Accepted artwork file formats
What we need to send your file to press without surprises: vector or bitmap, outlined fonts, color mode, separations, and bleed sizes.
Why we pause on the file before quoting
Eighty percent of the delays we see on corporate orders start with the file. A font that gets swapped when the file opens on another workstation, an image at 72 dpi that looks fine on screen and turns pixelated when scaled, an RGB color that goes to screen printing and ends up washed out. That is why we review the artwork before locking in the final quote.
If your brand has an identity manual, we also ask for the guide so we respect safe zones, minimum sizes, and corporate colors in Pantone. If you are still building the piece, our design team can step in at an hourly rate. The advantage of working with a shop in Mexico is that revisions happen in the same time zone; you do not have to wait twelve hours for an adjustment.
We work primarily in Adobe Illustrator, although we also open files from Affinity Designer and CorelDRAW. For artwork that comes out of Canva or Figma, we ask for a PDF export with fonts converted to outlines, because those tools do not always produce a clean file for production.
Bleed depends on the product. On apparel we leave two centimeters of margin as a safety zone. On rigid items like tumblers and pens, bleed is three millimeters. On sewn pieces like backpacks we leave five millimeters because the fabric shifts during assembly. When a file arrives without margin, we add it for a small fee that we quote before moving forward.
If your file is too large for email, we receive it through WeTransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive, or any shared folder your company uses. For jobs with more than five files per project we usually ask for a single ZIP folder ordered by SKU and technique, because that order helps us avoid mistakes when loading machines. When a file arrives corrupted or will not open, we let you know the same day and ask for a replacement before we quote.
For pieces with full-bleed photography, especially tees and blankets with full-color imagery, the file has to land at 300 dpi at final size and in the color mode that matches the technique. If it is at 72 dpi but the visual looks fine, we can usually upscale through interpolation, though we flag it because the final output loses definition on fine edges. When your original image comes from a stock library or a supplier who delivered low resolution by mistake, we prefer to talk to you in time rather than charge for a reprint later.
Frequently asked questions about file formats
What marketing teams, freelance designers, and agencies most often ask before sending their first file.
Which file formats do you accept?
We accept .AI, .EPS, and .PDF in vector with fonts converted to outlines. For pieces with photography we accept .TIFF or .PSD at 300 dpi at actual size. If you only have .PNG or .JPG, we evaluate it and, when quality allows, vectorize it at a minimum cost before sending to press.
Why do fonts need to be converted to outlines?
Because when the file opens on another computer without the font installed, the system substitutes a generic face and the text layout shifts. Converting to outlines turns each glyph into a vector path, so the look stays identical wherever it opens. In Illustrator that is Ctrl+Shift+O or the Type menu.
Do you work in CMYK or RGB?
We work in CMYK for printed pieces. If your file arrives in RGB we convert it, but that can shift saturated greens and blues. We flag that before printing. For DTF and sublimation, where colors print from a digital head, we can respect RGB with a calibrated ICC profile.
How do you handle Pantone colors?
If your brand has corporate colors in Pantone, we honor them faithfully using the current guide each year. For screen printing we mix base inks to match. For embroidery we select the closest thread. For digital printing and sublimation, we approximate with an ICC profile and flag any visible difference above five percent.
Do I need to send color separations in channels?
For screen printing, yes. We ask for one channel per ink, in black, without halftones. A two-color job has two channels; a four-color job has four. If your PDF already has the separations, we keep them at no extra charge. If we need to build them, we quote that separately.
What if I only have the file in Canva or Figma?
Export as PDF with fonts converted to outlines. In Canva go to Share, then Download, PDF Standard, and tick the option to flatten text. In Figma use Export, PDF, and before exporting tick the outline text option. If you are unsure, send us the link and our team downloads it directly.
How much bleed should I leave?
For apparel we leave two centimeters per side. For rigid pieces like tumblers and pens, three millimeters. For backpacks and sewn items, five millimeters. If your file arrives without margin, we add it for a small fee and let you know before we proceed.
Can you redraw the artwork if I only have a rough idea?
Yes. Design time is billed by the hour. We start with a brief, three references, two sketches, and a palette proposal. Once you approve the direction we develop it to final size. For urgent orders we usually allow one hour of design for every ten units.
Related FAQs
If the file is not your only concern, these may also help.
Got a complex artwork file?
Send it through the form below as a PDF or ZIP. If it is over 20 MB we share an encrypted upload link so you do not have to split the file.