So you’re planning to have your logo, graphic or custom design screen printed. You’re probably eager to see how it’s going to turn out. Well, the quality of your artwork is kind of a big deal – it can make all the difference in how clean and professional the finished print looks.

Luckily, you don’t have to be some kind of super-graphic-designer to prepare artwork for screen printing. By understanding just a few basic requirements, you can make sure your design is in tip-top shape and avoid any common problems that might come up.

Get Started With a Good Quality Design

The very first thing to do is to get a good quality version of your artwork. A design that looks great on your computer screen may not necessarily look good as a screen print.

Low resolution images can get all blurry and pixelated when they’re enlarged, which is often the case with images downloaded from a website or copied from social media. Image resolution is particularly important when you’re working with raster images, since enlarging a low-resolution file can quickly reduce the quality of the finished print.

If you can, start with the very best quality version of your design. Vector artwork is especially good because it can be resized without losing quality. Unlike a raster image, vector files use paths rather than individual pixels, making them ideal for logos, text and other artwork that may need to be printed at different sizes.

What File Format Should You Use?

When it comes to preparing artwork for screen printing, the file format you use can make a difference. Vector formats like AI, EPS and PDF are the way to go because they let you scale up your design without it becoming all pixelated.

Programs such as Adobe Illustrator are commonly used to create and prepare vector artwork. If you’re working with a photograph or another raster-based design, Adobe Photoshop can also be useful for getting the image into the right shape and resolution before printing.

High resolution PNG files can work pretty well for certain designs, especially if they’ve got a transparent background. But, the requirements can vary depending on the design, and your print provider may have specific file requirements.

If you’re not sure whether your file is up for screen printing, don’t worry. A screen printer can usually figure out if your artwork is ready to go or if it needs a bit of work first.

Think About Your Design’s Colors

Screen printing uses individual screens to apply the ink to a garment. Because of that, the number and arrangement of colors in your design can have an impact on the printing process.

Before you submit your artwork, think about how many colors your design uses and how they’ll all work together. Simple designs with high contrast often print really well. And it’s also worth considering what color the garment is going to be. A design that looks great on a white shirt may need to be tweaked for a dark one.

For more complicated designs, the printer may need to create color separations so that each ink color can be printed using its own screen. In other words, each colour layer of the artwork may need to be separated from the others so it can be prepared for production. If your design uses two colours, for example, the artwork may need to be separated into two distinct layers.

When setting up your file, keeping each color on its own layer can make the separation process much easier. Different printing techniques can also affect how artwork needs to be prepared, so it’s always a good idea to check with your printer before finalizing a complicated design.

Pay Attention to Color Mode

It’s also important to pay attention to the color mode you’re using. Screen printing isn’t the same as designing something to appear on a computer or phone screen, so the colors you see digitally aren’t always an exact representation of the printed ink.

For designs that require specific brand colors, you may also want to provide Pantone colors or other specific color references. This gives the printer a better idea of the exact ink color you’re looking for and can help produce more consistent results.

Think About Design Placement

Think about where you actually want to put your design and how big you want it to be. Standard places are:

• Full front
• Left chest
• Full back
• Sleeve
• Pocket area

If you can, create your artwork at the print size you actually want to use. Vector artwork can be scaled up or down without losing quality, but a small image can’t just be stretched out to become a big, high quality print.

Knowing the intended print size ahead of time is especially important for detailed designs. Tiny elements that look perfectly clear at one size may become difficult to reproduce when they’re reduced or enlarged.

Keep the Garment Color in Mind

The colour of the shirt or whatever garment you’re using can make a big difference to how your artwork looks.

For example, dark ink works really well on a light coloured shirt but can be near impossible to see on a dark one. Conversely, bright colours might need a bit of extra work to stay looking good on darker fabrics.

When you’re designing your artwork, think about what the background is going to be. Will your design get lost on a dark garment? Make sure your design will work well on all the different garment colours you’re ordering.

For some designs, the printer may use a separate screen or an additional underbase layer to help the colors stand out against a dark garment. This is another reason why the garment color should be considered before the artwork is finalized.

Get Your Text And Fonts Right

If your design includes text, make sure the fonts are preserved properly when you submit your artwork.

When working with vector artwork, fonts are often turned to outlines before the final file is sent for production, which helps stop problems if the exact font isn’t available on another computer.

Also double-check your spelling, numbers and any other text before submitting your design – it’s much easier to catch a typo before printing than after your shirts have been made.

Don’t Get Too Fiddly

Small details can sometimes cause problems when screen printing. Very thin lines, tiny text and intricate elements might not reproduce very well, especially if the overall design is small.

When creating your artwork, think about how the design will actually look when printed. Details that look great on a big computer monitor can disappear once they’re printed on a shirt.

It doesn’t mean your design has to be super simple, it just means you should consider the size of the final print when deciding how much detail to include.

Make Sure Your Artwork Is Print Ready

Before sending your files to a screen printer, it’s worth giving everything one final check. Make sure the artwork is the correct print size, the color mode is appropriate, the colors are clearly defined and any necessary color separations or layers have been properly prepared.

If you’re supplying a multi-color design, make sure each color is on its own layer when the printer requires layered artwork. This makes it easier to identify the first layer and each subsequent color during production.

Some printers may also create a test print before running the complete order. A test print can help confirm that the colors, placement and overall appearance of the design look right before the full production run begins.

In some cases, production teams use simple tools such as brown tape during the screen setup process. You don’t necessarily need to worry about the production details yourself, but providing clean, organized and print ready artwork gives the printer a much better starting point.

What Do You Do If You Haven’t Got Print-Ready Artwork?

Not everyone has access to professional design software or a perfectly prepared vector file, and that’s totally fine.

If you already have a logo or design you want to print, it’s worth submitting it for review even if you’re not sure if it’s ready. In many cases, existing artwork can be cleaned up, adjusted or prepared for the screen printing process. If you’re stuck with just a low-res copy of a logo, don’t worry – there may still be ways to get the quality of that artwork improved or even recreated from scratch.

The key thing is to be upfront and let the people know what you’ve got and what your vision is for the finished product. A professional print provider can often tell you what needs to be changed and whether your existing file can be made artwork ready for production.

Ready to Get Your Prints Made?

Getting your artwork right for screen printing isn’t rocket science. Start by getting hold of the best resolution version of your design, pick a file type that’s suitable for the task, think about which colours you need and which garment you are going to put it onto, and check that your artwork is the right size for where you want to put it.

If you’re not sure if your artwork is up to the mark, Screen Graphics can help you figure out what needs sorting before we can get started. When your artwork is properly sorted out, it makes all the difference in the world to the quality of your finished custom printed t-shirts – they’ll look like a million bucks.

Got a design ready to roll? Get in touch with Screen Graphics and let’s get started on your next custom screen printing project.