Artwork best practices

Updated October 23, 2026

This guide shows you the best practices for uploading the artwork for optimal print results

Before you upload your art files and start creating killer merch, make sure you're up to date on best practices so your designs are effective in every way.

General Starter Tips

• Each product has its own resolution requirement. As a rule of thumb, use at least 150 DPI at print size for apparel and 300 DPI for other printed products such as posters, stickers and mugs. To check a specific product, ask Eli, the assistant in your dashboard
• Pixel dimensions depend on your print size: pixels = print size in inches × DPI. For example, a 10 × 12 inch apparel print needs 1500 × 1800 pixels at 150 DPI. The same size print on a poster needs 3000 × 3600 pixels at 300 DPI
• JPG and PNG both work on every product. Use PNG if your artwork has a transparent background; a JPG has no transparency, so the whole rectangle, background included, prints
• Most garment designs for DTG, DTFx and embroidery have transparency, so the shirt color shows through the unprinted areas
• Vector and layered files such as SVG, AI, PSD and TIFF aren't accepted. Export your design as a PNG or JPG before uploading
• Use the sRGB color profile for every product. Don't convert your artwork to CMYK yourself: printers convert to CMYK during production, and PNG files can't store CMYK
• Avoid semi-transparent elements, glow effects, or gradients, as they do not translate well in production
• Use solid, well-defined shapes with strong outlines
• Remove any unwanted background colors

For the full specifications by print method, see Design File Guidelines and Templates for Merchandise.

Choosing orientation

On-demand art prints (posters, canvases, and framed posters) work in both portrait and landscape. You do not need a separate landscape Stock Keeping Unit (SKU). The same product supports either orientation, so design your artwork the way you want it printed.

The product designer defaults to a portrait preview. This is a preview setting, not a product constraint. Your design uploads and prints in the orientation you create.

For the step-by-step designer workaround and the 48-hour orientation-update request form, see Adjust image aspect ratios and orientation.

Design-specific Standards

The General Starter Tips above (file type, resolution and sRGB color profile) apply to every print method. Each section below lists what's specific to that method.

Direct to Garment (DTG) / Print-On-Demand

• Avoid white graphics on white apparel
• Avoid semi-transparent elements, fade, or glow effects
• Red is difficult to print on dark garments. For bold reds on dark garments, use Direct to Film (DTFx) instead
• Some bright or neon colors, especially saturated reds, oranges and greens, print less vividly than they look on screen

DTFx Printing

• Ideal for vibrant, full-color prints on dark garments
• Some bright or neon colors print less vividly than they look on screen
• Avoid semi-transparent elements, fade, or glow effects
• Avoid text smaller than 1mm or 4pt font
• Avoid large prints on thin apparel (e.g., lightweight garments made from light fabrics), as these prints may not be breathable and could affect comfort

Embroidery

• There is a 6-color thread limit per design
• Outline fonts: Ensures legibility and stitch clarity
• Minimum shape thickness: 0.05" (1.3 mm): Prevents fine lines from being lost
• Minimum uppercase letter height: 0.3" (7.6 mm)
• Minimum lowercase letter height: 0.25" (6.4 mm)
• Text smaller than 0.25" becomes a run stitch: Indicates when detail becomes too fine for standard embroidery

For a detailed walkthrough on design setup, thread colors, and artwork preparation, see Embroidery Best Practices.

Screen Printing (MOQ)

• Resolution: at least 150 DPI at print size
• Avoid gradients
• Commonly used for MOQ products (minimum order requirements, in bulk)

Sublimation

• Resolution: at least 150 DPI at print size for apparel (all-over prints), 300 DPI for mugs, phone cases and other hard goods
• Ideal for all-over printing (seam-to-seam coverage)
• Uses heat and ink transfer to embed designs into fabric

Will my colors match exactly across DTG and all-over print products?

No. The same color won't match exactly between a Direct-to-Garment (DTG) product and an all-over print (sublimation) product, even with the same file or hex code. A color difference between print methods is expected and isn't a defect.

	DTG	All-over print (sublimation)
How color is applied	Ink soaks into the fabric	Dye bonds into the polyester fibers
What changes the color	Garment color and weave. Bright reds, neons and saturated yellows often print softer on dark blanks.	Colors outside the printable range can print darker or duller than on screen.
Garment or background color	Set by the manufacturer's color swatches. No hex codes.	Hex code in the Background color picker, on products that have one.
Color profile for your file	sRGB. Don't convert to CMYK yourself.	sRGB. Don't convert to CMYK yourself.

No file setting guarantees an exact match across print methods. To get as close as possible:

1. Save each file in the color profile listed for its print method.
2. For vivid colors on a dark garment, consider Direct-to-Film (DTFx): its ink sits on top of the fabric, so colors match your file more closely.
3. Order a sample of each product and compare them before you launch (Orders > Place order; samples are priced at cost).

Art print paper specifications

Art prints are produced on a single paper stock with the following specs:

• Substrate: Enhanced Matte Paper Poster
• Weight: 230 gsm
• Finish: Matte
• Print resolution: 300 DPI

A premium or fine-art paper option isn't offered.