PrintHouse, or CAD software. If that's what you have, export a PDF, TIFF, or JPG before sending it over.

Running spot colors on this job? Vector art in Illustrator will separate more cleanly than a bitmap file every time. And if you're ever unsure whether your software will play nicely with our workflow, ask before you start — it's a quick check with your sales or customer service contact.

Building the file correctly

• Work in CMYK from the start. RGB files can't go straight to press — if we receive one, our art team has to convert it and you'll need to sign off on the resulting color shift before we run the job. Building in CMYK from the outset avoids that extra round-trip.
• Package your linked files. Send every linked image and, for PostScript type, both the printer and screen font files. For small copy (roughly 4.5–7 pt), a clean sans-serif face will hold up far better on press than a serif.
• Send live fonts when you can — outlines are the fallback. We'd rather receive the actual screen and printer fonts (every bold, italic, and dingbat variant your file uses) than fully outlined type, since live text is far easier to QC or adjust if something needs to change late. If sending fonts isn't an option, converting all text to outlines works too — just proofread carefully first, since outlined text can no longer be spell-checked or edited. One thing to watch either way: most fonts are either Type 1 or TrueType, and the two use different kerning and spacing, so mixing them up can quietly shift your text flow.
• No PNGs or GIFs, ever. These formats aren't built for print and will look soft or pixelated on a finished label. Low-resolution or web-saved JPGs are equally unusable. If you're supplying a JPG, it needs to be CMYK, at least 300 DPI, sourced from a genuinely high-resolution original, and used for background art only — never for text.

Why preflight matters

"Preflight" is the check every file goes through before it gets anywhere near a press — collecting everything a job needs and confirming it's actually all there. It's how we catch missing fonts, misplaced or low-res images, sizing that doesn't match the die, and color or trapping issues before they turn into a reprint instead of a proof. The more of this you can confirm on your end before sending a file over, the faster your job clears the queue.

Bleed, safety margin & image area

Every file needs 0.0625" (1/16") of bleed on all sides — meaning your background color or artwork extends past the dieline itself. Without it, tiny shifts during cutting can leave a sliver of white around the edge of the finished label.

For any placed photos, scans, or graphics, supply them at a minimum of 300 ppi at the size they'll actually print — that's the floor for grayscale and color continuous-tone images. Line art and type rasterized into a bitmap need a higher floor, 600 ppi, since fine detail and hard edges degrade faster than photographic tone at low resolution. If a block of text has been flattened into a bitmap (a common result at 1200 DPI rasterization), send the original .txt copy and the font files alongside it so we can rebuild it cleanly if needed.

Quick-reference spec table

These are the numbers our prepress team checks first. Keep your file within these minimums and you'll avoid a proof delay.

Color and Pantone matching

Call out the specific Pantone Coated® swatch number for any spot color in your file — don't leave us guessing at a color from a screen. And if you need us to match a label that's already been printed, send a physical sample ahead of proofing. A laser or inkjet printout is not a reliable color reference, so we can't proof against one.

Quick refresher on the three color systems referenced throughout this guide:

• CMYK — the four-color process (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) used for printed artwork. This is what your file should be built in.
• RGB — the red/green/blue light spectrum used for screens and video. It isn't usable for print and has to be converted before we can run it.
• Spot color — a single ink (or a small set of them) mixed to an exact percentage rather than built from the CMYK process. This is what a Pantone number gets you.

Before you send your file, run a color separation check to confirm every element of text and imagery separates the way you expect. It's a five-minute step that heads off a much longer conversation at the proof stage.

What to send with your file

Two things should go out the door together: your working art file, and a quick note to your Bay Tech Label CSR confirming what's in it.

1. Your art file. Vector .AI is preferred, ideally saved with a PDF preview. Include any linked support files, and either include every font used or have your text converted to outlines (see the note on live fonts above).
2. A confirmation email to your CSR, sent separately from the file itself, spelling out the type of file you're sending, the finished size and shape of the label, and the colors used — including Pantone numbers.

A file that arrives with no confirmation, or a confirmation that doesn't match what's actually in the file, is the most common reason a same-day proof turns into a multi-day one.

Nutrition Facts & regulated copy

If your label carries a Nutrition Facts panel or other regulated content, the formatting rules come from the FDA, not from us — check with them directly for the requirements that apply to your product. Our guide to food packaging label elements is a good starting point if you're building a food or beverage label from scratch.

Uploading your artwork

Once your file is built to spec, send it through our artwork upload page. New customers can set up an account on the spot; returning customers just need their account number handy so the file gets tied to the right order. Bay Tech Label runs on flexographic printing for most jobs — if your file arrives incomplete for flexo output, our team can finish it out at current shop rates, but a file built correctly the first time will always move faster.