Ideal label files for Outshinery Studio
To create photorealistic renders that truly showcase your product, we need high-quality label files—just like the ones you’d send to your printer. The goal is simple: precise, detailed files help us craft a flawless “digital twin” of your product.
Why quality matters
Would you print a label with blurry or incomplete files? Probably not. The same applies to our 3D visuals. The better the label file, the better your product will look. Every detail matters to create an accurate “digital twin.”
Providing the correct file types ensures Outshinery can perfectly replicate your product—just like handing over a final blueprint for guaranteed results!
What we need (ideal files):
Packaged AI file with fonts and linked images
A packaged AI file is essential for ensuring that all design elements are intact and ready for use. This means:
- Including all fonts: Ensures text displays exactly as intended, with no substitutions.
- Linked images and graphics: Any supporting files (like logos, textures, or photos) are embedded to avoid missing elements.
You wouldn’t print labels with pixelated or incomplete files, right?
- Organized in a ZIP: By zipping the packaged file, you keep everything neatly together, ensuring a smooth transfer.
A ZIP file is a compressed folder that keeps files organized, lightweight, and easy to share.
Packaging an AI file is like delivering the complete toolkit needed to accurately reproduce your design—nothing left behind!
High-quality layered PDF
A layered vector PDF is a great option for sharing your label designs. Here’s why:
- High resolution: Keeps your design sharp and clear, critical for photorealistic renders.
- Editable layers: Allows individual design elements (like text, logos, or graphics) to be adjusted or enhanced during rendering.
- Print-ready quality: This is the polished, final version prepared specifically to meet your printer's requirements.
Providing these types of files ensures the accuracy of your digital twin and allows Outshinery to create renders that perfectly reflect your product.
Just like a printer, Outshinery’s digital artists use the designer’s files to get every detail right—gloss varnish, embossing, dielines, dimensions, and more. This essential info must be clearly provided, something a simple JPG or PNG can't offer.
What won’t work (avoid these files):
Low-res JPG or flattened PDF
JPGs and PNGs may look fine on screen, but they lack the quality and flexibility needed for creating photorealistic renders. Here’s why:
- Limited detail: These formats are raster-based, meaning they’re made of pixels. If we need to scale, edit, or enhance the design, the image quality can degrade, leading to blurry or pixelated results.
- No layers: JPGs and PNGs are flat files, so we can’t separate design elements like text, logos, or backgrounds. This makes adjustments impossible without recreating the design from scratch.
- Low resolution: Many JPGs and PNGs are exported at a lower resolution, which isn’t sufficient for creating the high-quality, sharp visuals Outshinery delivers.
Outshinery requires vector-based files (like AI or layered PDFs) because they maintain perfect detail at any size and allow precise adjustments. Simply put, you wouldn’t send a low-res file to print, and the same applies here—your product deserves to look its absolute best!
If an AI file is missing linked images because the full packaged folder wasn’t provided, the images will appear pixelated and low resolution.
Password-protected files
Password-protected files create unnecessary roadblocks in our process and can delay your project. Here’s why:
- Accessibility issues: If we can’t open the file, we can’t review or use your design elements, which halts progress on your render.
- Potential miscommunication: If the password isn’t shared correctly or is forgotten, it requires additional back-and-forth, slowing down timelines.
- No adjustments possible: Even if we access the file, password protection often restricts the ability to edit or separate design elements, which are essential for creating photorealistic visuals.
A locked PDF prevents Outshinery from opening the file in the right software, making it impossible to access layers and print finishes.
Flattened, low-quality PDFs
Flattened PDFs lack the layered structure and resolution needed to produce photorealistic renders. Here’s why they don’t work well:
- No editable layers: When a PDF is flattened, all the design elements—text, logos, graphics—are merged into one single layer. This makes it impossible to isolate or adjust specific details, which are crucial for achieving a realistic digital twin.
- Lower image quality: Flattening often reduces the file’s resolution or clarity. The result is a less sharp, less detailed image that can’t meet Outshinery’s high standards for accuracy and photorealism.
- Limited flexibility: Without layers, even simple adjustments—like tweaking text placement or refining color accuracy—become time-consuming or unfeasible.
Low-quality printer’s proofs are for reviewing production details, like barcodes and label volume. Designed for easy sharing and approval, these files are lightweight and lack the definition Outshinery needs.
For the best results, Outshinery needs layered vector PDFs that maintain separate elements, high resolution, and full flexibility. This ensures every visual we create for your product is as detailed, crisp, and accurate as possible.
Easy tips for everyone (even non-designers)
With the right files, Outshinery can bring your product to life with breathtaking, photorealistic visuals. Let’s make your digital twin perfect!
What did you send to the printer?
Outshinery needs the exact same files you’d send to your printer. If it’s good enough to print, it’s good enough for us to create photorealistic renders.
Ask your designer or printer.
Need help finding the right files? Just ask your designer or printer for:
- A packaged AI file (with fonts and links).
- A layered PDF (high-quality, ready-to-print proof).
Think like a brand owner
Would you approve the file for printing with blurry images or incomplete details? If not, it’s not ready for rendering. Every detail matters to create the perfect "digital twin" of your product.
Pro tip: If you’re unsure about the file quality, ask yourself: "Would I showcase this on a store shelf or e-commerce page?" If the answer is no, it’s time to check in with your designer!
Polished packaging: beyond the front label
Don’t forget the back label
Ensure your back label, capsules, neckers, and other packaging elements meet the same high standards as your front label—maintaining consistency in quality, color accuracy, and print precision.
- No placeholder elements: Make sure barcodes, QR codes, and text are finalized (no FPO or "Lorem ipsum").
- Accurate content: Ensure romance copy, legal text, and imagery are print-ready.
Designers often use FPO (For Placement Only) elements, like placeholder barcodes, marked in bright magenta. If submitted to Outshinery, we’ll remove the "FPO mention" to avoid distractions, but the barcode will remain incorrect.
Silkscreened labels? No problem.
Outshinery works seamlessly with ACL (Applied Ceramic Labelling). Just like the other label types covered in this guide, we require high-quality vector production files (PDF, AI).
The correct label files clearly define the inks used—such as precious metals or glow-in-the-dark—along with the precise design placement on the bottle.
Don’t skip on corks and capsules
High-quality files aren’t just for labels. Don’t overlook neckers, hood foils, or capsule designs. These should meet the same standards for a cohesive and polished result.
Capsules, screwcaps, and even corks now feature custom finishes and branding. Providing design files to Outshinery ensures every detail is captured in high-quality renders.