Print Guidelines

Artwork Requirements

Download Templates →

Supply your artwork at the correct size with bleed extended to avoid white edges at the trim line.

Keep all important text and logos within the safe area. Download the template for your wristband type below.

Understanding Print Zones

Every print product has three zones. Getting them right is the difference between a clean result and white edges.

Print Area

The actual printed size of your wristband after cutting - 254mm × 25.4mm. Your artwork canvas should be set to this size plus the 2mm bleed on all sides.

Visible Area

When wrapped around an adult wrist, this is the area that's actually visible. Keep all important text and logos within this zone.

Zones on a wristband (not to scale)

PRINT AREA
Full design of artwork

VISIBLE AREA
Keep important elements here for best visibility when in use

Print area

Visible area

Download Templates

Each template includes trim, bleed and safe area guides.
Available in AI and PDF.

Full Colour Wristband

CMYK · White Tyvek substrate

Total with bleed: 258mm × 29.4mm

Trim size: 254mm × 25.4mm

Bleed: 2mm all sides

Safe area: 3mm from trim

Resolution: 300dpi minimum

PDF TemplatePDF AI TemplateAI

Black Ink Only Tyvek Wristband

Black ink only · Coloured Tyvek substrate

Total with bleed: 258mm × 29.4mm

Trim size: 254mm × 25.4mm

Bleed: 2mm all sides

Safe area: 3mm from trim

Resolution: 300dpi minimum · Black/greyscale only

PDF TemplatePDF AI TemplateAI

BLACK PAPER

Black Paper Wristband

CMYK · Black paper substrate

Total with bleed: 258mm × 29.4mm

Trim size: 254mm × 25.4mm

Bleed: 2mm all sides

Safe area: 3mm from trim

Resolution: 300dpi minimum · Bright colours recommended

PDF TemplatePDF AI TemplateAI

Note: Need a different format, or help setting your artwork up? Contact us and we'll sort it within the hour.

Get Your Artwork Right

Setting your artwork up correctly is the difference between a wristband that looks crisp on day one and one that smudges on the press. Five minutes here saves a reprint.

Quick Specs

Use these values when setting up your artwork file before sending it to print.

Setting	Required
Resolution	300 DPI at final print size
Colour mode	CMYK (RGB will be auto-converted, may shift)
Bleed	2 mm on all sides
Safe area	3 mm inside trim (no important text/logos within)
File formats	PDF (preferred) · PNG · JPG · AI · PSD
Max file size	25 MB per file
Fonts	Outlined or embedded

Things That Commonly Cause Problems

These are the issues we see most often. Each one is easy to fix once you know about it.

Designed for screen, prints differently. RGB has a wider colour gamut than CMYK - when converted at press, colours can shift noticeably, especially bright blues and purples. Always convert to CMYK before sending.

Anything below 300 DPI at final print size will look pixelated or blurry. A high-res image on screen can still be low-res at print size - always check the DPI at 100% of the final printed dimensions.

Anything within the 3mm safe area risks being trimmed off during cutting. Minor variation in the cutting process is normal - keep all important text, logos, and barcodes at least 3mm inside the trim line.

Backgrounds that don't extend 2mm past the trim line leave thin white edges after cutting. Extend all background colours and images to the bleed edge - even if they'll be cut off, they prevent the white-edge problem.

If we don't have your font installed, the text gets substituted with a fallback - which won't look like your design. Convert all text to outlines before saving, or embed fonts in your exported PDF.

Spot colours are converted to CMYK on our press, which can shift slightly - especially Pantone oranges and certain greens. If an exact colour match matters, specify the Pantone reference and we'll do our best to match it. We recommend proofing first for critical brand colours.

Live transparency (drop shadows, opacity layers) can render unpredictably in some PDF viewers and on press. Flatten all transparency before exporting - in Photoshop use Flatten Image; in Illustrator use Flatten Transparency from the Object menu.

What We Do at Our End

Every file is checked before print. If we spot a problem, we'll email you before going ahead. You can fix it yourself, ask us to fix it (charges apply), or proceed at your own risk if you'd rather not delay.

Artwork Requirements

Understanding Print Zones

Download Templates

Get Your Artwork Right

Quick Specs

Things That Commonly Cause Problems

Need Help?