Print ready stamp export settings: DPI, format and colour
Export at 300dpi or more for print, as a transparent PNG for documents or a vector file for a physical die, and keep the ink a single solid colour.
Print ready stamp export settings: DPI, format and colour templates, ready to edit
Open the stamp maker with any of these
Every preview on this page carries a faint Estamplab watermark. Your own download does not: the editor renders your stamp again, clean, as a transparent PNG, an SVG or a PDF. See the full template library.
A stamp that looks right on screen and prints badly has usually failed on one of three things: resolution, background or colour. Screens forgive all three. Paper does not, and neither does a die cutter. This is the short version of what a print shop will ask you for, and what each setting is actually doing.
What you get
- Resolution: 300dpi at the physical size you intend, which for a 40mm stamp is around 470 pixels.
- Format: PNG with transparency for documents; a vector file when a die is being cut from it.
- Colour: one solid ink, because a gradient does not exist on a rubber stamp and prints as a mess.
- Positive artwork, meaning ink where you want ink, unless your supplier has asked for a reverse.
- A quick check at 100% before you commit, because a stamp is judged at its real size.
How to make it
- Open the stamp maker and pick a shape, or start from a template.
- Type your wording, then set the colour, border and size.
- Add the date, time, serial number or logo, and position each one.
- Preview it live, then download. Designing and previewing are free.
Questions
What DPI should a stamp be?
300dpi at the size it will print, which is the standard for anything going on paper. On screen it makes no difference; on a printed invoice at 40mm, 72dpi is visibly soft.
What is the difference between positive and reverse artwork?
Positive artwork is what you want the printed impression to look like: ink where the ink goes. Reverse or negative artwork is mirrored or inverted, and some die makers ask for it. Send positive unless your supplier says otherwise, and ask rather than guess.
Do I need EPS or SVG?
For a document, no: a transparent PNG is what Word, PDF readers and email clients want. For a physical stamp die or large format printing, a vector file scales without limit and is what a manufacturer will ask for.
Why does my stamp print with a white square around it?
It is a JPG, which cannot hold transparency. Export it as a PNG and the paper shows through.
Should a stamp be CMYK or RGB?
For documents, RGB is fine and is what everything on screen uses. For commercial printing, a print shop will want CMYK and will convert it if you do not, which can shift a bright red slightly. If the exact colour matters, ask them before the run.
Estamplab is a design tool. This page describes common commercial practice rather than giving legal, tax or financial advice, and practice changes. Where a specific document matters, check the requirement with the body receiving it. Only produce a mark your own organisation or your own credentials are entitled to use.