Screen printing artwork requirements for T-shirts start with an editable file, defined print dimensions, clear spot-color instructions, and a placement specification. Buyers should also state the garment color, fabric, and desired ink appearance because these decisions affect color separation, underbase planning, registration, and the proof that must be approved before bulk production.
What Files Should Buyers Submit for Screen Printing?
The preferred submission is an editable vector artwork file with outlined fonts, embedded or supplied linked assets, and clearly named colors. High-resolution raster artwork can work for photographic designs, but it must be created at final print size and assessed by the printer’s workflow before it is treated as production-ready.
Vector artwork uses mathematical paths rather than pixels, so logos, lettering, and hard-edged graphics can scale without becoming soft or jagged. Common editable formats include AI, EPS, SVG, and native design files. A PDF may contain vector elements, raster images, or both, so it should not automatically be assumed editable.
For a clean handoff, submit:
The original editable artwork file, not only a flattened preview.
A production PDF showing the intended artwork appearance.
All placed images, textures, and linked files if they are not embedded.
A folder of fonts, or preferably text converted to outlines after retaining an editable master.
A transparent-background raster file for photographic or textured artwork.
A note identifying the final print size and garment locations.
Raster artwork consists of pixels. It can be suitable for photos, painted effects, or distressed textures when its resolution supports the requested physical print size. Enlarging a low-resolution web image does not create missing detail; it only enlarges existing pixels. Avoid treating a small JPG, screenshot, or social-media image as finished production art.
Which Color Instructions Prevent Separation Errors?
Buyers should identify every intended print color as a named spot color and provide a Pantone reference when brand-color matching matters. A screen-print separation converts artwork into individual printable color layers, so ambiguous RGB values, transparency effects, and unlabelled shades can produce unexpected screens, ink substitutions, or proof revisions.
A spot-color design uses separate, intentional colors such as black, red, and metallic silver. Each color generally needs its own screen or separation. This differs from an on-screen RGB design, where visual colors may be built from light and display differently from ink on fabric.
Include a color schedule in the artwork package:
A Pantone reference is a target, not a substitute for a garment proof. Fabric texture, garment color, ink system, opacity, curing, and viewing conditions can affect perceived color. If a particular brand shade is critical, the buyer should identify it early and approve it on the chosen garment rather than relying only on a monitor.
How Do Garment Choices Change Artwork Preparation?
Garment color, fiber content, fabric surface, and print area influence how the artwork must be separated and proved. The same design may require different ink opacity, an underbase, adjusted halftones, or revised color choices on a dark cotton T-shirt, a heather blend, and a performance polyester garment.
An underbase is typically a printed foundation layer, often white, placed beneath colors on dark garments to improve brightness and opacity. It is not automatically necessary for every design. A vintage, muted, or intentionally garment-dyed look may use reduced opacity or no full underbase, while a vivid logo on black fabric may need one.
LSLONG Expert View
Approve the design as a garment-and-ink combination, not as artwork alone. A bright color can look different when printed over a white underbase, directly onto fabric, or on a heathered surface. The most useful approval file states the garment color, fabric composition where known, intended ink appearance, print dimensions, and whether an opaque or softer hand feel is the priority.
Consider these production variables before approving separations:
Dark garments often need an underbase or selective base layer; this can affect softness, edge definition, and color appearance.
Heathered or textured fabrics can visually break up fine type, small gaps, and subtle tonal transitions.
Polyester and polyester-rich blends may require added attention to dye migration, especially with light inks on dark fabric.
Larger prints may need artwork adjusted for garment drape, seams, collar proximity, or a change in visual balance across sizes.
A softer hand feel may require different ink coverage than a maximum-opacity design.
For projects involving custom T-shirt manufacturing options, buyers should lock the garment blank or fabric direction before treating the separation as final. Artwork approval is more reliable when the intended shirt construction and color are already defined.
What Print Size and Placement Details Are Required?
A usable placement specification identifies the print location, finished artwork dimensions, reference points, and whether the design must scale or remain fixed across the size range. Descriptions such as “center chest” are not enough for bulk production because they leave room for different interpretations during layout and approval.
State dimensions as width × height using one unit system consistently. Then identify the placement measurement from a stable garment reference, such as the high point of shoulder, center front, collar seam, or side seam. A front-chest graphic and a full-back print require different reference points.
Your specification should clarify:
Garment location: left chest, full front, center back, sleeve, nape, or another named position.
Finished print size: for example, the approved width and height rather than only a visual mockup.
Placement reference: the measured distance from a defined seam or garment point.
Orientation: centered, aligned to wearer’s left, angled, or intentionally offset.
Size-range treatment: one standard print size, scaled artwork, or distinct youth/adult layouts.
Print boundaries: whether a design may cross seams, approach the collar, or extend toward side seams.
A digital mockup communicates intent, but it should be supported by dimensions. The buyer should also distinguish between a display image and a placement specification. Models, flat lays, and online product images can distort scale and should not be the only source of placement instructions.
Why Do Halftones and Registration Need Early Approval?
Halftones and registration affect fine detail, gradients, and the alignment of multiple screen-printed colors. A halftone represents tonal shading through small dots rather than continuous ink coverage, while registration is the controlled alignment of each color layer. Both depend on the artwork, separation method, garment, inks, and printer setup.
A simple logo with solid spot colors may be relatively straightforward. A photo-realistic illustration, soft gradient, or distressed multicolor image can require multiple tonal separations. Fine dots may gain size in printing, small knockout gaps can close, and closely overlapping colors can show shifts if registration is not maintained.
Buyers can reduce avoidable revisions by flagging:
Fine lines, micro text, and small negative spaces that must remain open.
Distressed effects that must look irregular rather than accidentally incomplete.
Overprints, knockouts, and transparent overlays that are essential to the design.
Gradients that need to remain smooth rather than become visibly stepped.
Any color edge where slight misalignment would be highly visible.
Do not impose a universal line-weight, resolution, or halftone-screen requirement without confirming the printer’s process. The practical requirement is to submit the original art, identify critical details, and approve a production proof that shows how the file has been separated for the selected shirt and ink approach.
How Should Buyers Review a Screen Printing Proof?
A production proof should confirm the specific design being printed, not merely show a generic mockup. Before authorizing bulk production, buyers should compare the proof against the approved artwork, garment specification, color schedule, print dimensions, placement instructions, and any agreed underbase or special-effect assumptions.
A useful proof-review sequence is:
Check the garment style, color, and size-range treatment.
Confirm every visible print color against the named color schedule.
Verify the artwork version, including fonts, linked images, and copyright marks where applicable.
Measure the stated print size and placement reference.
Inspect small text, thin lines, tonal detail, and negative spaces.
Confirm whether white is visible artwork, an underbase, or both.
Record approval in writing with the approved file version and date.
The key risk is approving artwork and placement separately, then assuming they will match when combined. A proof should reflect the actual production combination. If changes are made after approval—such as switching from a light shirt to a dark shirt—the underbase, separations, and visual result may need to be reconsidered.
Who Owns Each Artwork Handoff Responsibility?
The buyer, designer, and apparel supplier each have different responsibilities, and unclear ownership causes delays. The buyer should define commercial and brand requirements; the designer should provide complete editable artwork; and the production team should translate confirmed requirements into a workable separation and proof for approval.
For a brand sourcing from a China clothing manufacturer, appoint one person to consolidate comments. Multiple stakeholders sending independent artwork changes can create version-control errors, especially when graphic revisions occur alongside garment, label, or packaging decisions.
A practical responsibility split is:
Buyer: approves the garment, artwork version, colors, print size, placement, and final proof.
Designer: supplies editable files, outlines fonts, identifies linked assets, and documents intended color layers.
Sourcing manager: keeps the RFQ, artwork, garment specification, and approvals in one controlled file set.
Supplier: identifies production questions that require clarification before the buyer issues approval.
LSLONG can be included in the project discussion as the apparel supplier while the buyer keeps a documented approval record. This is particularly important for private-label clothing programs where printed branding must align with neck labels, hangtags, packaging, and repeat-order specifications.
Can One Artwork Package Support Repeat Bulk Orders?
Yes, but only when the package records the approved production variables as well as the visual design. A logo file alone is not a repeat-order specification. Repeat consistency depends on retaining the exact artwork version, color references, garment color, print dimensions, placement notes, separation assumptions, and approved proof.
Create a controlled “master artwork pack” after the first approved run. It should include editable source files, print-ready exports, a color schedule, placement sheet, dated proof, and a change log. Mark which items are fixed and which may vary by garment color, fabric, or collection season.
This approach helps prevent common replenishment errors:
Reprinting from an outdated logo file.
Applying a dark-garment separation to a light garment without adjustment.
Using a new T-shirt fabric that changes the print’s perceived color or hand feel.
Moving artwork because the original placement reference was not retained.
Recreating a special effect without noting its layer order or underbase treatment.
For OEM clothing manufacturing, repeat orders should trigger a comparison against the retained master pack. If the garment, fabric, color, or artwork changes, treat it as a controlled revision rather than assuming the previous screen-print setup remains appropriate.
What Should You Submit for a File-Review Request?
The strongest screen-printing handoff combines editable artwork with unambiguous garment and production instructions. Control the risks that most often cause rework: low-quality raster files, missing fonts or linked assets, unclear colors, undefined print size, vague placement, and unapproved underbase or separation assumptions.
Before requesting a discussion with LSLONG, prepare:
T-shirt style, fabric direction, garment color, and target market.
Estimated quantity, size range, and whether the order is a sample, initial bulk run, or replenishment.
Editable vector artwork and high-resolution raster assets where relevant.
Pantone references, spot-color names, and notes on specialty inks or intended print feel.
Dimensions and measured placement specifications for every print location.
A statement on whether the design must be opaque, soft-hand, vintage, photographic, or highly detailed.
Branding, labels, packaging, and target delivery timing if they affect the wider project.
Submit your T-shirt artwork and placement requirements for a screen-printing file review, together with the garment details and approval priorities. A complete package gives all parties a clearer basis for confirming artwork feasibility before sampling or bulk production.
Should I send a JPG if I also have an AI file? Yes. Send the editable AI file as the working source and a PDF or high-resolution JPG as a visual reference. The reference helps confirm the intended appearance, while the editable file allows accurate checking of paths, colors, and individual artwork elements.
Do I need to convert fonts to outlines? Yes, provide an outlined-font version for production continuity. Keep a separate editable master with live text for future revisions. If text remains live, also provide the font files or identify the exact font family, weight, and version used.
Can the same design be printed on light and dark T-shirts? Usually, but the separation and ink approach may differ. A design that prints directly on a light shirt may need a white underbase, revised color values, or different tonal treatment on a dark garment. Approve each garment-color version separately.
What should a sourcing manager include in the first RFQ? Include the garment type, quantity, size range, fabric preference, garment colors, print locations, artwork files, color references, packaging needs, delivery market, and target timing. Identify whether the artwork is final or still subject to design approval.