Artwork That Survives Printing

300 dpi at final size, vector text where the method allows, and an ink matched to the fabric — the three rules that keep a design sharp on the shirt.

Print artwork is prepared at 300 dots per inch at final size. Low-resolution images from the web, usually 72 dpi, print blurred — the file must be built at the size it will print, not enlarged afterwards to reach that size.

For screen printing, the colour count is a practical limit: every colour needs its own screen, so a design with eight colours costs more to set up than one with two. Keeping text as vector where the method allows also keeps edges clean at any size.

Fabric and ink have to match. Cotton takes screen-print plastisol and DTG inks well; polyester blends need dyes or inks formulated for synthetics. Sending a cotton-only ink specification to a polyester-blend job produces a print that does not hold.

The artwork deadline sits inside the order timeline: a typical custom-print order takes one to two weeks from artwork approval to delivery, so the file must be finished and approved before that window starts. Ordering two to three weeks before a holiday keeps the schedule clear of rush fees.

• 300 dpi at final size — not 72 dpi from the web
• Vector text where the method allows
• Colour count kept realistic for screen printing
• Ink matched to fabric: plastisol/DTG for cotton, formulated inks for polyester blends
• Artwork approved before the one-to-two-week production window opens

Further reading

• Screen, DTG or Heat Transfer
• Ordering Before the Date