Matching Size and Proportions

To ensure your stickers or labels look perfect, it’s important that your artwork matches the size and shape you order. Uploading a file that doesn’t fit your selected dimensions will lead to problems with bleed, insets, and will slow down the proofing of your items.

When your design file’s proportions don’t match your order size, our Art Team must make adjustments or reach out to you to confirm what you need. This could mean cropping parts of your design, stretching it to fit, or asking you to resubmit artwork. These changes can affect the final look and feel of your stickers or labels, and could lead to you receiving a final product that doesn't meet your expectations.

How We Handle Size Differences

If your uploaded artwork is larger or smaller than the size you ordered but maintains the same proportions, we’ll resize it to fit your selected dimensions.
If your artwork is a different shape or aspect ratio (for example, a square design for a rectangular sticker), resizing would distort your design. We’ll contact you to decide if you want to crop or adjust the artwork, or if the size you need is different from what was ordered.
If you don’t confirm, we may resize the order to match the artwork size.

Tips to Match Your Artwork Size and Shape Correctly

Build your artwork at the exact dimensions you plan to order, with bleed and safe areas in mind. For example, if you want a 3" x 2" sticker, set your design canvas to 3.25 inches wide by 2.25 inches tall.

Maintain the correct aspect ratio—width relative to height—to avoid distortion.
Include bleed in your file size (an additional 1/8" around all sides), but keep your main artwork size matching your order.

Common Sizing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Mistake	Result	How To Fix It
Uploading a square design for a rectangular sticker	Design gets stretched or cropped	Adjust canvas to match ordered size and proportions
Artwork smaller than order size without scaling	Sticker looks pixelated or blurry	Create or resize artwork to at least the ordered dimensions at 300 dpi
Not including bleed in artwork size	White border added to artwork	Add 1/8" bleed on all sides of your artwork
Didn't account for insets	text too close to edge and cut off	Move all important text and design elements at least 1/16" in from the cutline

Example: Matching Artwork for a 3" x 2" Sticker

Your final sticker size is 3" wide by 2" tall.
Design your artwork on a canvas sized 3.25" x 2.25" (including 1/8" bleed on each side).
Keep all important content within a safe area of 2.875" x 1.875" to avoid trimming. (1/8" safety area)
Ensure your artwork’s proportions are rectangular, not square.

Example: Matching Artwork for a 1.5" x .5" Sticker

Your final sticker size is 1.5" wide by 0.5" tall.
Design your artwork on a canvas sized 1.75" x 0.75" (including 1/8" bleed on each side).
Keep all important content within a safe area of 1.25" x .25" to avoid trimming. (Under 1" size requires full 1/8" safety area. Learn more here!)
Ensure your artwork’s proportions are rectangular, not square.

Need Help?

If you’re unsure about sizing or proportions, our Art Team can assist. Upload your design and include any notes in the Special Instructions box. We’ll review your file and help make sure it fits your order perfectly.

Perfect Size, Perfect Stickers

Matching your artwork size and shape to your sticker or label order is key to avoiding distortion, cropping, and blurry prints. By setting your design to the correct dimensions and aspect ratio, you ensure your final product looks just as you imagined.

Have your artwork ready to go? Get started now!

Additional Resources:

Related to

artwork setup