How to prep artwork for the best print

Great prints start before the press ever runs. The single biggest thing that speeds up a quote — and guarantees the shirt looks the way you pictured — is good artwork. The good news: you don't need to be a designer. You just need to know what to send.

Send the best file you have

Not all files are equal. From best to worst for printing:

• Vector files (.ai, .eps, .pdf, .svg) — the gold standard. They scale to any size without losing sharpness. If your designer made your logo, they have this.
• High-resolution PNG with transparency — excellent for DTF. Aim for at least 300 DPI at the size it'll print.
• High-resolution JPG — works, but no transparency, so the background needs handling.
• A screenshot, a photo of a shirt, a tiny social-media image — we can often work with it, but it may need to be redrawn. That's a step, not a dealbreaker.

Think about color

Screens glow; fabric doesn't. A color that looks electric on your phone can land differently on a garment. If you have specific brand colors — a district color code, a Pantone (PMS) number — send it. If exact matching matters, tell us up front and we'll proof it before production.

Mind the details

Thin lines and tiny text

Hairline strokes and small text can drop out or fill in. As a rule, keep text above about a quarter-inch tall on the final print, and avoid lines thinner than a credit-card edge.

Outline your fonts

If you're sending a vector file, convert text to outlines (or include the font). Otherwise the type can reflow on our end.

The five things that slow a quote

1. A low-resolution image pulled from a website or social post.
2. No transparent background when the design needs one.
3. Brand colors mentioned but never specified.
4. Print size or placement left undescribed ("on the shirt" — where? how big?).
5. Fonts referenced but not included or outlined.

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You don't have to get all of this perfect. A rough description plus your best file is enough to start — we'll tell you exactly what we need next.

When in doubt, just send it

Honestly? Don't overthink it. Send the best version of what you've got, tell us roughly where and how big you want it, and we'll handle the rest — including telling you if something needs to be cleaned up or redrawn before it prints. That's part of the job.