ARTWORK
Why do I have to pay for artwork ?
If the artwork is not well suited to the process or the garment being decorated, the results will not be what you want. The following is a quick guide to help you understand these factors.
- There are two stages of artwork; Creative ( the design itself ) and Production Art. The cost of artwork for a job can be driven by one or both. Even if you provide us with perfect creative artwork, we will still need to convert it into production art.
Screenprint Artwork
Can I use jpegs from the internet for artwork ?
- This is a complex issue, but in most circumstances, internet jpegs ( and pngs ) are not suitable as ready artwork because they are usually much too low resolution and are subject to copyright. Vector art is the best format for any decoration process that is not a photograph. See pics below
What is vector art ?
- Vector files will print clearly at any size. They are created in vector drawing software and will have a file type of .ai, .cdr, .svg, and in some cases PDF. If you are unsure whether your artwork is vector, you can send it to us and we will analyze it for your free of charge
Basic artwork tips for screen print.
- Shading, and color transitions are more difficult to print and can increase the cost.
- Pricing is based on the number of screens used. More colors equals more screens.
- If you want to print on multiple color shirts, it may require different screens for different colors, and drive up the cost
- The artwork must be sized to the smallest shirt in the order. If you have various sizes from youth to oversized adult, multiple sets of screens may be required.
Embroidery Artwork
- In order to embroider a design, the artwork must first be “digitized” which is a conversion process where the various areas and colors are programmed by a human “digitizer”. This creates a program that tells the embroidery machines where each individual stitch is placed. Since this is a hand conversion process, jpegs and pngs are suitable for embroidery art.
Basic Tips for embroidery Artwork
- Shading and color transitions are very difficult to make look good with embroidery so artwork may need to be simplified in order to sew well.
- Embroidery stitches can only get so small, so fine detail and small text can be impossible to reproduce.
- Embroidery is priced based on the number of stitches in the design. Dense backgrounds use many thousands of stitches and negatively affect the flexibility of the embroidered design. Keep the design as open as possible.
Artwork Policies
How long will you keep my artwork ?
- We commit to keep your artwork on file for three years from your last order for that design. After that time there will be a charge to retrieve it from our archives or recreate it.
Will I get to see my design before you make my shirts ?
- Yes. You will be sent a proof of the artwork which you must approve before the order can proceed to production. If you want changes made, we will make them and then send you a new proof.
Who owns the artwork I pay for ?
- Printing trade customs state that all art prepared for a printing process is the property of the printer. However, we will release your art files to you if you request them. There are exceptions that are detailed on our policies page.
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HOW MANY COLORS IS MY PRINT ?
