ARTWORK & FILE GUIDE

How to Prepare Your Artwork for DTF Printing

A simple guide for customers — no graphic design experience required.

🎯 THE 4 THINGS TO REMEMBER

  1. PNG 
  2. TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND
  3. 1500+ PIXELS 
  4. GOOD IMAGE QUALITY

1. We Want Your Artwork to Look Great!

We use DTF (Direct-to-Film) printing to create your custom transfers. The quality of the artwork you send us can make a big difference in the finished print.

You do not need to be a graphic designer. This guide explains the basics in plain language so you can send us artwork that gives us the best possible starting point.

2. The Quick & Easy Rules

PNG is best: Whenever possible, send your artwork as a PNG file with a transparent background.

1500 pixels minimum: We recommend artwork that is at least 1500 pixels wide. Larger files are even better.

300 DPI is ideal: For print, 300 DPI at the final print size is a good target. If you don't know how to find this, keep to the 1500 pixels rule.

Avoid screenshots: Images from social media, websites and screenshots are often too small for quality printing.

Keep unwanted backgrounds out: If you want only the design printed, the area around it should be transparent.

3. PNG vs. JPEG — What's the Difference?

PNG and JPEG (JPG) are two common image file types. The biggest difference for T-shirt artwork is that PNG can store a transparent background, while JPEG cannot.

JPEG: Great for Photos, But It Has a Background

JPEG is one of the most common image formats and is excellent for photographs and everyday digital use. However, JPEG files cannot contain transparency. If a JPEG has a white background, that
white area is part of the image.

PNG: Ideal for T-Shirt Artwork

PNG files can contain a transparent background. This allows the garment to show through everywhere you do not want artwork printed.

Example: the same dog design on a black T-shirt — JPEG with a white background vs. PNG with transparency.

🐶 WHY THE DOG EXAMPLE MATTERS

Family pet photos are a common type of custom artwork. If you want the dog — but not a white rectangle around the dog — the background needs to be transparent. 

We can help you fix this, if you're unable to.

4. What Is Image Resolution?

Resolution is the amount of detail an image contains. Digital images are made up of tiny coloured dots called pixels. The number of pixels affects how much detail the image can show.

A high-resolution image contains more pixels and can usually produce a sharper, cleaner print at a larger size. A low-resolution image contains fewer pixels. When you enlarge it, the pixels become more noticeable and the image can look blurry or blocky.

👀 EASY TEST

Zoom in on your artwork. If it already looks blurry or pixelated, it will likely print that way too.

5. How Large Should My Image Be?

For the best results, we recommend that your artwork be at least 1500 pixels wide. If you have a larger, good-quality file, keep the larger file.

300 DPI (dots per inch) is a useful target for high-quality print work at the size you plan to print. The important thing to understand is that DPI and pixel dimensions work together.

6. DPI Isn't Everything

You may see an image that says it is 300 DPI, but that does not automatically mean it is a high-quality print file. A 300 DPI image can still be very small in pixel dimensions.

What matters most is the combination of pixel dimensions, image quality, transparency and the final print size.

7. What About Logos and Vector Files?

If you have a professionally designed logo, you may have a vector file such as AI, EPS, SVG or PDF. Vector artwork is built from shapes rather than a fixed grid of pixels, so it can generally be resized without becoming pixelated.

If you have a vector version of your logo, send it to us whenever possible.

👀 EASY TEST

Zoom in on your artwork. If it looks blurry or pixelated, it is a rasterized image. If you zoom in 500% and the details remain crisp, it is a vector graphic.

8. What is DTF Printing?

DTF stands for Direct-to-Film. The artwork is printed onto a special transfer film and then heat-applied to the garment.

  • Works with many compatible garment fabrics, including cotton, polyester and blends, with suitable transfer settings.
  • Can reproduce detailed artwork, complex shading and smooth colour gradients.
  • A white ink layer can help colours stay bright and opaque on dark garments.
  • The finished transfer is designed to be flexible and durable when properly applied and cared for.
  • Actual performance depends on the garment, transfer, application process and care. For best longevity, always follow the care instructions supplied with your order.

9. DTF or Embroidery?

Both methods of decoration are great for different purposes. DTF is best for full colour printing and larger format graphics on shirts, hoodies and totes. Embroidery is best for smaller logos, usually left-chest on polo shirts, and hats. Small embroidered logos are also good on hoodies.

There is a digitizing set-up cost for embroidery, so it is recommended to use DTF for one-off projects.

10. What about Silkscreen? 

Silkscreen is ideal for higher volume orders with minimal colours, as there are various set-up fees and come with minimum quantity thresholds. Please reach out directly if you're interested in placing a larger order with silkscreen decoration: sales@brandlore.ca or call us at 519-766-1900.