Artwork & File Requirements
What to send, what we can work with, and why the wrong file is the number one reason print jobs miss their deadline.
The short version
- Best: vector files — AI, EPS, or vector PDF, with text converted to outlines
- Good: high resolution PNG or PSD, 300 DPI at the actual print size, transparent background
- Trouble: screenshots, web JPGs, logos pulled off Instagram, anything under 150 DPI
- Embroidery: a DST file if you have one; if not, we digitize in house
- Max print size: 15" × 19"
Why vector art matters for screen printing
Screen printing separates your design into one screen per ink color. Vector art is built from mathematical shapes, so it separates cleanly, scales to any size without blur, and lets us pull exact colors for Pantone matching. Raster art (JPG, PNG) is built from pixels — usable at high resolution, but a 400-pixel logo enlarged to a 12 inch chest print turns to mush, and there is nothing any printer can do about that except redraw it.
File checklist by decoration method
| Method | Ideal file | Also workable |
|---|---|---|
| Screen printing | AI / EPS / vector PDF, text outlined | 300 DPI PNG or PSD at print size |
| Embroidery | DST stitch file | Any clean logo file — we digitize in house |
| Simulated process | Layered PSD, 300 DPI at print size | High res flattened image, we separate it |
The five things that delay jobs
- Low resolution art. If it looks fuzzy on your screen at full size, it prints fuzzier. There is no button that adds detail that was never there.
- Text not outlined. If we do not own your font, your carefully chosen typeface silently becomes something else. Converting text to outlines in Illustrator takes ten seconds and removes the risk.
- RGB colors with no reference. Screens show RGB, presses print ink. If color accuracy matters, give us Pantone numbers and we will match them at the press.
- White backgrounds on dark garment art. A logo locked onto a white box has to be clipped out before it can print on a black shirt. Transparent PNGs skip that step.
- Art sized wrong. A design built at 4 inches does not become a 14 inch back print. Build at, or above, the size you want printed — up to our 15 × 19 inch max.
Embroidery files work differently
Embroidery machines do not read images — they read stitch files (DST) that tell the needle where to go. Converting a logo into stitches is called digitizing, and it is a one-time step: we digitize in house, test sew it, and keep the file on record so every reorder sews identically. If you already have a DST from a previous shop, send it and we will run a test sew before production.
How to send files
Attach artwork to any quote form on this site or email it to sales@deerfieldcustomprints.com. For files too big for email, a Google Drive, Dropbox, or WeTransfer link is perfect. Name files clearly — front-print-3color.ai beats final-FINAL-v7.ai — and tell us the print location and size you want for each file.
Have a file? Get a real answer.
Send your art with quantity, garment, and in-hands date, and we will confirm whether it is print-ready and quote the job the same business day.
Or call production: (954) 997-2268