Half the delays we see on print orders come down to the same problem: the file wasn't ready. A blurry logo, the wrong color mode, or a design saved at the wrong size can hold up a job for days. If you know what we're looking for before you hit send, your order moves faster and looks better. Here's what actually matters when you're prepping artwork for print.

Vector vs. Raster: Know What You're Sending

Vector files (AI, EPS, SVG, or PDF built from vector art) are made of paths and shapes, so they scale to any size without losing quality. This is what we want for logos, text, and anything going through screen printing or laser engraving, where clean edges matter.

Raster files (JPG, PNG, PSD) are made of pixels. They work fine for photos and detailed artwork, but stretch one past its native resolution and it turns soft or blocky. If your only logo file is a small PNG pulled off a website, tell us up front — we can often recreate it as a vector, but it takes extra time.

Resolution: 300 DPI Is the Rule

For any raster image, we need at least 300 DPI (dots per inch) at the actual size it will print. A photo that looks sharp on your phone screen at 72 DPI can look pixelated once it's blown up to fill a 12-inch print area. If you're not sure what resolution a file is, send it our way and we'll check before your order goes into production.

Color Modes: CMYK vs. RGB vs. Spot Color

Screens display color in RGB. Print doesn't work that way. Depending on the method, we're building your design in CMYK (four-color process, used for DTF and some digital printing) or spot colors (solid, individually mixed inks, used for most screen printing). A bright RGB blue on your monitor can shift noticeably once it's converted for print, so it helps to know which method you're using before you lock in colors.

If brand consistency matters — say, you need an exact Pantone match for a client logo — tell us the spot color number up front. Guessing from a screenshot almost always leads to a reprint.

Set Up Your File the Right Size, Not "Close Enough"

Design your file at the actual print dimensions, or as close to scale as possible. A design built small and stretched up in Photoshop will lose detail no matter how high the original resolution was. For embroidery, keep in mind that very fine text and thin lines under about 1/8 inch tend to fill in once stitched, so simplify small details rather than cramming them in.

What to Send Us

• Vector files (AI, EPS, or PDF) for logos and line art whenever you have them
• High-resolution raster files (300 DPI minimum) for photos or detailed graphics
• Pantone or CMYK values if you need exact color matching
• Layered files when possible — it's easier for us to separate colors and clean up artwork with the layers intact

Don't have any of that? Don't worry. Our graphic design team works with shops, teams, and businesses across the Hudson Valley every week to take a rough logo or a sketch and turn it into a print-ready file. That's part of what we do.

The Bottom Line

Good file prep isn't about making things harder for you — it's about avoiding surprises once your order is on press. The better the file, the better the print, and the faster we can get your order done. When in doubt, send us what you have and ask. We'd rather check a file before printing than after.

Ready to get your project started? Request a quote and our team will look over your artwork and let you know exactly what it needs.