Most delays on a custom shirt order have nothing to do with printing. They start with the file. A logo pulled off a website, a photo of an old business card, a screenshot from a group chat. Some of these print beautifully. Some come out soft, boxy or with a white square around the design.
This guide covers what actually matters, in the order it matters: file type, size, resolution and background. If you only have a rough file, skip to the end. You do not have to fix it yourself.
The short answer
- Best: a vector file (SVG, AI, EPS or PDF) or a large PNG with a transparent background.
- Size: at least 2,400 pixels wide for a full front print. Around 1,000 pixels is enough for a left-chest logo.
- Background: transparent, unless you actually want a box printed behind your design.
- Check it on the shirt before you order. In our design studio you see your artwork on the real garment, at real size.
1. File type: vector or pixels
There are two kinds of image files, and they behave very differently when they get bigger.
Vector files (SVG, AI, EPS, and most PDFs from a designer) are made of shapes, not dots. They can be scaled to any size and the edges stay sharp. If a designer made your logo, ask them for "the vector file" or "the SVG". They will know what you mean.
Pixel files (PNG, JPG, WEBP) are a grid of coloured dots. They look fine at the size they were made, but stretch them across a chest and the dots start to show. This is where most blurry prints come from.
Which pixel format to send:
- PNG - the best choice. It keeps sharp edges and supports a transparent background.
- JPG - fine for photos, weaker for logos. JPG cannot be transparent, and it adds faint blotches around text and hard edges.
- WEBP - often what you get when you save an image from a website. It works, but check the size (see below).
The studio accepts PNG, JPG, WEBP and SVG uploads.
2. Size and resolution: how many pixels you need
Printers talk about DPI, dots per inch: how many pixels of your image land on each inch of fabric. Around 300 DPI is ideal. Below about 150 DPI, edges start to look soft. Below about 100, most people will notice.
So the pixels you need depend on how big you print:
| Typical size | Ideal (300 DPI) | Minimum (~150 DPI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left chest logo | 3.5" - 4" wide | 1,200 px | 600 px |
| Sleeve | up to 4" x 4" | 1,200 px | 600 px |
| Standard front or back | 10" - 11" wide | 3,300 px | 1,650 px |
| Full front or back (our maximum) | 12" x 16" | 3,600 x 4,800 px | 1,800 x 2,400 px |
To check your file: on Windows, right-click the file, then Properties and Details. On a Mac, open it in Preview and choose Tools, then Show Inspector. You are looking for the width in pixels.
A common trap: making a small image bigger in an editor does not add detail. A 400-pixel logo saved at 3,000 pixels is still a 400-pixel logo, just blurrier. Go back to the original file instead. Check your email from whoever designed it, your website builder, or your print shop from last time.
3. Background: transparent or not
If your logo sits on a white rectangle in the file, that rectangle gets printed. On a white shirt you might not notice. On a black, navy or red shirt you will get a white box.
What you want is a PNG where everything outside the design is transparent. On most computers transparent areas show as a grey-and-white checkerboard.
If your file has a solid background, the studio can remove it. Upload the image and use Remove background in the Upload panel. It works best when the background is one flat colour and clearly different from the logo. Check the edges afterwards, especially around fine text.
4. Colours and small details
- Thin lines and small text: anything thinner than about 1 mm, or text smaller than roughly 8 pt at print size, can break up or disappear. This matters most on left-chest logos, where a whole logo is only 4 inches wide.
- Dark design on a dark shirt: navy text on a black hoodie looks fine on a bright screen and almost invisible in daylight. Use the studio's Change colour tool to try a white or light version, or Add border to put a light outline around it.
- Screen colours vs fabric: colours on a phone are backlit. Printed ink on fabric reads slightly deeper and less glowing, especially neon and very bright tones. This is normal for every print method.
5. Photos and full-colour designs
Photos, gradients and detailed illustrations are where DTF printing is strongest. There are no screens and no per-colour setup, so a photo costs the same to print as a one-colour logo. The resolution rule still applies. A photo straight from a modern phone camera is almost always large enough. The same photo after being sent through a messaging app usually is not, because most apps shrink images. Ask for the original.
For embroidery the rules are different. Photos and gradients cannot be stitched, and your logo is turned into a stitch file first. Send the cleanest version of the logo you have and we will tell you what will work.
6. What if your file is not ready?
Send it anyway. A blurry JPG, a photo of a sign, a sketch on paper: whatever you have. If it is not print-ready we will make it print-ready, and when we build the artwork for you, you get an image to approve before anything is printed. Call, text or email us with the file and what you want it on.
If you are designing it yourself in the studio, what you approve on screen is what we print, so take a minute on the final check:
- Zoom in on the edges. Are they sharp or fuzzy?
- Switch between a light and a dark garment colour. Can you still read everything?
- Look for any leftover background box or stray marks.
- Check spelling, including names and numbers on the back.
Quick checklist
- Vector file (SVG, AI, EPS, PDF) or a PNG at least 2,400 px wide for a front print
- Transparent background
- No text smaller than about 8 pt at print size
- Design colours that stand out against the shirt colour
- Checked on the actual garment in the studio
Ready? Open the design studio, upload your file and see it on the shirt. Most orders are ready within 72 hours, and there is no minimum on DTF, so you can order a single shirt to test.