At StickerGiant, we know color is the heartbeat of your brand. It’s what makes your labels pop, your stickers shine, and your designs unforgettable. The right colors can make your branding stand out, while the wrong ones? Well, let’s just say we’re here to help you avoid that.
Printing your designs isn’t just about hitting print. There are a few things to know about how colors shift and change from the moment you design to the moment you hold that perfect sticker in your hands. By understanding how color works in the world of printing, you’ll be set up for sticker success every time.
Let’s break it down and give you the tools you need to make your designs print-ready and totally awesome!
Calibrating Expectations with Screen Color
Your screen is where your design comes to life, but it’s also where color confusion starts. Monitors and printers don’t always see eye-to-eye (literally), so let’s talk about the differences between the screen and a printed version:
- RGB vs. CMYK: All screens show color in RGB - a combination of Red, Green, and Blue colors. No matter what color mode your print files are designed in, viewing them on a screen means you're looking at RGB. CMYK is the color mode all printers print from, which will appear different in hand than on screen.
- What about Pantone: Pantone colors are a standardized color matching system used across various industries, including printing, fashion, and design. They ensure that colors appear consistent regardless of what product is being printed or produced. While Pantone colors are great for achieving ultra-specific shades, at StickerGiant, we specialize in CMYK printing because it’s versatile, efficient, and delivers amazing results for almost every design. If your design includes a Pantone or PMS color code, we'll need to convert it to CMYK to match our printing process.
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Adjust Brightness and Contrast: Don’t let a super-bright screen fool you into thinking your colors are more vibrant than they actually are. If your brightness and contrast settings are out of wack, your stickers and labels will always look off compared to the screen! Calibration tools like colorimeters can fine-tune your monitor to display colors more accurately. They’re like glasses for your screen—everything’s just clearer!
Impact of Material on Color Perception
The material you choose is the stage for your design—and it changes how your colors perform. Here’s what you need to know:
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Paper vs. Polypropylene: Our Paper label products are finished with a varnish, while our polypropylene labels and stickers are finished with an overlaminate layer. These two distinct finishes can create slightly different outcomes of color.
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Transparent Materials: Printing on clear materials? Keep in mind that lighter colors might lose their punch without a white backing.
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Holographic or Glitter Materials: Shiny materials add a dynamic twist, but they can also shift the way colors look. Prepare for some sparkle magic!
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Lamination: Matte lamination can pastel-ify your colors, while glossy lamination deepens and darkens them. Choose based on the look you’re going for.
Pro tip: Ask us for a sample pack before you finalize your design. We even include amazing color swatches of our specialty materials so you get an idea ahead of time how different colors will display. Seeing is believing!
Addressing Lighting Conditions
Lighting can play tricks on your printed masterpiece. Let’s shine a light on what to expect:
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Natural Light: Colors look truest under natural daylight, but even then, morning light and evening light can shift the vibe.
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Artificial Light: Warm bulbs make colors cozier and yellower; cool bulbs add a bluish tint.
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Mixed Lighting: Sometimes, you just can’t win with lighting—but knowing how your stickers will be viewed helps!
When in doubt, check your prints in the lighting they’ll live in.
Troubleshooting Common Color Issues
Sometimes, colors don’t behave as expected. Here are some quick fixes:
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Blacks Look Gray: For rich, velvety black, go with 60%C, 40%M, 40%Y, 100%K. Plain black (0%C, 0%M, 0%Y, 100%K) just doesn’t cut it.
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Reds Look Dull: Too much cyan can ruin the party. Stick with 0%C, 100%M, 100%Y, 0%K.
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Blues Look Purple: Too much magenta (over 80%M) turns your blues into purples. Less magenta keeps them true blue.
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Colors Are Washed Out: Check that your file is 300 DPI and in CMYK. It’s the foundation for vibrant prints.
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Unexpected Color Shifts: Embedded ICC or PMS profiles can sometimes cause drama. Make sure they’re compatible with our printing setup.
Not sure what’s going on? We’re here to help troubleshoot.
Order a Test Print
Test prints are like dress rehearsals for your designs. They’re not just helpful—they’re game-changers! StickerGiant has multiple options for how to order a test print:
- Order 10 Die Cut Stickers: Our minimum quantity on Die cut stickers is 10. With this low-impact quantity, you can get an idea of what your stickers or labels will look like without breaking the bank! This option works to give an accurate idea of how colors will appear for any of our white polypropylene materials.
- Order 50 of our Specialty Stickers: If you're looking to try out any of our specialty materials like our Holographic, Glitter, Glow-in-the-Dark, or Clear Stickers, you'll need to order at least 50 for a test print. This is still a great option if your actual quantity needs are much higher!
- Order 125 of our Paper Labels: If you're looking at any of our paper label options, such as our Glossy Paper, our Matte Recycled Paper, or our Kraft Paper, our minimum quantity is 125. Because the finishing of our paper labels is a varnish rather than a laminate, the colors may vary quite a bit compared to our white poly material, so you'll want to order your intended material type for an accurate color representation.
***Ordering the sticker version of your desired material will allow you to order a smaller quantity, however the final product will differ between the sticker and label. While it should give you an accurate idea of how the colors will appear on your labels the material, weight, and finishing will be different. Check out this resource for the differences between our stickers and labels!
Ordering a test print of your designs allows you to preview final colors, spot adjustments and save money before committing to a large order! When you order a test print, include critical CMYK values to ensure your colors are dialed in just right. It’s the ultimate confidence boost for your final run!
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