A shirt is only as sharp as the file it's printed from. The good news: you don't need to be a designer to get it right. Here's what makes a file print well, and what our designer checks for you when you upload it.
The best file types
- SVG (vector): the best you can send. It's made of shapes, not pixels, so it's sharp at any size. If whoever made your logo can export an SVG, ask for it.
- PNG with a transparent background: the next best, and the most common. Only the logo prints, not a white box around it.
- JPG: works, but a JPG always has a background (usually white), which prints as a box. Use Remove background in the designer, or upload a PNG instead.
The designer takes PNG, JPG, SVG, WebP and GIF files up to 25 MB. Have a PDF, AI or PSD? Export a PNG or SVG from it if you can; if not, send the file to us after checkout and we'll take it from there.
How many pixels do you need?
For a sharp print you want about 250–300 pixels for every inch of print. So:
- A 4" left-chest logo needs about 1,000–1,200 pixels across.
- An 11" full front or back print needs about 2,750–3,300 pixels across.
You don't have to do the math: the designer shows the print resolution for each picture at the size you've placed it. Under 250 DPI it says the print may look slightly soft; under 150 DPI it warns that it will look blurry, and suggests making it smaller or uploading a bigger file. A logo grabbed from a website or a social media profile picture is usually far too small for a full front print.
Simple logos with a few flat colors are the exception: the designer can enlarge them with crisp edges, so a small but clean logo still prints sharp.
Watch out for fades, glows and shadows
Shirt printing lays down solid ink. Soft effects that look great on screen don't print as soft effects:
- Feathered edges (an edge that fades out) come out speckled or as a hard line.
- Glows and drop shadows print as a hazy or blotchy halo.
- Very thin lines and tiny text can break up. Keep lines at least about 1 mm thick at the print size.
The designer's artwork check looks for all of these and tells you what it found. For an outline, a single color or thicker lines, the artwork tools can fix many logos in a click.
Colors
We print full color, so gradients and photos are fine. Colors on screen are brighter than ink on fabric, especially neon. If an exact brand color matters, send us a message with your order number and we'll match it as closely as the process allows.
When in doubt, ask for a free file check
If the designer flags something and you're not sure what to do, choose Have our team check it (free) when you add to cart. We look at your file before printing and contact you if it needs a fix. You can also send us a question before you order.
