PDF vs. SVG vs. PNG for Printable Labels

Choose the best export format for printing, editing or sharing.

PDF for reliable sheet printing

PDF preserves page dimensions and positioning. Use it when printing labels onto physical die-cut paper, and select 100% scale in your print dialog.

The PDF exporter rasterizes the design at high resolution, which may create larger files than vector-only PDFs.

SVG for scalable artwork

SVG describes artwork with shapes and text, and scales without bitmap pixelation. It is useful for graphic software and professional print workflows.

Some fonts will need to be installed on the destination computer; otherwise, a substitute font may be displayed.

PNG for quick sharing

PNG is widely compatible with social graphics and many applications. It is also convenient when you need a raster asset instead of a page-oriented print file.

Our exports use 300 DPI raster dimensions for clarity at common print sizes.

Format comparison

Avoid scale changes at the printer

A PDF has explicit page dimensions, but print dialogs can still scale it. For die-cut label sheets, select Actual Size or 100%, confirm the correct paper size, and disable borderless expansion unless your chosen paper needs it.

What about typography?

If your selected font isn’t installed on another computer, an SVG may render with a substitute. For consistent results, export a print-ready PDF from the machine where you designed the label and inspect a test print.

When exporting raster images

A 2 × 4-inch design at 300 pixels per inch is approximately 600 × 1200 pixels. Artwork that looks sharp on a phone screen can still look soft when enlarged beyond its source resolution.

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