Artwork Guide

Screen printing is a physical process, and the quality of your print starts with the quality of your file. Here's what we need, and what to avoid, so your order comes out right the first time.

* Don't have print-ready artwork? Our design team handles everything from a quick file fix to a full brand identity, starting at $45. See design services

Accepted file formats

Vector files are always preferred. They scale without any loss of quality and give us the cleanest separation for each color on press. Raster files work when they're high enough resolution.

Best

AIAdobe Illustrator
Vector. Fully editable, industry standard.
PDFPDF, press-quality
Vector. Universal and reliable. Save with bleeds off.

Good

PNGPNG, high-res
Raster. 300 DPI min at print size. Transparent background preferred.
PSDPhotoshop PSD
Raster. Include all layers. 300 DPI at print size.

Resolution

300 DPI minimumAt final print size
600 DPI preferredFine lines, small text

The most common mistake is measuring DPI at the wrong size. A file can say “300 DPI” in Photoshop and still only be 2 inches wide. If your front print needs to be 12 inches wide, that same file prints at roughly 50 DPI, blurry and unusable. Check that your file is 300 DPI at the actual print dimensions.

Color setup

Screen printing uses spot colors, each ink color is a separate physical screen, burned and printed in sequence. That's different from inkjet or laser printing.

Each color is one screen, and one cost
A 3-color design uses 3 screens. Count every ink color, including black and white if they're printed. The shirt color itself doesn't count.
RGB is fine, we handle the conversion
Design in whatever color mode you like. We separate and convert to spot colors during prepress. Have Pantone references? Put them in your notes.

Bitmapping in action. The wooden hold shows the original logo; the shirt shows the same graphic printed as a bitmap halftone: thousands of tiny dots simulating depth and tone in a single ink color. No gradients, no blends, just dots at varying sizes.

Maximum print size

Your design can be any size within these limits. We confirm exact placement on your proof.

Front Center · Full chest print13" × 17"
Back Center · Full back print13" × 17"
Left Chest · Logo placement4" × 4"
Right Chest · Logo placement4" × 4"
Left Sleeve · Band or vertical4" × 13"
Right Sleeve · Band or vertical4" × 13"
Hem Tag · Bottom hem signature3" × 2"

What works, what doesn't

Works great

✓
Clean vector logo, 1–4 spot colors
Prints sharp at any size. No resolution issues.
✓
Bold type with outlined fonts
Renders exactly as designed. No font-missing surprises.
✓
High-contrast graphic, flat fill areas
Ideal for screen printing. Separates cleanly.
✓
High-res PNG at full print size, transparent background
300 DPI at the actual dimensions you need printed.
✓
Halftone gradient, flagged in your notes
We convert fades to halftones. Just let us know it's in there.

Causes problems

✕
Screenshot or photo of a design
72 DPI screen resolution. Looks fine on screen, prints blurry.
✕
Logo downloaded from a website
Almost always low-res. Usually a JPEG with a white box baked in.
✕
JPEG with a white background
The white box prints as a white box on the shirt, not invisible.
✕
Full-color photo, or thousands of colors
Screen printing isn't inkjet. Photos need conversion and a conversation.
✕
Word doc, PowerPoint, or Canva export
Not print formats. Export a press-quality PDF first.

Ready to submit?

Place your artwork on a shirt and send it over. We review every file before anything touches the press. Questions first? Just email us.

Start an order hello@603printing.com