Apparel artwork guide: dimensions, vector and raster files, color, type, separations, and proofs

What to take away

Apparel artwork is production data, not a picture. It tells a specific process how wide to print, which areas take which ink, and how edges meet on a named garment.

A clean monitor preview answers none of that. A 300 pixel per inch file looks identical to a 72 pixel per inch file on screen at fit-to-window zoom.

Freeze the production target

Write down the garment style and color, the decoration method, the print location, and the finished width and height in inches. Add the placement datum: collar seam, center chest, sleeve seam, or a measurement from a stated point.

Say whether the dimensions include registration marks, bleed, distress that falls outside the visual boundary, or a transfer cut line. Those four answers change the file, and guessing them is how a run gets reprinted.

Check the smallest and largest garment in the order. A youth small and a 3XL tall do not share a usable print area. If the range needs two files, give each its own identity and its own dimensions.

Preserve source and production copies

Keep the file as received, unchanged, in a read-only folder. Duplicate it into a working file named with a job code, a revision letter, a date, and the operator's initials.

Store linked assets and fonts, or a documented substitute for each font. Never overwrite an approved version, and never overwrite a failed one either. The failed version is the evidence you need when the next run repeats the mistake.

Choose vector and raster elements by function

Vector shapes are stored as paths, curves, fills and strokes. They suit logos, flat shapes, geometric lettering, and any edge that has to stay clean at 12 inches wide or at 2.

Raster images are grids of pixels. They suit photographs, painted texture, and tone that shifts pixel by pixel. Neither one is better; they answer different questions.

The Library of Congress still-image quality factors describes bitmap images as pixel arrays and vector images as scalable lines, curves and shapes defined mathematically. It also notes that layered prepress files can keep line art, continuous tone and spot color information separate, which is why structure is worth preserving when later work depends on it.

A file extension settles nothing. PDF and EPS can each hold vector paths, raster images, live text, or a mix of all three. A raster photograph dropped into a vector layout is still raster. Saving low-quality pixels under a new extension restores no detail.

Calculate effective raster resolution

There is no universal pass number. Required detail depends on the output method, viewing distance, halftone frequency, substrate, artwork, and the shop's own specification. Enlarge to final size, inspect the edges, then run a proof on the actual garment.

Resampling upward invents pixels by calculation. It cannot recover detail that was never captured. Sharpening changes edge contrast; it does not rebuild line or texture.

Control type before outlining

Confirm spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and line breaks.

Keep editable text in the controlled source. If the production copy converts type to outlines, compare it against the approved live version first. Outlining preserves visible shapes for output. It removes normal text editing and it grants no font rights.

Inspect small counters, thin joins, sharp serifs, distressed edges, and negative spaces at final output size. A shape can exist in the file and still be too small for the mesh, the transfer, the embroidery needle, or the fabric surface.

Define color as production instructions

Name every intended print color and say whether it is a spot color or a process build. Record the color system, the swatch identity, the ink or material target, and the garment color. Also record the underbase plan and the approval reference.

Screen color is emitted light. Printed color depends on several factors:

Remove unintended duplicates. Two similar spot swatches with different names can produce two outputs. A hidden object, an overprint setting, a transparency, or a stray color can add a plate nobody ordered.

Build separations for the actual method

Each separation should have one clear purpose. Inspect the colors individually, then as a composite.

Element	Production question

Do not add traps, underbases, or halftones by habit. Their dimensions must match the mesh count, the stencil emulsion, the ink, and the substrate. They must also match the press and the look you promised.

Use three levels of proof

A composite proof checks content, scale, and placement. A separation proof checks plate membership, order, marks, orientation, and how the elements interact. A physical strike-off or decorated sample checks real color, detail, hand, and opacity. It also checks registration and how the fabric responds.

Label each proof with its file version, its dimensions, the garment, the method, and the date. A screenshot pasted into a message is not a controlled production approval unless the agreement deliberately defines what it covers.

Common questions

Is a vector file always print ready?

No. It can still carry wrong dimensions, missing fonts, unintended colors, or open paths. It can also carry thin features, transparency, poor separations, or unreadable effects. Vector describes how shapes are stored, not whether the job is correct.

Can a low-resolution logo be fixed by saving it as PDF?

No. Changing the container does not replace missing image detail. Rebuild the geometry from a better source, or get the original artwork from whoever owns it.

Should all text be outlined?

Not in the master. Keep editable text and font information in the controlled source, and outline only a production copy when the workflow requires it and the content is already approved.

Does a separation preview replace a printed sample?

No. It catches file logic problems before you burn a screen. A print alone cannot prove these five or more things: