How to Prepare Artwork Files for Custom Printing: The Complete Guide

More custom print jobs are delayed by file problems than by anything happening on the press. A logo pulled from a website, a screenshot of a screenshot, a “high-res” JPEG that turns to mush at print size — these land in print queues every single day. The good news is that print-ready artwork is not mysterious. It comes down to a handful of decisions about format, resolution, colour and structure, and once you understand the reasoning behind each one you’ll never send a problem file again. This guide walks through the whole process, from the format you start in to the file you hand over.

Start with the right kind of file: vector vs raster

Every piece of digital art is one of two types, and knowing which you’re dealing with changes everything. Vector art is built from mathematical paths, so it scales to any size with perfectly crisp edges — ideal for logos, text and bold graphics. Raster art is built from a grid of pixels, so it has a fixed resolution and degrades when enlarged — necessary for photographs and painterly artwork.

• Vector formats: AI, EPS, PDF and SVG — created in Illustrator, Affinity Designer, CorelDRAW or Inkscape.
• Raster formats: PSD, TIFF, PNG and JPEG — created in Photoshop, Affinity Photo or GIMP.
• A PNG of your logo is not a vector, even if it looks sharp on screen; it is pixels and will pixelate when scaled up.
• For screen printing, embroidery digitising and most logo work, supply true vector wherever possible.

Get resolution right for raster artwork

When you must use raster art, resolution is everything. The rule for apparel is 300 DPI at the final printed size — not at thumbnail size. A graphic that is 300 DPI on a tiny crest but only covers 5 cm will look soft if you blow it up to a 30 cm chest print. Always check resolution at the dimensions the design will actually be printed.

1. 1Decide the physical print size first — for example a 28 cm wide front print.
2. 2Set your document to that size, then confirm the image is 300 DPI at those dimensions.
3. 3Never upscale a small image and assume it’s fixed — adding pixels in software invents detail that was never there and edges stay fuzzy.
4. 4For DTF and sublimation, 300 DPI is the baseline; for crisp small text, 600 DPI gives a cleaner edge.

Choose the correct colour mode

Screens emit light and mix colour in RGB; printers lay down ink and mix in CMYK or use spot colours. If you design in RGB and hand the file straight to a printer, vivid blues, greens and oranges can shift noticeably as they’re converted. Decide your colour workflow up front based on the print method.

• Screen printing: use named Pantone spot colours so each ink is mixed to a known reference, not approximated.
• DTF, sublimation and full-colour digital: work in CMYK, or supply RGB with a Pantone callout for any brand-critical colours.
• Convert to your target mode before final export and review the result — don’t leave the conversion to chance on the press.
• Note that some bright RGB colours simply cannot be reproduced in CMYK; pick the nearest printable equivalent deliberately.

Handle fonts and effects so nothing reflows

A file that looks perfect on your machine can rearrange itself on someone else’s if the fonts aren’t there. The fix is simple: remove the dependency entirely. The same logic applies to live effects like drop shadows and gradients, which can render differently across software versions.

• Convert all text to outlines (vector) or rasterise type layers before sending — this locks the shapes permanently.
• Keep an editable copy with live text for yourself, in case wording needs to change later.
• Flatten or expand complex effects, or supply a high-res flattened reference alongside the editable file.
• If you genuinely need to send live fonts, package and include the font files, and check the licence allows it.

Add bleed, set up transparency and name your files

A few production details separate amateur files from professional ones. Designs that run to the edge of a printed area need bleed — extra artwork beyond the trim line — so a slight shift on press doesn’t leave a white sliver. For garment prints, transparency matters: anything that should show the fabric colour through it must be genuinely transparent, not white-filled.

• Add 3 mm of bleed on any artwork that prints to an edge, and keep important detail away from the trim line.
• Save transparent-background art as PNG or layered PSD so the printer knows what is ink and what is garment.
• Remove stray pixels, hidden layers and unused swatches that can confuse a RIP or separation.
• Name files clearly: brand, design, size and colour mode — for example “acme-logo-front-28cm-CMYK.pdf”.

“Ten minutes spent setting up a file correctly saves three emails, two reproofs and a missed deadline later.”

A quick pre-flight checklist before you send

Run through this list before every handover and most file rejections disappear. It takes a couple of minutes and removes the back-and-forth that delays production.

1. 1Is the art vector where it can be, and raster only where it must be?
2. 2Is every raster element 300 DPI at the final print size?
3. 3Is the colour mode correct, with Pantones called out for brand colours?
4. 4Are all fonts outlined and effects flattened or expanded?
5. 5Is bleed added, transparency correct and the file clearly named?

If file prep still feels like a chore, you don’t have to do it alone. Velocity Wear’s production team reviews and corrects supplied artwork as part of every bulk order — from logo vectorising to colour separations — across custom hoodies, tees, polos, caps and workwear from a 20-piece minimum, with tracked delivery to the UK, USA, Europe and worldwide. Send what you have and request a free quote, and we’ll flag anything that needs fixing before it ever reaches the press.