The quality of your product depends on the print file you submit. So if you want to make your designs look the best they can and avoid order holds, carefully follow basic graphics requirements.
Some of the things you must keep in mind are:
- Maximum size of print area depends on the product you choose. For example, for t-shirts it’s 12×16 inches, but for mugs (11oz) – 9x 3.5 inches. For best results, we recommend using our templates that can be found in the File guidelines. That way you don’t have to worry about dimensions or DPI settings—we’ve set it all for you!
- File resolution recommendations: For most products, your print file has to be at least 150 DPI (dots per inch) to ensure optimal print quality. There are, however, some products that require 300 DPI so be sure to check File guidelines when choosing your next product.
- Accepted print file formats: CDR, AI, EPS, PSD, PNG, PDF.
- Finally, your design has to correspond to our Acceptable Content Guidelines. If the content of your design is hateful, illegal, or it violates intellectual property rights, it can be removed at any time by our print file graphic specialists.
TOP REASONS YOUR ORDER IS ON HOLD
Bad print file quality
Resolution is very important. If we printed a low-resolution file that’s scaled up, design would be blurry and pixelated. As it’s been already mentioned—most products require files to be made with 150 DPI. Print files for smaller items like mugs need to have higher resolution because prints are small and often detailed. We recommend submitting designs for these products with 300 DPI. If you’re not sure which products require which DPI settings, we would recommend to submit all files in 300 DPI.
Incorrectly used transparencies
While transparent elements in print files are OK for some products (all-over print products, mugs), they aren’t recommended in DTG printing because the white underbase will show through. This will create a very speckled look that can be associated with poor quality.
If you’re not sure whether your design has transparent elements, try switching off the solid white background in the editor you’re using to create your print file. If the grid is showing through the elements – they’re transparent. To fix it, you’ll have to select a specific color you want your design to “fade into” and use it at full opacity. That way, the colors in your design will be solid and printer won’t have trouble printing it.
Print file has a solid background
Avoid using background unless it’s a part of your design – this is especially important for the designs you want to print on apparel.
If you’re printing design with a black background on a black garment, you’ll be left with a greyish rectangle around your design. That’s because prints on dark garments require a white underbase, and as a result, the printed black will be a lighter shade than the actual garment. If you’re not sure whether your design has a background, open the file in Photoshop, add a different color background, and duplicate the layer several times to make any residue show up.
Prepare a perfect print file
Keeping an eye out for these most common mistakes is a must. It’ll speed up the time your order goes from submission to shipping.
If there’s anything to remember from this post is – check the guidelines, use high-quality graphics, accurately size your files, and voila – you’re set to start making that super cool Customized T-Shirts.
There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for. — Anonymous
