Design Do's And Don'ts | T-Shirt Elephant
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Introduction:

Welcome to our guide on the do's and don'ts of designing for apparel printing. Ensuring your designs adhere to these guidelines will help achieve the best possible results on your custom apparel.

1. Color Contrast:

  • Do: Ensure your design incorporates adequate color contrast for clear visibility.
    Use colors that are sufficiently different to ensure the contents of your design are easily distinguishable.
  • Don't: Rely on colors that lack contrast, as this can result in poor visibility and readability of your design.

2. CMYK Color Mode:

  • Do: Create your images using the CMYK color mode for printing.
    CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is a color process optimized for printing, especially for photo-realistic images and those with many colors.
  • Don't: Use other color modes such as RGB for printing, as they may not accurately represent colors in the final print.

3. File Types and Resolution:

  • Do: Provide high-resolution files in suitable formats (vector or high-resolution raster) for printing.
    Follow our guidelines for file types and resolution to ensure sharp and clear prints.
  • Don't: Submit low-resolution or incompatible file types, as this can result in blurry or pixelated prints.

4. Design Placement and Sizing:

  • Do: Consider the placement and sizing of your design relative to the apparel item.
    Use our design studio tools to visualize and adjust the placement before finalizing your order.
  • Don't: Print excessively large or small designs that may compromise the appearance or wearability of the apparel.

5. Mock-Up Accuracy:

  • Do: Understand that mock-ups may not perfectly represent the final print result.
    Take into account potential variations in colors and sizes between the mock-up and the actual printed product.
  • Don't: Assume that the mock-up is an exact representation of the final print, as there may be slight differences in appearance.

6. Special Instructions:

  • Design Notes Feature: If you need to provide our production team with any special instructions, use the Design Notes feature in Design Studio. This is useful for:
    • Non-standard print locations (e.g., sleeve prints)
    • Any special artwork instructions
    • Pantone or color matching
  • To include a note with your design, just click the "Add Design Notes" button in Design Studio to let our team know.

Conclusion:

By following these design do's and don'ts, you can create artwork that translates beautifully onto custom apparel. For further assistance or inquiries, don't hesitate to contact our team!