Artwork Guidelines
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Ensuring quality
To make your logo to look the best possible quality on your clothing or merchandise, the logo artwork needs to be in a Vector format. Examples and preferred file types are AI, EPS, CDR or PDF.
There are 2 main categories for images, Raster and Vector:
A raster image is made up of a grid of tiny pixels. Try zooming in close at a JPG photograph and you will see the individual squares that form the image.
A vector graphic is made up of a series of lines, curves and points based on mathematical equations. No matter how close you zoom in, you won’t see any pixels. A vector image will appear sharp at any size.
If you’ve had your logo professionally designed and produced, you probably have it in all the required file types, however if you haven’t got these don’t panic, we can help!
Vector Images: The Gold Standard
Vector images are the cornerstone of high-quality printing, especially for logos and text-based designs. Unlike raster images, vectors are not made up of pixels but are composed of paths, which are defined by a start and end point along with other points, curves, and angles. This mathematical formulation allows them to be scaled up or down infinitely without any loss of quality, ensuring that your design remains crisp and clear, no matter the size.
Why Choose Vectors?
Vectors are particularly ideal for designs that need to be used across various sizes and materials, a common requirement in promotional merchandise and workwear. Created in software like Adobe Illustrator, these files (typically in AI, EPS, or SVG formats) retain their integrity and quality in every print, making them our recommended choice for most projects.
Designing with Vectors
When designing your artwork, keep in mind that simple, bold graphics work best. Use vector-based tools to create sharp and scalable logos and text. Remember to convert all text to outlines to avoid any font discrepancies, and embed any external images to maintain the integrity of your design.
Raster Images: Use with Caution
Raster images, such as those created in Photoshop, are pixel-based. This means they can lose clarity and become pixelated when enlarged. Because of this inherent limitation, they are not our preferred method for printing, especially for larger items or designs that need to be scaled.
When to Use Rasters
However, there are situations where raster images are necessary, particularly for complex or photographic designs. In these cases, we require high-resolution JPEG, PNG, or TIFF files, ideally with a minimum of 300 DPI at the actual size of the print. This high resolution is crucial to minimize pixelation and blurriness.
Colour Matters
The coloir of your artwork is as important as the design itself. For most printing needs, the CMYK colour mode is your best bet. It’s designed for printing and will give you the most accurate coloir representation. If your project requires exact colour matching, providing Pantone (PMS) colours is the way to go. This ensures consistent colouration across different printing jobs.
Embroidery & Logo Digitization
For your logo to be embroidered it has to be digitized.
Embroidery digitization is the process of converting artwork into a digital file using a specific software that allows the embroidery machine to understand the needles path.
If you are only having embroidery and not print, we still ask for a high quality version of your logo however vector is not essential, a high quality JPEG is normally all that is required.
Final Steps Before Submission
Before sending us your artwork, do a final check. Ensure your files are in the correct format, the colours are set to CMYK, and all fonts and images are properly embedded. Following these steps will significantly enhance the quality of the final printed product.
We're Here to Help!
We understand that preparing artwork for printing can be a detailed process. If you have any doubts or need assistance, the team at Pennline is here to help. From fine-tuning your design to ensuring it meets all printing criteria, we’re committed to making your vision a reality with the highest quality printing.
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