Artwork Requirements
Artwork Requirements
The file needed depends on whether your logo or artwork will be embroidered or DTF printed. Embroidery converts a logo into stitch instructions, while DTF printing reproduces production-ready artwork as a printed transfer. Providing the clearest file and the intended finished result helps avoid unnecessary questions or changes later.
Include the garment or garment type, decoration position, required finished width or dimensions if known, quantity and any important wording or colour requirements. If the method is still undecided, those details also help compare embroidery and DTF printing.
For stitched logos
Embroidery artwork
Send the clearest version of the logo available. Common image or design files can usually be reviewed because the artwork is recreated as embroidery stitch instructions through digitising.
The file is a visual reference rather than a direct machine file. Small lettering, fine lines, gradients and complex detail may need adjustment so the embroidered result remains clear at the required finished size.
Learn about custom embroideryFor printed artwork
DTF artwork
Supply production-ready vector artwork in AI or EPS format. Vector artwork can be resized without becoming pixelated, which allows the design to be prepared clearly at the required print size.
Screenshots, website images and low-resolution files do not replace production artwork. Include the required dimensions and any important colour or design notes.
Learn about DTF printingThe file alone does not determine the finished result
The artwork must work at the requested size and position on the selected garment. Very small elements can become difficult to reproduce; a large design can be limited by garment panels; and seams, pockets, zips, lining, reflective tape or other construction details can reduce the usable decoration area.
Embroidery and printing also reproduce colour differently from a screen. Thread colours are selected from an available range, while printed colour can vary from what appears on a monitor. Provide recognised brand colour references where they matter, but do not assume an exact screen, thread and print match.
Visit the Decoration Help CentreWhat to include with your artwork
Finished size
Provide the required logo width or print dimensions if they are already known. If not, provide the intended position and garment.
Garment and position
Identify the product or garment type and where the decoration is intended to sit.
Exact wording
Confirm names, phone numbers, web addresses, spelling, capitalisation and punctuation rather than relying on assumptions.
Colour references
Include recognised brand colour references and explain any deliberate colour changes needed for particular garment colours.
Quantity
State how many garments need that design, size and position, particularly where several decoration variations are involved.
Repeat-order reference
Include the previous PlusEmbroidery order number and clearly identify anything that should remain unchanged or is now different.
Understanding common artwork terms
Vector artwork
Artwork built from scalable shapes and paths rather than a fixed grid of pixels. AI and EPS are the required vector formats for PlusEmbroidery DTF production.
Raster or bitmap image
An image made from pixels, such as many JPG and PNG files. Enlarging a small raster file can make edges blurry or jagged.
Digitising
The embroidery process of converting a visual logo into stitch types, directions, densities and machine instructions at the intended size.
Finished size
The physical width and height of the decoration on the garment—not the dimensions of the file on a screen.
Transparent background
A file background that is not part of the printed design. A white box visible behind a logo may be actual artwork rather than transparency and should be confirmed.
Outlined text
Lettering converted into vector shapes so the appearance does not depend on the same font being installed elsewhere. This may be checked when DTF artwork is prepared.
New embroidery artwork
After digitising, PlusEmbroidery emails a printable, to-scale plot sheet showing the logo in its computer-generated stitch format. You can cut it out, position it on a garment and check the size, layout, spelling and any changes needed before approval.
Once the plot sheet is approved, a physical sample is stitched and a photo is emailed so you can see how the logo translates into thread. The result may be fine-tuned before final approval and production.
Different fabrics and garment constructions respond differently to stitch tension, so the same approved logo can look slightly different across garment types. The aim is a clear, professional result at normal viewing distance.
Repeat artwork
An approved file can generally be reviewed for reuse when the artwork, finished size, garment, placement, colours and other production requirements remain unchanged.
A new review may be required when any of those details change. Referencing a previous order does not by itself mean every production requirement is identical.
If the available file is not production-ready
Send the available artwork before ordering and explain what the finished decoration needs to achieve. PlusEmbroidery can review whether it provides enough information for embroidery or whether production-ready vector AI or EPS artwork is still required for DTF printing.
Do not rely on changing a filename extension to create vector artwork. A JPG renamed as an EPS remains a pixel-based image and does not gain scalable design information.
Ask about your artworkArtwork FAQs
What file should I provide for embroidery?
Send the clearest logo file available. Most common image files can be reviewed because the logo is digitised into embroidery stitches before production.
What file should I provide for DTF printing?
Provide production-ready vector artwork in AI or EPS format, together with the intended print dimensions and any important colour or design requirements.
Can I use a logo copied from a website?
Usually not for DTF production, because website images are commonly small raster files. It may still help identify the logo for an embroidery review, but the clearest original file is preferable.
Why do you need the finished size?
Detail that works at one size may not reproduce clearly at another. Finished size also affects stitch count, print preparation and whether the logo or artwork fits the usable garment area.
Why can an embroidered logo vary between garments?
Digitising creates the stitch plan, but fabric stretch, weave, thickness, garment construction and manual hooping influence the physical result. The same approved logo may therefore have small appearance or placement differences across garments, particularly when several garment types are used.
Will the decoration colours exactly match my screen?
Not necessarily. Screens, printed colour and embroidery thread reproduce colour differently. Brand colour references help guide preparation, but exact matching across each medium should not be assumed.
What should I provide for a repeat order?
Include the previous order number and confirm whether the artwork, size, garment, placement, colours and other requirements are unchanged. Clearly explain any difference.