Artwork & file
guidelines
A 20 ft banner does not need 300 dpi. Print for the distance the work gets read from, and most artwork problems stop here.
- under 1 m
- 150 DPI
- 2–4 m
- 100 DPI
- 5 m and up
- 50–72 DPI
- bleed, all sides
- 50 mm
On this pageArtwork quality
01
Artwork quality
The five things that matter
Before you send your artwork, get these five things right.
| Artwork element | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Size | 1:1 final size · 1:10 for graphics over ~5 m |
| Resolution | 150 DPI (<1 m) · 100 DPI (2–4 m) · 50–72 DPI (5 m+) |
| File format | Vector for logos and text · raster for photos · PDF, AI, EPS, PSD, TIFF, JPG, PNG |
| Colour | Embed the colour profile · screen colours may vary in print |
| Bleed & safe area | 50 mm bleed · 75 mm safe area |
Resolution
Match your artwork resolution to how far the finished graphic will be viewed.
| Viewing distance | Typical applications | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 m | Table covers, cushions, retail displays | 150 DPI |
| 2–4 m | Backdrops, media walls, stage banners, flags | 100 DPI |
| 5 m+ | Building wraps, scaffolding and fence banners | 50–72 DPI |
Supply at 1:1 or 1:10
Use 1:1 for graphics up to roughly 5 m on the long edge. For anything larger, 1:10 scale is recommended. Add the scale to your filename, e.g. banner-1-10-scale.pdf.
Not ideal for
Artwork taken from websites or slide decks because those pixels may not be sufficient for large-format printing.
Consider instead
Use the original high-resolution source file, a properly licensed full-resolution image, or have our design service rebuild it as vector artwork
Vector for edges, raster for photographs
Use vectors for anything that has to stay sharp.
| Vector | Raster |
|---|---|
| Logos and brand marks | Photography |
| Text and typography | Textures and scanned artwork |
| Icons and illustrations | Composites and retouched images |
| QR codes and barcodes | Gradients and soft backgrounds |
| Hard-edged shapes | Detailed imagery |
You can combine both in one file. A vector logo over a raster photograph is perfectly fine.
Fonts
Outline your fonts before exporting. That stops font substitution and the layout shifts that follow it. If the text has to stay editable, send the font files with your artwork.
Not ideal for
Auto-tracing a low-resolution logo as it doesn't restore the original detail.
Consider instead
Send the original AI, EPS or PDF logo file, or use our free design service.
02
Colour, Bleed & Finishing
Colour
Printed colour can differ from what you see on screen.
Send your artwork in its original colour space with the profile embedded. Colour varies across fabrics, so for critical brand colours, order a swatch or ask for a proof before production.
| Keep in mind | What to do |
|---|---|
| Screen colours can differ from fabric | Review a physical swatch |
| RGB and CMYK can print differently | Send the file in its original colour space |
| Metallic and fluorescent colours cannot be reproduced exactly | Choose a suitable fabric or finish, or adjust the colour |
| Brand colours may vary across fabrics | Request a proof or order a swatch |
Judge the colour on cloth, not on glass
The swatch pack ships free, worldwide.
Bleed, safe area & finishing
| Requirement | What to allow |
|---|---|
| Bleed | 50 mm / 2 in beyond the finished size on all sides |
| Safe area | Keep important content 75 mm / 3 in inside the finished edge |
| Sewn hem | Keep important content 50 mm / 2 in from the edge |
| Pole pockets | Keep important content 100 mm / 4 in from top and bottom |
| Eyelets | Keep important content 50 mm / 2 in from the edge |
| Velcro | No additional clearance required |
Finishing affects the usable print area. Tell us your finishing requirements before preparing your artwork so logos, text and other important elements aren't placed where they will be folded, punched or wrapped.
SEG & pillowcase graphics
The visible face is smaller than the full graphic.
- Extend the background 50 mm / 2 in beyond the visible face.
- Keep logos, text and faces 100 mm / 4 in inside the visible face.
- Keep the corners free of critical content.
Panel seams
Wider than the fabric roll? Your graphic may arrive in panels.
Keep these away from seam lines:
Small type · thin rules · faces · logos · barcodes · QR codes
Backgrounds, gradients, textures and flat colours work best across seams.
See the fabric seam guide.
03
Sending your artwork
What to send, in order of preference
| Format | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Everything. Vector and raster together, geometry locked, fonts outlined | Flatten transparency before export. Interactive and web-optimised PDFs are downsampled and unusable | |
| AI | Vector logos, type, flat colour, full layouts | Embed linked images and outline fonts. Save with PDF compatibility switched on |
| EPS | Vector out of older software | No transparency support, so drop shadows and blends flatten unpredictably |
| PSD | Layered photographic work and composites | Large files. Flatten a copy for sending and keep your layered original |
| TIFF | Flat raster artwork at final size | Uncompressed files run huge. Use LZW — lossless, and it often halves the size |
| JPG | Photography, as a fallback | Lossy. Save once at maximum quality, and never re-save an already-compressed file |
| PNG | Flat graphics needing transparency, as a fallback | RGB only. No CMYK support, and no colour profile in most exports |
Getting the file to us
Files of 20 MB or under upload straight onto any product page. Anything larger comes as a file-transfer link.
Paste the link into your order notes, or email it to sales@printfabrix.com with the order number. Any transfer service that produces a plain download link works.
Set the link to stay live for at least 14 days. Proofing, revisions and reprints all pull the same file.
Getting under 20 MB without wrecking the file
- Build at 1:10 scale rather than full size.
- Flatten layers on a copy, and keep your working original.
- Use LZW compression on TIFF, which is lossless.
- Save JPG once at maximum quality, straight from the source.
- Downsample to the DPI in the table above, and no higher.
Naming
Name the file so it survives an inbox: yourcompany_3000-2250mm_blockout_1-10-scale.pdf.
Company, finished size, fabric, scale. Four things, and no version numbers for us to guess between.
04
Before we print
Most files need a small correction, and that correction is free. We do not charge for pre-press and we do not use it as an upsell. A file fixed properly is cheaper for us than a reprint.
Run this before you send
- Artwork built at final size, or at 1:10 with the scale in the filename.
- Resolution meets the figure for its viewing distance, measured at final size.
- 50 mm / 2 in bleed on all four sides.
- Critical content 75 mm / 3 in inside the finished edge, further in where finishing is ordered.
- Type outlined, or the font files attached.
- Linked images embedded, and transparency flattened.
- Colour profile embedded, and the colour mode named in your message.
- Nothing small or critical sitting on a seam line.
- Spelling, phone numbers and web addresses read through once more.
- File under 20 MB, or a transfer link ready to paste.
Fixed free, without asking you
- Rescaling to your exact finished dimensions.
- Adding bleed where there is none.
- Setting the safe area and the seam allowance.
- Converting colour mode and embedding a profile.
- Flattening transparency and embedding linked images.
- Rotating and cropping to the orientation you ordered.
Sent back to you first
Three things we will not change quietly, because each one is a decision rather than a repair.
Not fixed silently
Artwork below the resolution figure for its size. Enlarging it would hide the problem until the parcel opens.
Consider instead
Send the source file, or approve a proof that shows the softness at full size.
Not fixed silently
Content falling inside a hem, pocket or frame wrap. Moving it is a design decision, not a repair.
Consider instead
Tell us what matters most in the layout, and the free design service rebuilds it to fit.
Not fixed silently
Brand colours the fabric cannot reach. Staying quiet about that turns into a dispute at delivery.
Consider instead
The free swatch pack, to see how your chosen fabric takes ink before the run is committed.
Anything bigger than a repair is still free
Mockups, artwork prep and full layouts, all handled by our design team at no charge.
05
FAQs
Is 300 dpi ever necessary?
At small sizes inspected up close, yes. Cushions, sample pieces and anything read at 300 mm justify it.
Above roughly 1 m wide it adds file size and nothing you can see.
Can you enlarge my logo?
If it is vector, to any size, with no loss at all. If it is a JPG or PNG off a website, no.
The detail is already gone, and enlargement only makes its absence bigger. Send the original AI, EPS or PDF, and we rebuild the mark free.
Do I add bleed to the size I order?
Order the finished size you want. Build the file 50 mm / 2 in larger on every side.
Ordering 3000 mm × 2000 mm means an artwork file of 3100 mm × 2100 mm.
My file is 400 MB. What do I do?
Send a file-transfer link, or rebuild at 1:10 scale. A 1:10 file at the right DPI is usually small enough to upload directly.
Will the print match what I see on screen?
No, and no dye-sublimation press honestly claims otherwise. Your screen emits light and cloth reflects it, so the same file looks different on each.
Order the swatch pack and judge it on the material. It is free.