7 Steps to Ensure Quality Prints for Your Print-on-Demand Store: A Guide for Clients
Ensuring Quality Prints for Your Print-on-Demand Store: A Guide for Clients
Welcome to the exciting world of print-on-demand!
We understand that ensuring the quality of your printed products is crucial for building a loyal customer base and a standout brand. As your dedicated print partner, we're here to guide you every step of the way, transforming your creative visions into tangible, high-quality products that your customers will love. Here's how you can help us deliver the best possible prints.
1. High-Resolution Artwork: 300 DPI
- Resolution: Every masterpiece begins with a great foundation. For us, that foundation is high-resolution artwork. Ensure your designs are at least 300 DPI (dots per inch). Whether you're creating intricate patterns or bold graphics, this resolution ensures that your artwork looks as stunning on fabric as it does on your screen.
- To-Size: Ensure that the image size matches the final print size (e.g., 3x3", 10x12").
Tutorials on How to Save your Design at High Resolution:
2. Use Vector Files: Save as .AI, .EPS, or .SVG
Flexibility and precision are the hallmarks of great design. By providing your artwork in vector format (such as AI, EPS, or SVG files), you ensure that your designs can be resized without losing an ounce of quality. Please make sure all fonts are expanded or outlined. Vector files allow us to adjust colors and elements with pinpoint accuracy, ensuring vibrant and precise prints that capture the essence of your vision.
3. Convert Fonts to Outlines
When submitting vector files, make sure that all fonts are converted to outlines. This process, also known as "creating outlines" or "converting text to paths," ensures that the text is transformed into vector shapes. This allows us to view and print the text exactly as you designed it, regardless of whether we have the font installed on our systems. If fonts are not outlined, we may not have access to the specific font you used, which can lead to unexpected substitutions and potential design issues. Outlined fonts ensure that your typography remains consistent and true to your original vision.
Tutorials on How to Convert Fonts to Outlines:
4. Color Accuracy: Save Color Mode in CMYK
Colors that sing and dance on fabric are achieved through the CMYK color mode. Unlike RGB, which is used for digital screens, CMYK is tailored for printing, ensuring your colors appear just as you imagined. Converting your artwork to CMYK before submission helps us maintain color consistency and vibrancy, turning your digital dreams into printed perfection.
5. Design Tips for T-Shirts
When it comes to t-shirts, a few thoughtful design choices can elevate your print quality:
- Avoid Fine Details: While our high-resolution and vector capabilities are top-notch, extremely fine details can sometimes get lost in translation to fabric. Bold and clear designs often make the best impression.
- Consider Placement: The placement of your design affects its visual impact. Whether it's centered, on the left chest, or spanning the full back, think about how it will look when worn.
- Color Contrast: Ensure there's good contrast between your design and the t-shirt color. This makes your design stand out and catch the eye.
- Tone-on-Tone Color Schemes: For a unique and sophisticated look, consider tone-on-tone color schemes. This subtle approach can create a stunning effect, offering something truly distinctive for your customers.
- Halftones: We excel in printing halftones, bringing depth and texture to your designs. To ensure the best quality, we recommend keeping the halftone lines per inch (LPI) under 45-50 LPI. This balance ensures sharp, detailed prints that stand out compared to other shops. Learn more about our LPI standards.
6. Review and Proofing
Before we bring your designs to life, take a moment to review them thoroughly. We provide our own in-house proofing review to ensure your artwork meets our high standards. While we handle the initial proofing, you are responsible for the final approval of the mockup. If desired, a press proof can be requested. Clients have a 1-hour window to approve or request revisions for the press proof before the job is auto-approved for production. This streamlined process helps us maintain efficiency while ensuring that the final product meets your expectations.
7. Partnering with Us
We are more than just your print partner; we are your creative collaborators. By following these guidelines, you help us deliver high-quality prints that showcase your creativity and captivate your customers. Our commitment to excellence means we handle your designs with the utmost care, using premium materials and cutting-edge printing techniques.
Check out our Quick Checklist for Quality Prints here before you shoot your files over.
Conclusion
Turning your artistic visions into high-quality print-on-demand products starts with providing the right artwork.
High-resolution designs, vector files, and CMYK color modes are the keys to achieving vibrant, sharp, and accurate prints.
Partner with us, follow these guidelines, and together we'll create products that your customers will love and your brand will thrive.
Let's embark on this creative journey and bring your designs to life with unmatched quality and passion.