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Printing Guidelines

When creating a decorated product in Printeez, your artwork must meet specific requirements depending on the decoration method you choose. This article covers the file requirements and best practices for DTG, DTF, and Embroidery.

You can access the guidelines at any time from the Create Decorated Product page by clicking the DTG Guidelines link next to the Decoration Method selector.


 

DTG (Direct to Garment)

DTG printing is a process where your design is printed directly onto the garment using high-end inkjet printers. At Printeez, we use Kornit Atlas Max Poly machines that produce bright, detailed prints with a soft feel. Our printers go beyond standard CMYK by adding Neon Pink and Neon Yellow, giving us a wider colour range than most DTG setups, including vibrant neons, soft pastels, and rich, saturated tones.

 

File Requirements

  • Format: PNG only
  • Resolution: 300 DPI minimum
  • Background: transparent
     

Artwork Specifications

  • Our printers convert your artwork from RGB to CMYK + Neon Pink and Neon Yellow. For best results, create your artwork using the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 colour profile.
  • Use light-colored elements on dark garments, or dark elements on light garments to maximize visibility.
  • For black garments, leave any areas that require black ink as transparent, to allow the garment colour to fill in for the best print result.
  • Our printers can reproduce up to 98% of the RGB colour range, including vibrant tones that standard DTG printers cannot reproduce. Neon, pastel, and bright colours all print exceptionally well.
  • Transparent areas, gradients, and glow effects should be at least 40% opaque. If they are too light, they may not print as expected or could show too much of the white base layer underneath.


 

Printing Options

When uploading your artwork, you can choose between two printing options:

White Ink Underbase (default, recommended): 

A layer of white ink is printed first so your design's colours sit on top of the fabric instead of soaking in. This makes colours appear bold, bright, and consistent regardless of garment colour. Recommended for most designs, even on white garments.

 

No Underbase: 

Colour inks are printed directly onto the garment without a white base layer. Depending on the garment colour, this can create a blended, vintage look or a tone-on-tone effect. Results vary by garment, so ordering samples before selling is recommended.


 

DTF (Direct to Film)

DTF printing is a process where your design is printed onto a special film, then transferred to the garment using heat and pressure. It produces bold, full-colour prints with excellent opacity and long-lasting durability. It is an ideal choice for clean logos, solid fills, and high-contrast graphics across a wide range of apparel.
 

File Requirements

  • Format: PNG only
  • Resolution: 300 DPI minimum
  • Background: transparent
     

Artwork Specifications

  • Our printers convert your artwork from RGB to CMYK, which may cause some colours to fall out of gamut, meaning they cannot be reproduced exactly. For best results, create your artwork using the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 colour profile. If colour accuracy is a priority, consider using DTG instead, which offers a wider colour range.
  • DTF works best with bold, clean designs such as solid logos, sharp graphics, and blocky text. Avoid gradients, textures, or low-opacity details where possible.
  • Use high-contrast colours to maximize visibility. Avoid very light colours on white garments or very dark colours on black garments.
  • Leave any background areas transparent so they do not get printed, especially on dark or coloured garments.
  • Keep small text and fine details at least 0.5 pt to ensure legibility and clean transfer.
  • DTF is not ideal for soft fades or intricate photo realism. For those types of designs, use DTG instead.

 

Embroidery

Embroidery stitches your design directly onto the apparel or accessory using coloured threads. It gives texture to your design for a premium look and feel, is highly durable, and works especially well on hats and outerwear.


 

Artwork Digitization

Before your design can be embroidered, it must be digitized: converted from artwork into a stitch file the embroidery machine can read. This requires a one-time setup fee. Once digitized, the stitch file is saved to your account, so there are no repeated costs for future orders using the same product and artwork.


 

File Requirements

  • Vector files: .SVG
  • Non-vector files: PNG only, 300 DPI minimum
     

 

Artwork Specifications

  • Minimum shape thickness: 0.05", maximum shape thickness: 0.5".
  • Lowercase letter height: minimum 0.25". Uppercase letter height: minimum 0.3".
  • Text smaller than 0.18" will be omitted from the graphic during the digitization process.
  • Your artwork can include up to 6 colours, selected from the 24 thread colours available in the standard embroidery palette. The full colour chart is available in the Thread Colours section of the designer.
     

 

Artwork Guidelines

  • Design simple, bold, clean graphics specific to embroidery. Avoid intricate details or gradients.
  • Avoid small areas of negative space or small gaps. Fill them with background colour instead. Any remaining small areas will be automatically filled during digitization.
  • Any white space around your graphic will be cropped during the digitization process.
  • Convert all text to outlines (for vector SVG files only).
  • Do not use photographs. They do not translate to embroidery stitch files.
     

 

How We Prepare Your Design

Embroidery brings texture and dimension to your design, but it is not a one-to-one match with digital artwork. Our team adjusts your artwork during digitization to ensure it sews cleanly. Common techniques include:

  • Mesh backing: a soft mesh is added inside the garment to support the stitched design, protect the fabric, and add comfort, especially on thinner garments.
  • Complex fill stitching: used for detailed designs, though very small or intricate elements may be simplified to achieve clean results.
  • Satin stitching: ideal for clean, bold lines such as monograms or initials. Gives a smooth, high-shine finish on medium-width shapes.
  • 3D puff embroidery: adds raised dimension to bold, enclosed shapes. A satin edge keeps the borders clean and crisp.
  • Directional stitching: used to define different shapes and give the artwork texture and visual movement.

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