From your file
to the printing plate

We accept AI (Adobe Illustrator), EPS (Encapsulated PostScript), and PDF, all in vector format. Fonts must be converted to outlines, and colors defined as Pantone spot or CMYK. If you only have a raster file (TIFF, PSD), the resolution must be a minimum of 300 dpi at the final label size. Not sure whether your file is ready? Send it as it is. We'll review it for free and let you know what needs correcting.

Technical prepress only. Your designers know your customers best and shape your products accordingly. We don't get involved in the creative process. What we do is review the file, check the separations, add trapping, prepare the proof, and check compatibility with our machines. We advise you on the specifics of flexo printing so your designer knows what to account for before finalizing the design.

Trapping is a minimal overlap between adjacent colors (0.1 to 0.15 mm) that prevents a white line from appearing where two colors meet, caused by microscopic material shifts on the press during printing. You don't need to do it yourself. If trapping hasn't been done in your file, our prepress team adds it before producing the separations. But if your designer wants to control the trapping, have them set it to 0.1 mm.

For positive text (dark letters on a light background), the minimum recommended size is 5 pt. For negative text (light letters on a dark background), the minimum is 7 pt, since ink spreads into the thin gap between the letter strokes and the text becomes illegible. Serif fonts are especially problematic at small sizes in flexo printing. We recommend sans-serif fonts for fine text on labels.

Up to 9 colors in a single pass, or 8 colors plus UV varnish. Each color requires its own separation and its own unit on the press. Example: if you use CMYK (4 process colors) plus one Pantone spot color plus UV varnish, that's 6 of the possible 9. You can use the remaining three for a white base on transparent material, a second spot color, or a special effect such as a metallic color.

Each Pantone color must be defined as a spot color with the exact code, for example Pantone 186 C for red. Don't convert Pantone to CMYK in your file. We handle that in prepress if needed, since the conversion depends on the material being printed on. If you're using a combination of CMYK and spot colors, clearly mark which are spot and which are process. The total number of colors, including any UV varnish, can't exceed 9.

The barcode must be in vector format, never as a raster image. A pixelated barcode is unreadable to a scanner. The recommended BWR (Bar Width Reduction) is a minimum of 80% for flexo reproduction, since ink on the plate spreads slightly during transfer. Without BWR, thin bars become thicker and the scanner won't recognize them. If you're not sure about BWR, leave the barcode without reduction. Our prepress team will adjust it for flexo.

Star Proof is a contract proof that shows you exactly how the label will look before we start the press. It uses the Actual Dot system, which replicates actual printing dots instead of simulating them: tonal transitions, screening, and fine lines on the proof match the final label. This isn't the same quality as an ordinary inkjet print from an office printer. Your written approval is a required step. If you notice an error, now is the time to fix it at no cost.

Yes, it's required. This protects you. If you notice a difference from the approved proof after printing, the responsibility is ours and we reprint at our expense. But if the error was in the design you approved (wrong text, color, or layout), the new print run is billed. So review the proof carefully, check every letter, every barcode, every color. Once you approve it, the press starts running.

If you send us a correct vector file with properly defined colors, technical review and separation preparation take one business day. Star Proof is produced and sent to you for approval the same day or the next. After your approval, production can start right away. For repeat orders of the same design, preparation is significantly shorter since all the settings are already saved in the ERP system.

The technical review of the file is free. We'll let you know exactly what needs correcting, and your designer can fix it at no cost on our end. If you don't have a designer who can fix the file, our prepress team can make the technical corrections, adjust the separations, add trapping, and prepare it for printing. These corrections are billed as part of the prepress service, but we always agree on them with you in advance.

Yes. All files, separations, and the complete job parameters stay saved in the ERP system. When you reorder the same design, you don't need to send the file again or go through preparation again, everything is ready for the press. That means a shorter turnaround and lower costs for repeat orders, since there's no repeat prepress work. Even if you want a small correction to an existing design, we start from the saved file, not from scratch.