Preparing Your Artwork Files

4 min read

The specs

Spec	What we need
File format	PNG (preferred), PDF, or TIFF
Background	Transparent — no white box behind the art
Resolution	300 DPI at final print size
Color mode	CMYK preferred
Sizing	Built at actual print dimensions
Spacing	0.25″ minimum between designs on a gang sheet

Why transparency matters

If your PNG has a white background, we print the white background. A design that looks like it’s floating on your screen because your screen is white will print as a white rectangle. Check it against a dark background before you upload.

Why 300 DPI at final size matters

Resolution is relative to size. A 300 DPI image at 2 inches wide becomes a 60 DPI image when you stretch it to 10 inches. Blowing up a small file doesn’t add detail — it just adds bigger, blurrier pixels.

RGB vs. CMYK

Screens are RGB and can display colors that ink physically can’t reproduce. Bright neons, electric blues, and glowing greens are the usual casualties — they’ll print more muted than they look on your monitor. Designing in CMYK means what you see is much closer to what you get.

Things that cause problems

White or off-white backgrounds hiding behind the artwork
Very thin outlines (under 1pt) — they may not hold
Text under 6pt — it can fill in or break up
Screenshots, or images pulled off social media
Semi-transparent drop shadows and glows — these print as a light haze rather than fading to nothing
Designs running past the edge of the sheet

We look at every file

A person reviews your sheet before it prints. If something’s wrong, we contact you instead of printing it. That said, the fewer problems we find, the faster your order ships.

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