How to send art files for screen printing.

Vector first. Raster when you have to.

Screen printing works best from vector art: clean edges at any size and easy to separate by ink colour.

• AI, EPS, or PDF: preferred. Keep layers, outline fonts, and preserve spot colours.
• PSD, PNG, or TIFF: fine for raster art. Supply it at the actual print size with a transparent background, at 300 DPI.
• JPG: reference only, never the master file.

Name your ink colours.

Call out a Pantone colour for each ink in the file or in your email. A hex code describes a screen colour, not an ink colour.

• One spot colour or layer per ink.
• Note the garment colour so we can plan for dark or light fabric.
• Avoid RGB-only files for screen printing.

Things that send a file back for revision.

• Live fonts that are not outlined.
• Live effects such as drop shadows or glows.
• Low-resolution images placed inside a vector file.
• All colours flattened onto a single layer.

File names should read like a SKU.

Use BRAND_PROGRAM_GARMENT_LOCATION_COLOURS_VERSION — for example BRAND_SS26_TEE_FRONT_3C_v3.ai.

Version up on every change instead of overwriting, so everyone can confirm the approved file is the one on press.

When in doubt, send the layered master.

Don’t flatten or resize. Send the working file with your quote request, and we will flag anything that needs attention before your sample.