| Home | Resource Library | Go Shopping | Testimonials | FAQ |
Direct-to-Garment Printing
What We Need From You
The Highlights:
• Use RGB color space—make sure colors are NOT CMYK
• Dimensions: 14" wide x 16" high or less, sized to print at 100%
• Set resolution from 200 to 300 dpi
• Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, PDF, jpg, eps
• Convert fonts to outlines
The Details
This guide is for when you want to have complete creative control over producing finished files for us to print. You'll do all the design and layout.
When you create a file for digital garment printing, the best file types to send us are Adobe Photoshop (psd) or Illustrator (ai) files. If you don't have those programs, then please export your files to a file format that we could open, such as esp, jpg, pdf, etc.
Our printer can accommodate up to 14"x16". We have found that 11"x11" is a good size for a tee-shirt graphic, but sizing is entirely up to you. We size pocket logos inside a 3.5"x3" file.
Files should be sized to print at 100% (no enlarging) and resolution can be set anywhere between 200-300 dots per inch (dpi.) Photographs are better at the higher resolution. Graphic art is fine at 200 dpi.
Important for best results: This may seem strange to you, but please edit your photos and design your art using the RGB color space. Make sure that the colors you use from swatches are RGB. If you import colored clip art, make sure to convert the colors to RGB.
Our print driver converts to CMYK and is optimized for garment printing. Files submitted in CMYK or using CMYK color swatches or spot colors like Pantone may print duller or grayer than desired. For the most brilliant results, re-color any clip art or company art to equivalent or desired RGB colors.
For vector art, make sure to convert all fonts into outlines (in Illustrator it's Type>create outlines) so there are no font issues.
DO NOT submit art that you have copied from websites, like copying a logo or photo. These usually will not print well because they have been converted to low resolution graphics for the web.
Remember, what looks good on your monitor screen may not necessarily print as well as it looks if you have not set the resolution between 200-300 dpi.
If you don't have the software or the inclination to create your own graphic file, we can help with layouts, adding text to graphics, supplying appropriate clip art, converting color from CMYK to RGB, and so on. We will provide a quote on the art costs before doing any work.
We will be happy to look at your files and advise you on what we can do for you.