Proper art files for screen printing

Vectors (best for printing)

The most common program used for editing vector files is Adobe Illustrator. A vector file can be sized up and down without losing quality. The most common types of vector files are fonts and logos. A vector image is made up of paths and points which are interpreted as a series of mathematically generated curves. Vector files can be scaled to infinite size without compromise to quality. They are smaller, more compact files due to the mathematical composition of vector files.

— File Types —

[.ai]‐Adobe Illustrator

AI files are vector files used to generate art — created and edited with Adobe Illustrator. Vector‐based AI files are scalable to any size. Commonly used for creating logos, illustrations, and print layouts.

[.eps]‐Encapsulated Postscript

EPS files are vector files of a graphic, text or illustration. Vector‐based EPS files are scalable to any size. EPS files can be opened using Adobe Illustrator, or Adobe Photoshop.

[.pdf]‐Portable Document Format

A PDF is a universal file format that preserves the fonts, images, layout and graphics of a source document. PDF files can be shared, viewed and printed by anyone with free Adobe Reader software. Some PDF files can be used for digital or desktop printing.

Raster (not for printing)

The most common program used for editing raster files is Adobe Photoshop. Raster is most commonly used for photographs or online resources. They are images that are made up of many tiny pixels. Every photo online or print is a raster image built upon a fixed number of pixels. When scaling or stretching a raster image the resolution is compromised, and pixels are added which are not part of the image, this causes blurry low-res images.

— File Types—

[.jpeg] or [.jpg]– Joint Photographic Experts Group

A JPEG file is a compressed raster image file that does not support a transparent background. JPEG resolution decreases as the file size is decreased. When compressed repeatedly the overall quality of a JPEG image is reduced.

[.psd]‐ Photoshop Document

The PSD file format, usually a raster file, contains graphics and photos created in Adobe Photoshop software. PSD files can only be opened and edited using Adobe Photoshop.

[.png]– Portable Network Graphics

The PNG file format is a raster file most commonly created for use online and are not suited for print due to their low resolution. PNG files are bitmap images that employ lossless (meaning they can be edited and not lose quality) data compression. PNG files can be created with a transparent background.

[.tiff] or [.tif]– Tagged Image File Format

The TIFF/TIF file format is a large raster file and usually used when saving photographs for print use. TIFF files are most commonly used in professional environments and commercial printing. Though large in size, TIFF files are considered to be the most reliable format for high-quality images.

[.gif]– Graphics Interchange Format

GIF files are low-resolution raster files most commonly used for web and email purposes. Often used in their animated form. Due to the limited number of colors, their file size is typically smaller. GIF files can be created with a transparent background.

Things to Remember

• Don’t embed images in a Word doc or Powerpoint. It’s difficult to extract them and usually results in low‐quality files.

• Send logos and branding elements as vector files. Vector files offer the highest versatility and quality for brand elements.

• If vector files are unavailable, please send us any files that you can access to.  We can digitally trace raster files for a fee, but a vector file will allow us to complete your order more quickly.