What are the file specifications for stickers (bleed, trim, and safety margins)?

Three measurements control a clean sticker: bleed, trim, and safety. Bleed is the color that runs past the edge, trim is where the sticker is actually cut, and safety is the inner zone where your important content stays protected from the cut. Setting all three correctly is what prevents white edges and clipped text.

• Bleed: the full file size, with color and images extending beyond the trim on every side.
• Trim: the final cut size, the dimensions your sticker will actually be.
• Safety area: the inner margin where text and key elements must stay so nothing is cut off.

Keep critical design elements inside the safety area on every sticker layout.

The standard bleed is 0.125" (1/8") on every side, and text and logos should sit at least 0.125" inside the trim. Build the file at the finished size plus bleed, in CMYK at 300 DPI: a finished 8.25" x 3.75" sticker needs an 8.5" x 4" file.