The quality of your printed garment—its colours, appearance, and feel—is directly tied to the quality of the artwork provided. To achieve the best print results, it’s crucial to ensure your artwork is well-prepared and optimized for garment printing. Here are some key considerations: File Format: Vector vs Bitmap: Choosing between vector and bitmap formats is essential. Vector files are preferred because they can be scaled to any size without losing image quality. Bitmap files are less desirable since they are resolution-dependent and can suffer from pixelation if enlarged beyond their original size. In both cases, always save the image with a transparent background to avoid unwanted solid blocks of white or black ink. Color Modes: CMYK vs RGB: Printers use CMYK inks to print on garments, so creating and submitting your artwork in CMYK color mode will produce better results than using RGB. White Ink Considerations: Garment printers use white ink, which is important to consider in your design. For instance, if your image has a white background, as is common in JPEG images, the printer will treat white as a color and print it as it appears. Additionally, printers apply a white undercoat to the entire image, allowing full-color designs to be printed on dark or colored garments. Without this undercoat, the CMYK colors wouldn’t be visible on the garment. However, for images with high pixelation, low resolution, or designs that use semi-transparent effects like glows, drop shadows, or very light pastel colors, the white under-base can lead to unintended results. The printer places a white pixel beneath each semi-transparent pixel, which can overpower the original colors, often resulting in a white border or haze around the affected areas, altering the intended look of the design. How to Take Your Designs Up a Notch: Achieving a Soft Hand Feel: The gold standard in printing is to produce an image with a soft hand feel while maintaining vibrant colors. Solid blocks of ink can result in a heavy, stiff print, but you can soften this by: Removing Unnecessary Backgrounds: Reducing the amount of ink used by eliminating non-essential background elements lightens the print. Excluding the Garment Color: Adjusting the design to let the garment color show through in certain areas reduces ink coverage and softens the overall feel. Using a Halftone Effect: Introducing a halftone effect creates negative space within the image, allowing the garment color to peek through. This not only softens the print but also enhances wash durability, making your design last longer. Professional Assistance: If you don’t have access to professional design programs, it’s advisable to seek help from a professional or a skilled friend to make your artwork print-ready. Alternatively, you can ask us for assistance—this service typically comes at an additional cost, but it’s a worthwhile investment for achieving a professionally printed garment.