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General
Our art department can handle all of your graphic needs. If you do not have camera ready art our art department will be happy to create an image or logo for you. If you have a digital file and would like to know the specs that we would like them in read on.
Digital Art Requirements for Spot Colour Printing
Minimum specifications are required to achieve good print results. Please follow the instructions below. If you need help creating art, please visit art services. Digital artwork must be submitted in accepted formats only.
- All files must be in .EPS format.
- All fonts must be converted to outlines.
- All colors must be converted to spot colors with correct Pantone numbers.
- Please submit files with images SIZED for printing.
- Compress large files (over 1 MB) using Stuff-it or Winzip.
Applications Accepted:
- Adobe Illustrator - our preferred file format. Create outlines for fonts. Save as .EPS
- Macromedia Freehand - Convert text to paths. Save as .EPS.
- Corel Draw - Convert text to paths. Save as .AI file.
Placing a scanned image (or an image created in another program) into an Illustrator file does not make the file a vector image.
Applications NOT accepted, the following programs do not allow us to create proper separations:
- Mircosoft Powerpoint
- Microsoft Word - OR any other word processing document.
Digital Art Requirements for Process Color Printing
Minimum specifications are required to achieve good print results. Please follow the instructions below. If you need help creating art, please visit art services. Adobe Photoshop is the standard for photographic digital imaging.
- Files should be presented in .PSD, .PICT, .TIFF or .EPS formats only.
- NO .GIF or .JPEG files.
- Resolutions should be between 200 - 300 dpi at initial creation of file.
- Send a printed color hard copy to use as a "target" in the separation process since all monitors are different.
- Please submit files with images SIZED for printing.
- Compress large files (over 1 MB) using Stuff-it or Winzip.
We gladly accept camera ready art that was created on a computer.
The information below will help you prepare your artwork so that problems (or additional costs) can be avoided in preparing your film. These are general guidelines. Specific questions about your art can only be answered after viewing your image.
Please feel free to email a low resolution copy for us to review. We accept email files, floppy discs (3.5", 1.4 MB HD), Zip Disks (100MB), and Compact Discs.
Supported Applications
We print color separations/film for images from: Photoshop, Illustrator, Freehand, and QuarkExpress. Files created in other applications can be read if they are constructed properly and saved in a Macintosh .EPS format. Corel Draw files should be saved as .ai (Adobe Illustrator) files. Word processing and presentation applications do not allow for separating colors. We cannot use art created in these programs. We can recreate or make your art "printable" from these applications for an additional fee.
What program should I use? Click here to see samples of various images and the programs used to create them.
When printing camera ready art from digital files, it is important that your file be constructed properly. Screen printing textile requirements are very different than those for printing on paper.
Web Images
Most images that are displayed on web sites are created at very low resolution in order to transfer or download quickly. Typically web site graphics are 72 dpi and physically small (1-3 inches wide).
Images for screen printing must be at least 150 dpi at the size you wish them to print on the garment.
If you want to use a web graphic, contact the designer for a high resolution version. If you want to use a graphic found on someone else's site, most likely we will be unable to use it.
Spot Colouring
The following information applies only to spot color jobs. If you are unfamiliar with the differences between 4 color process and spot color printing techniques, please read the page entitled Spot vs. 4 Color Process.
Colour Selection
When assigning colors please use Pantone or custom colors (not CMYK) so that your files separate and print properly. Do not create separate files for each ink color.
Fonts and Type
Please convert fonts to curves (create outlines) before sending your files.
Image Size
It is best to present your files with the image at the size you want to print on the garment.
Half Tones
We use halftone line screens between 35 lpi (lines per inch) and 65 lpi. Most spot color halftones are printed at 45 lpi. When combining solid line art images (bold type or graphics) and very fine halftones (55+lpi) in the same design/ink color we are often required to separate them and print them independently. This requires the use of two films and two screens for that one ink color.
Gradations and Blends
Halftones assigned a percentage of a color between 1% and 14% print as 0%. And conversely, those assigned between 85% and 99% print as solid. (Be sure that your colors are Pantones or custom colors NOT CMYK!)
Traps and Knockouts
For screen printing t-shirts we use a wet-on-wet process. We use butt traps (no traps) and knock outs so that one ink color does not print on top of another ink color. Most programs do this automatically.
Resolutions and File Size
Scanning resolutions (from original photographs or graphics) should be 2.5 times the line screen. For example: If we are to print a black and white photo at 45 lpi then you should scan it at 113 lpi. Do not present files or images with a resolution over 300 lpi. Higher resolutions greatly increase the file size hence the time it takes to transfer and print without benefit.
Artwork for screen printing needs to meet minimum specifications in order to reproduce well. One of the requirements is the quality of resolution.
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