Artwork guidelines.
Everything you need to know to send us print-ready files. Follow these and your order flies through production — miss them and you’ll end up on revisions.
What we
can work with.
Vector files (.ai, .eps, .pdf, .svg) are always preferred — they scale cleanly to any size without losing quality. For full-colour digital prints, a high-res PNG with transparent background at 300 DPI works perfectly.
What each
method needs.
Vector, separated by colour
- — Vector files only (.ai, .eps, .pdf)
- — All fonts converted to outlines / curves
- — Pantone Solid Coated colours specified
- — Each colour on its own layer if possible
- — Sized to actual print dimensions
- — Maximum 6 colours per location
Clean, bold, minimum 1/4" detail
- — Vector preferred; high-res raster okay
- — Minimum text height 1/4" (0.25")
- — Avoid ultra-fine detail — won’t stitch
- — Limit to ~8 thread colours per design
- — We handle digitizing ($50+ one-time)
- — PMS approximated — Madeira thread chart
PNG, 300 DPI, transparent BG
- — PNG with transparent background
- — 300 DPI minimum resolution
- — Sized to actual print dimensions
- — Unlimited colours / gradients OK
- — No white-on-white (use cream or grey)
- — Flatten layers before exporting
Vector, high contrast
- — Vector files (.ai, .svg, .pdf, .eps)
- — Fonts converted to outlines
- — Solid black artwork (no gradients)
- — Minimum line weight 0.5pt
- — Specify material & placement size
- — Avoid ultra-fine detail under 1mm
Common
mistakes.
Low-resolution raster
A 72 DPI Instagram screengrab looks great on your phone and terrible on a shirt. Always send 300 DPI or vector.
Fonts not outlined
If we don’t have your font installed, we can’t open the file. Always convert text to outlines / curves before exporting.
Solid background on transparent art
Check your PNG actually has a transparent background — not a white rectangle. We’ll spot this but it slows things down.
No Pantone specified
RGB and CMYK shift between screen and print. If colour is critical, give us a Pantone Solid Coated number.
Design help
starting at $75.
Don’t have print-ready artwork? We offer in-house design — file cleanup, vectorization, full logo builds. Two revisions included, final files yours to keep.