A simple, no-faff guide for makers who want crisp labels instead of pixel soup.
Right, grab a brew (preferably Yorkshire Gold) because this is one of those topics everyone thinks they understand… until their label comes out looking like something from Minecraft.
If you’ve ever printed something and thought:
- “Why does this look fuzzy?”
- “My printer is rubbish.”
- “I swear it looked fine in Canva.”
- “Why is the text crunchy?”
…it’s nearly always a resolution problem.
Let’s break it down in normal-person English.
What DPI Actually Means (Not the Textbook Version)
DPI = Dots Per Inch
AKA: how many teeny tiny dots make up your image when it prints.
More dots = smoother, sharper, cleaner.
Not enough dots = crunchy, pixelly, blurry.
Think of DPI like sprinkles:
- Loads of sprinkles = smooth coating
- Barely any sprinkles = patchy and sad
If your design doesn’t have enough sprinkles (dots), it will never look crisp in print, no matter how magical your printer is.
Why 300 DPI Is the Standard for Labels
Labels are small.
Text is small.
Details are small.
Small things need high DPI to look clean.
300 DPI is the bare minimum for professional printing because:
- thin text stays sharp
- edges stay clean
- gradients don’t band
- icons don’t crumble
- barcodes actually scan
Anything less… and we’re in potato territory.
The Big Lie: “But it looked fine on my screen…”
Screens use PPI (pixels per inch). And screens cheat.
They zoom, smooth, sharpen and enhance things automatically so everything looks lush.
What you see on-screen is NOT your real file.
Your real file is often lower resolution than you think.
This is why PNGs downloaded from Canva often look:
- fine on your phone
- fine inside Canva
- fine in a tiny preview
- but absolutely dreadful when printed at 40mm wide
Screens lie.
Printers tell the truth.
Why PNG Files Are the Worst Offenders
PNG is great for:
- transparency
- social media
- mockups
…but PNG ≠ print quality.
Why?
- PNG compresses the image
- PNG doesn’t guarantee DPI
- PNG shrinks when exported
- PNG softens text
- PNG hates small details
It may look crisp on your monitor… but zoom in on the exported file (not on Canva) and you’ll see the crustiness.
If you want crisp print quality, always choose:
PDF Print (High Quality)
It preserves:
- vector shapes
- text sharpness
- colour consistency
- DPI integrity
- bleed
PNG… does not.
The Secret: CHECK the File You Download
This is where most people go wrong.
Don’t trust what you see in Canva.
Trust the actual exported file.
Here’s the no-faff test:
✔ Step 1
Download your design.
✔ Step 2
Open it on your device.
✔ Step 3
Zoom in until it’s huge.
✔ Step 4
If the curves are jagged, text looks fuzzy, or the edges look like Lego bricks, the DPI is too low.
This is the moment where people's souls leave their body because “but it looked fine in Canva” stops working.
Why Screenshots Are the Devil
If you send me a screenshot and ask “is this ok for printing?” I’ll weep gently.
Screenshots are:
- 72 DPI
- compressed
- blurry
- not the real file
- totally useless for printing
- equivalent to photographing your TV and calling it HD
Don’t use screenshots for anything print related.
Ever.
How to Fix Blurry Files (The Quick Way)
✔ 1. Always export as PDF Print
This is the gold standard.
✔ 2. Use vector graphics where possible
Vectors = infinitely scalable = always crisp.
Raster images (JPG/PNG) = limited DPI = risky.
✔ 3. Make your design bigger in Canva
Design at double size, then print at half. This forces better clarity.
✔ 4. Never stretch tiny images
If you pull a small image bigger, it will look shit.
✔ 5. Avoid ultra-thin fonts
If the line is thinner than a hair, it won’t print cleanly.
✔ 6. Check resolution BEFORE you upload to your printer
Trust. The. Downloaded. File.
The “100% Honesty” Moment
If your file is low-resolution, your print will be low-resolution.
You cannot fix DPI at the printer.
You cannot “sharpen it up”.
You cannot rescue a blurry download.
Resolution is baked into the file itself.
If the source is mush, the print will be mush.
Final Thoughts
DPI isn’t scary. It’s just misunderstood.
If you want crisp labels:
- use PDF Print
- check your files
- avoid screenshots
- don’t trust the Canva preview
- design bigger when in doubt
- never stretch tiny rasters
- make friends with 300 DPI
And if you ever want a quick check before printing, send me your exported file — not a screenshot — and I’ll take a look.
Your labels deserve to be crisp, not crunchy.
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