How to Prepare Print Artwork for Your Team

A shirt order can be ready to move forward one day and stalled the next because the logo is a screenshot, a color callout is missing, or nobody has confirmed where the design belongs. For Salt Lake City businesses planning uniforms, employee gifts, event shirts, or promotional products, knowing how to prepare print artwork saves time before production and helps the finished order look the way your company intended.

You do not need to be a designer to send us usable artwork. You do need to give the production team enough clear information to reproduce your design accurately. A good file, the right color direction, and a confirmed decoration plan prevent avoidable revisions and keep your project on schedule.

Start With the Best Artwork File Available

The best artwork file is usually a vector file, such as AI, EPS, PDF, or SVG. Vector artwork is built from lines and shapes rather than pixels, so it can be enlarged for a back print, banner, or large promotional item without becoming blurry. This is especially helpful for company logos with clean lettering, icons, or specific brand colors.

If you do not have a vector file, send the highest-resolution version you have. A PNG with a transparent background is often useful for apparel printing. A high-resolution PDF may also work well. JPG files can be usable if they are large and clear, but they are more likely to create problems when enlarged because they can have a background or show pixelation around edges.

Avoid sending a logo copied from a website, social media profile, email signature, or photo of an existing shirt whenever possible. Those files are commonly too small for clean production. A graphic may look fine on a phone screen yet print soft, jagged, or uneven at chest-print size.

If all you have is a low-quality image, send it anyway. Our team can review it and tell you whether it is workable, needs cleanup, or should be recreated. It is better to identify that early than to approve a proof based on artwork that will not hold up in production.

Keep Fonts and Logos Intact

If your artwork includes editable text, include the font name when you can. Better yet, convert the text to outlines before sending a vector file. Outlining turns letters into shapes, which prevents a font substitution from changing the appearance of your design.

For company logos, use the approved version rather than rebuilding it in a different font or pulling a similar-looking image from an online search. Small details matter. Letter spacing, registered marks, line weight, and the relationship between a logo mark and its wording can all change the final look.

How to Prepare Print Artwork With the Right Colors

Color is one of the most common places where expectations and production can get crossed. Start by telling us which garment or product color you want, then identify the colors in the artwork. If your company has Pantone color specifications, provide them. For screen printing, Pantone matching gives us a clear target for ink color.

A color shown on a monitor is only a reference. Screens use light to display color, while printing uses ink or thread on a physical surface. The same blue can appear different on a bright computer display, a navy hoodie, a white cotton shirt, and a textured embroidered cap. If brand consistency is a priority for your company, Pantone references and a detailed proof are worth the extra attention.

Embroidery works differently from screen printing. Thread colors are selected to closely match your brand colors, but thread has texture and reflects light. Very subtle gradients or multiple shades in a small logo may need to be simplified for a clean embroidered result.

DTF and DTG printing are good options for full-color designs, photos, and artwork with gradients. Screen printing is often the better fit for larger quantities and bold spot-color artwork, especially when your team needs consistent color across a run of shirts. The right method depends on the artwork, garment, quantity, budget, and intended use.

Confirm Size and Placement Before the Proof

Saying “put the logo on the front” is a start, but it leaves room for interpretation. A left-chest logo, full-front graphic, sleeve print, upper-back design, and centered cap logo each use different placement and sizing standards. Tell us what your company has in mind, especially if the order needs to match previous uniforms or event apparel.

For a typical left-chest print or embroidery, a smaller logo is common. A full-front event design may be much larger. A design that looks balanced on an adult medium shirt can feel oversized on a small shirt or undersized on a 3XL. Our team will recommend an appropriate print size, but your approval of the proof is the final checkpoint.

Be specific about every decorated location. For example, an employee polo order may include an embroidered left chest and a printed name on the right chest. A tournament shirt may have a small front logo, sponsor logos on the back, and a number on the sleeve. Listing each location up front helps us quote accurately and prevents missed details.

For promotional products, placement matters just as much. A logo on drinkware may need to fit a curved print area. A lanyard design needs readable text at a narrow width. Pens and other small items often require a simplified mark rather than a full horizontal logo with a tagline.

Design for the Decoration Method, Not Just the Screen

Not every design transfers equally to every decoration method. Fine lines, tiny text, distressed textures, gradients, and small color shifts can all affect the recommendation.

Screen printing produces bold, durable graphics and works well for shirts, hoodies, team apparel, and event merchandise. It is especially effective when the design has a limited number of solid colors. Very small text and hairline details may need adjustment so they print cleanly.

Embroidery gives polos, jackets, hats, and workwear a professional, durable finish. It is not ideal for extremely detailed artwork, small lettering, or large filled-in areas that would make a garment stiff. A simple logo with clear shapes generally embroiders better than a detailed illustration.

DTF is flexible for full-color graphics and smaller runs, while DTG is well suited to detailed, full-color artwork on compatible garments. Both can reproduce more visual detail than traditional spot-color screen printing, but garment fabric and color still affect the finished result. This is why it helps to tell us how the apparel will be used - daily uniforms, a corporate event, outdoor volunteer work, or a fundraiser all have different priorities.

Include the Order Details That Affect Artwork

Artwork does not exist separately from the order. When requesting a quote, include the garment style or product type, quantity, sizes, colors, decoration locations, and deadline. If your organization has an existing logo usage guide or needs garments to match an earlier order, mention that too.

At Affordable-Printing, we provide the garments and blanks as part of the service, though we can also work with garments your organization supplies. We handle screen printing, embroidery, DTF, DTG, and branded promotional products, so the same logo may need a different treatment depending on whether it is going on polos, hoodies, drinkware, bags, or event swag.

Our standard turnaround is 12 business days from artwork approval, and we often finish sooner. That clock starts after the artwork, garment choices, quantities, and proof are approved. If your South Jordan or Wasatch Front organization has a fixed event date, share it at the beginning. Rush orders may be possible, but early details give your team more options.

Review the Proof Like It Is the Final Product

The proof is not just a formality. Check the spelling, phone numbers, website text, dates, logo version, colors, garment color, print locations, and overall size. Make sure the front and back artwork are not reversed, and confirm that every sponsor, department name, or event detail is included.

If several people need to approve the design, choose one person to gather feedback before replying. Multiple separate edits can slow down an order and create conflicting directions. One consolidated response is faster and clearer for everyone.

For group orders of 12 pieces or more, a little preparation goes a long way. Clear artwork and a careful proof review help us produce apparel and promotional products your employees, customers, volunteers, or event attendees will be proud to use.

When your company is ready to move from an idea to a production-ready proof, call Affordable-Printing at (801) 260-0606 for a free quote and practical artwork guidance.