Artwork

3TX Designs Artwork Guidelines: Preparing Your Files for Perfection

Submitting artwork shouldn’t feel like a guessing game. Whether you are ordering a single embroidered premium vest or 1,000 screen-printed tees, clean artwork ensures a flawless finish.

Review our guidelines below to see how to prepare your files for DTF (Direct-to-Film), Screen Printing, or Embroidery.

Stuck or don't have these exact file types? Don’t worry. Upload the best version of your design that you have, and our in-house production team will handle the optimization for you. All basic artwork consultations are free of charge.

1. Master File Requirements (The Gold Standards)

For crisp lines and exact color reproduction, we prefer vector artwork or high-resolution raster files.

  • Preferred Vector Formats: .AI, .PDF, .EPS, .SVG

  • Preferred Raster Formats: .PNG (with a transparent background), .TIFF

  • Resolution: Minimum 300 DPI (dots per inch) at the exact size you want it printed.

  • Fonts: Please convert all text/fonts to outlines or curves before saving to ensure your exact font displays properly on our machines.

  • What We Avoid: We cannot accept Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher, or low-res mobile screenshots.

2. Tailoring Your Art to Your Decoration Method

Because 3TX offers three unique decoration options, your file type dictates the best method for your project:

📂 Option A: Direct-to-Film (DTF) — Best for Complex Art & Low Quantities

DTF printing prints micro-droplets of ink onto a film transfer, making it incredibly forgiving for highly detailed artwork.

  • Artwork Type: High-resolution Raster (.PNG) or Vector.

  • Color Requirements: Full color, gradients, photo-realistic images, and shadows are all welcome! We accept both RGB and CMYK profiles.

  • Pro-Tip: Ensure your background is entirely transparent. If your image has a white background box around it, our digital printers will print that white box unless it's removed.

📂 Option B: Custom Embroidery — Best for Outerwear, Polos, & Hats

Before a machine can stitch your logo onto a premium Carhartt® or Eddie Bauer® jacket, it must undergo a process called Digitizing, which translates pixels into stitch data.

  • Artwork Type: Vector preferred (.AI or .PDF), but high-res .PNG works perfectly too.

  • Limitations to Keep in Mind: * Avoid incredibly tiny text (letters should be at least 0.25" tall to remain legible in thread).

    • Smooth gradients and highly complex photographic shading cannot be perfectly replicated in thread. We will simplify gradients into clean, solid, professional thread fields.

📂 Option C: Traditional Screen Printing — Best for Bold, High-Volume Runs

Screen printing requires creating a physical screen and film for every separate color in your design.

  • Artwork Type: Strictly Vector Graphics (.AI, .EPS, .PDF).

  • Color Matching: Please specify your desired Pantone (PMS) Colors if you require an exact corporate brand match.

  • Line Weight: Ensure lines are a minimum of 1pt thick so the ink passes cleanly through the screen mesh without losing detail.

3. Sizing Your Art for Production

Your artwork should be scaled to the exact physical dimensions you want it to appear on the garment. (Example: If you want a full-front chest design, set your file canvas dimensions to 10” wide x 10” tall at 300 DPI).

Standard Maximum Dimensions:

  • Full Front / Back Print: Up to 13.5” wide x 15.5” tall.

  • Left Chest (Polos/Vests): Typically 3.5” to 4” wide.

  • Hat/Beanie Embroidery: Maximum 2.25” tall x 4.5” wide.

4. Pro-Tips to Avoid Common Production Pitfalls

  • Mind the Seams and Zippers: Printing directly over heavy seams, pockets, or hoodie zippers causes the ink or film to pool or crack. If you want a design near a zipper, consider a distressed or minimalist pattern.

  • Garment Color vs. Ink/Thread Color: If you are ordering a mix of black shirts and white shirts with the same logo, remember that a black logo won't show up on a black shirt! Let us know if you need an ink/thread color swap (e.g., printing white ink on dark shirts, and dark ink on white shirts).

  • Fabric Textures Matter: Heavy-duty canvas totes, ribbed garments, or performance pique polos have textured surfaces. Fine, microscopic text can get lost in the texture—bold, clean logos look best on these items.

How to Submit Your Files

  1. Up to 25MB: You can upload your files directly into our design builder or attach them to our [Custom Quote Request Form].

  2. Bulk/Enterprise Files (Over 25MB): If you are submitting large-scale corporate assets, please drop a link to your WeTransfer, Google Drive, or Dropbox folder and email it directly to info@3txdesigns.com.

💡 Don’t Have Perfect Artwork?

Don't let file extensions stop you. If you only have a low-res JPEG or a rough sketch, our Artwork Cleanup Service can recreate your design into a crisp, scalable vector format for a small one-time fee.

[ Upload Your Artwork & Start Customizing ]