File & Artwork Guide for Custom T-Shirt Printing

The most important rule: send the best original file you have.

If you have an original logo, design file or original photo, send that instead of a screenshot. Every time an image is resized, compressed, copied through social media or captured from a screen, useful image data can be lost.

PNG files

PNG is a common choice for DTF artwork because it can support transparent backgrounds and preserve sharp edges better than a heavily compressed image. A high-resolution PNG prepared at the intended print size is often a practical print-ready file.

JPG files

JPG files can be perfectly usable for photographs and artwork that does not need transparency, but JPG compression can create artifacts around text, logos and sharp edges. Repeatedly saving or downloading a JPG can make those artifacts worse.

SVG, EPS, AI and vector PDF files

Vector artwork is built from mathematical shapes and paths instead of a fixed grid of pixels. That means a properly built vector logo can usually be enlarged without becoming pixelated. Vector files are especially useful for logos, text, icons and flat graphic designs.

A PDF can contain vector artwork, raster artwork or both, so the file extension alone does not guarantee that everything inside it is vector.

What does “transparent background” mean?

Transparency means the empty parts around a logo or design contain no background pixels. That matters when you want only the design itself to print. If a file contains a solid white rectangle behind a logo, the white area may be treated as part of the artwork unless it is removed.

Why screenshots are risky

A screenshot captures only the pixels displayed on the screen at that moment. It does not recover the original design information. A logo that looks acceptable at two inches wide on a phone can become visibly blurry when enlarged to ten or twelve inches for a shirt.

Resolution and print size

Raster artwork has pixel dimensions. Print quality depends on both the number of pixels and the physical size at which they are used. A file with enough pixels for a small left-chest logo may not have enough detail for a large full-back print.

Instead of relying only on a DPI number shown in software, look at the actual pixel dimensions and the intended final print size. When in doubt, send the original file and tell us how large you want it printed.

Why artwork can look distorted

Distortion can happen when an image is stretched wider or taller without preserving its original proportions. Logos and faces are especially noticeable when this happens. Artwork should normally be scaled proportionally unless intentional design changes are being made.

Small text and thin lines

Very small lettering and extremely thin details can be difficult to reproduce consistently on fabric. Fabric has texture, and apparel moves and stretches. A design that looks sharp on a computer screen may need slightly heavier lines or larger text for reliable garment printing.

Black artwork on a black shirt

Artwork colors should be considered together with garment color. Dark artwork can disappear visually on a dark garment, and light details can change the balance of a design. If the design is intended for several shirt colors, each version may need review.

Photographs for memorial and event shirts

For a photograph, send the original camera file or highest-resolution scan available. Avoid screenshots from social media when possible. Make sure important faces are not cropped too close and that the photo is reasonably sharp before enlargement.

What if I do not have print-ready artwork?

Send what you have. Background removal, cleanup or recreation may be possible depending on the source image. Major design work or rebuilding a low-resolution logo can affect the quote, so it is better to identify artwork problems before transfers or garments are produced.

What information should go with the file?

Include the intended garment color, print location, desired print width if known, garment sizes, quantity and deadline. If a specific color is important, describe it clearly and include a reference when possible. Screen displays and printed garments can reproduce color differently, so perfect monitor-to-print matching should not be assumed.