For a logo or lettering, start with the original vector artwork if you have it. For a photograph or shaded illustration, send the original image at its best available resolution. A transparent PNG can be useful, but changing a filename to PNG, PDF or SVG does not repair a blurry source.
The file is only part of the decision. Tell us where it goes, which garments you want and roughly how large you picture the print. We can review those details together before you approve the order.
Choose the file for the artwork
Logos and lettering: send the original editable design when available, plus a reference showing how it should look. Vector paths are useful for resizing clean shapes.
Photographs and shaded illustrations: send the original raster image, rather than a screenshot of it. Keep the source file as well as any export.
Artwork without a rectangular background: a PNG can preserve transparency. Check that the background is actually transparent, rather than a checkerboard drawn into the image.
A PDF from your designer: send it, but remember that PDFs can contain both paths and pixel images. We need to inspect the contents, not just the extension.
Adobe's raster and vector guide explains the underlying difference. Neither type is a guarantee that every detail will work at every size on a garment.
Why the original file helps
A picture of a logo on a website can show us which design you mean. It may leave us without the separate elements needed to prepare it. Ask the person who designed your logo for the original artwork package before making another export from a small web image.
Keep one untouched original. If you have a version with editable lettering and another with lettering converted to shapes, include both and identify the version we should reproduce. Send a reference for the correct spelling, arrangement and colors, especially if the design has changed.
For an event with several sponsors, collect their original logos individually. A screenshot of the whole sponsor panel gives us less flexibility if one logo needs replacing or moving. Label the final version clearly so an older attachment cannot be mistaken for the current design.
Resolution only makes sense beside the print size
A raster image has a fixed pixel count. Its pixels per inch depend on how wide you print it. For example, 3,000 pixels across a 10-inch print gives 300 pixels per inch. Spread those same pixels across 15 inches and the result is 200 pixels per inch.
That arithmetic is an illustration, not an approved print size or a universal Imprint acceptance rule. The image still needs review for its actual detail, intended size and printing process. Adobe explains how image dimensions and resampling interact.
Changing only the resolution label does not create missing detail. Resampling changes the pixels, and enlarging a small source may introduce artifacts. Send the original before spending time making a larger export.
Also check what you are measuring. A wide canvas with a small logo in the middle is not the same as a logo that fills that width. When discussing inches, tell us whether you mean the visible artwork or the whole page. We want the printed design to have the intended size, without counting empty space around it.
Keep intentional shading when removing a background
A black rectangle behind a design may be unwanted. Dark areas inside the illustration may be part of its shape, shading or fade. Before removing anything, identify which areas should show the shirt and which should stay in the artwork.
For example, a neon-style illustration may need its soft glow and darker center to keep the intended look. Removing every dark area would change the design. Send the untouched original with a short note about the background, and review the prepared version against it.
Preview the artwork on the intended garment color. A transparent export can still have unwanted edges or missing details. Check around lettering, inside enclosed shapes and wherever the illustration fades out. Tell us about a deliberate fade so it can be reviewed as part of the design.
Send print files and placement references separately
A shirt mockup answers a useful question: where should the design appear, and how should the overall shirt look? It does not necessarily give us the original printable artwork or a reliable measurement in inches.
Send separate front, back and sleeve artwork files, with the matching mockup as a reference. Names such as front-final and back-final are easier to follow than several attachments called final-new. If there are two designs in one order, identify which garments receive each one.
Tell us whether the order includes adult, youth or other distinct garment groups. We need to review the smallest garment and each placement before settling the production sizes. A mockup that looks right on an adult shirt does not establish the correct youth print dimensions.
If you do not know the size yet, describe the effect you want: a small chest logo, a centered front graphic or a larger back print. We can work toward confirmed dimensions from there. Avoid adding an arbitrary measurement simply to fill in a field.
The file does not choose the printing method
A transparent PNG does not automatically make an order DTF, and a vector logo does not automatically make it screen printing. The garment, quantity, artwork, placement and finished result belong in the same discussion.
Our DTF versus screen printing guide explains how those order details change the choice. If the design includes a large solid area or fine detail, point that out when you ask for a quote. Include your priorities for the shirt's overall feel and appearance.
What to send with your quote request
The original artwork and the clearly identified final version.
A separate file for each print location, plus any mockup showing placement.
The garment style, color and quantity by size, including youth garments.
Your intended print dimensions if known, or a description of the scale you want.
Any background, fade or color details we should preserve.
The date you need the finished order in hand.
Only have a small image? Send what you have and say that it is the best available source. We can review the starting point before you commit to the order. Request a quote from Imprint, or browse garment options if you are still choosing the shirts.
Have something in mind?
Tell us what you’re making. We’ll help work out the garments, artwork, and next step.