What file format/specs are needed for shaker keychain?

” I'm looking into producing shaker keychains! i'm not sure how to go about this in terms of what my final delivered file/s should look like when given to melocharms. ”

This is a question one of our customers asked in the Discord channel, and anyone looking to order shaker keychains probably has the same doubt.
Let’s go over exactly what files you need to make a shaker keychain!

First, all files must follow the same format requirements:
The artwork file requires 300 resolution and 1000 pixels or more, CMYK color mode (if you upload RGB color mode files, the color of the final products will be darker than expected).

And the vector original manuscript is recommanded.

We prefer PSD/PNG/AI/PDF/CDR files.

You only need to upload the designs, we will make the cutline for you!

Then, let’s break down how a shaker keychain is constructed.

A shaker keychain is mainly made up of three acrylic layers:

• The First layer is the front
• The Third layer is the back
• The Second layer is sandwiched between them, primarily to create space for the small acrylic pieces to shake.

Now that you understand its structure, you’ll know exactly what files to prepare!

We need 3 files total for the main shaker keychain.  

The first one is printed on the front of the first acrylic layer, this is the front design of the entire shaker, usually just called front.
As shown below:The left is the file, the middle is the cut line which will be shown on your proof, and the right is the finished effect.

The second file is printed on the front of the third acrylic layer, which serves as the background for the shaking charm area. We usually call this background. As shown below: 
The left is the file, the middle is the cut line which will be shown on your proof, and the right is the finished effect.

The third file is printed on the back of the third acrylic layer, which is also the entire back of the shaker keychain. We usually call this back. As shown below:The left is the file, the middle is the cut line which will be shown on your proof, and the right is the finished effect.

You’ll notice that the second acrylic layer has no printing, it only acts as the chamber for the small pieces to move around.Because of this, both sides of the second layer are fully covered by the front and back designs.

Lastly, don’t forget to upload the designs for the small acrylic pieces!
The proof will contain the middle layer (no printing) and the small acrylic pieces together. As shown below:

 

You can send the files separately, or put them all in one PSD file, just make sure the layers are properly named and organized, and we’ll handle the rest!
After you uplaoded your files, you will receive a proof like this for shaker keychain:

 

Hope this helps you learn how the shake keychain is made and what files you need to provide!

If you have any other questions or new ideas you’d like to bring to life, feel free to join our Discord and chat with many unique artists! Our customer service is also online to assist you in real time!