Graphic specifications help your artwork print with sharp details, accurate dimensions, clean edges, dependable transparency, and vibrant color.
Use this checklist before building or uploading a gang sheet to reduce delays, revisions, pixelation, unwanted backgrounds, and preventable reprints.
A printing system can reproduce only the information available in the submitted artwork. If the original image is blurry, too small, incorrectly sized, or surrounded by unwanted pixels, those problems may remain visible in the finished transfer.
Following the correct graphic specifications gives the production team a stronger source file. It also helps preserve text, logos, illustrations, gradients, dimensions, transparency, and spacing throughout the printing process.
Review the complete design at its intended size before submitting it. A few minutes of preparation can prevent delays and help the final print match your expectations.
Apply each rule to every design on the sheet, including small logos, neck labels, names, sleeve graphics, and full-size artwork.
Prepare artwork in RGB color mode for the SpeedE Transfers workflow. Review the exported file after conversion because changing color modes can alter bright or highly saturated colors.
Review black text, outlines, shadows, and solid areas for consistency. Avoid accidental dark-color mixtures that may create an unwanted color cast.
Raster artwork should generally be 300 DPI at the final print size. Enlarging a small image does not restore details that were missing from the original.
Set the design to the width and height you want printed. Avoid stretching artwork or scaling a low-resolution image after it has been created.
Use a format that preserves dimensions, detail, transparency, and vector information when applicable. PDF and transparent PNG files are practical choices for many orders.
Outline or convert editable text to shapes before export. This prevents missing-font substitutions and preserves lettering, spacing, and alignment.
Embed every required image instead of leaving it linked to a file on your computer. Missing links can create empty or incomplete artwork.
Use genuine transparency when only the visible design should print. A white canvas or checkerboard screenshot is not the same as a transparent background.
Inspect the artwork at high zoom for white halos, rough cutouts, stray pixels, hidden objects, and tiny elements that should not be printed.
Delete crop marks, bleed lines, template labels, measurement notes, bounding boxes, and other guides unless they are intentionally part of the design.
The best file type depends on how the artwork was created and whether it contains raster images, vectors, text, transparency, or multiple design elements.
| Format | Best Use | Preparation Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Finished print layouts and vector-based sheets | Embed artwork, preserve the exact dimensions, and convert fonts to outlines. | |
| PNG | Raster artwork requiring transparency | Export at the final size and 300 DPI with the background removed. |
| AI or EPS | Editable vector logos and illustrations | Outline fonts, embed images, and expand effects that may not transfer correctly. |
| SVG | Scalable logos, lettering, and flat vector artwork | Confirm that clipping masks, fonts, strokes, and special effects render correctly. |
| PSD | Layered raster artwork | Verify the final visible layers, dimensions, color mode, and transparency. |
| JPG or TIFF | Flattened artwork without transparency | Use only when a printed background is intentional and compression will not reduce quality. |
Resolution describes how much pixel information is available within the image. A design can display a 300 DPI setting and still look poor if it began as a small, compressed image.
For example, artwork intended to print 12 inches wide should be prepared at 12 inches wide and 300 DPI whenever possible. Scaling a two-inch web image to 12 inches will enlarge its pixels rather than create missing detail.
Adobe provides a useful explanation of image resolution and pixel dimensions for designers preparing raster artwork.
Open the finished export and view it at its actual pixel size. Check text, fine lines, edges, textures, faces, small logos, and detailed illustrations.
If the file looks noticeably blurry or pixelated at the intended dimensions, locate a higher-resolution original or recreate the artwork as a vector.
View the exported artwork against both a light background and a dark background. This helps reveal white halos, dark fringes, stray pixels, and accidental background areas.
Do not submit a screenshot of a checkerboard pattern. The checkerboard must be generated by the design program to indicate actual transparency.
Unwanted backgrounds are one of the most common artwork problems. If a white rectangle exists in the image, it may become part of the printed transfer.
Zoom in around hair, distressed textures, brush strokes, shadows, and curved edges. Automatic background-removal tools can leave faint borders that are difficult to notice on a white editing canvas.
If the design uses semi-transparent effects, consider whether those areas should be converted into printable halftones. SpeedE Transfers provides a halftone request service for artwork that needs additional preparation.
A completed gang sheet should contain only the artwork that needs to print. Remove templates, dimensions, notes, guides, labels, and unused objects before exporting.
Leave enough room between designs for comfortable cutting. Avoid overlaps, clipped edges, artwork outside the printable area, or unnecessary blank space that reduces the value of the sheet.
Use the online gang sheet builder to arrange individual designs, or upload your completed gang sheet if the entire layout is already print-ready.
Review these problems before checkout. Correcting them in the source file is usually easier than trying to repair a flattened or compressed export.
Artwork dimensions should match the intended apparel placement. A design suitable for an adult full front may be too large for youth apparel, a tote bag, or a left-chest location.
Review the DTF shirt sizing guide and measure the actual garment before finalizing important placements.
Complete this final inspection before building or uploading your sheet.
Find answers about resolution, color mode, file formats, transparency, fonts, sizing, and gang sheet preparation.
Raster artwork should generally be prepared at 300 DPI at its final print size. The original image must contain enough detail; changing a low-resolution file to 300 DPI does not automatically improve it.
Prepare artwork in RGB color mode for the SpeedE Transfers workflow. Always review the exported file because converting between color modes may alter some colors.
PDF is useful for completed print layouts, while transparent PNG files are practical for raster artwork. AI, EPS, SVG, PSD, TIFF, and JPG may be suitable when prepared correctly.
Use transparency when only the visible design should print. If a white or colored background is present in the file, it may become part of the transfer.
Outlining converts editable text into shapes. This prevents missing-font substitutions and preserves the intended lettering, spacing, and layout.
Enlarging a small raster image usually makes its pixels more visible. Locate a larger original or recreate simple artwork as a vector whenever possible.
No. Remove crop marks, bleed lines, template labels, measurements, guides, and other elements that should not appear in the finished print.
Semi-transparent artwork may require halftone preparation. Inspect gradients, fades, shadows, distressing, and soft edges carefully before submission.
Follow these graphic specifications, review your final export, and choose the ordering method that matches your production workflow.
