How to Prepare Your Artwork for DTF Printing

Sep 25, 2025

When it comes to DTF printing, the final quality of your print starts long before your design hits the sheet — it begins with proper file preparation. Even the most amazing artwork can come out blurry, faded, or pixelated if it isn’t set up correctly. The good news? With a few simple steps, you can ensure your prints look crisp, vibrant, and professional every time.

In this post, we’ll cover file types, resolution, colors, backgrounds, sizing, and proofing tips so you can get the best results from your gang sheets or custom blanks.

1. Choose the Right File Type

Not all files are created equal when it comes to DTF printing. Choosing the right format ensures your design prints clearly without any surprises.

PNG – Best for designs with transparent backgrounds. Ideal for logos, illustrations, or multi-layered art.
AI / PSD / PDF – Preferred for vector graphics or layered files. Scales perfectly without losing quality.
Avoid JPEG – JPEG is compressed and can lose sharpness, leading to blurry prints.

Tip: Always keep a copy of your original design in a high-quality format for future edits.

2. Resolution Matters

Resolution is critical for printing. Low-resolution images can appear pixelated or fuzzy when transferred onto apparel.

300 DPI (dots per inch) is the standard for crisp, clear prints.
Anything lower may print blurry or lose detail.
Check the size of your design at print dimensions to ensure it will look sharp on the finished garment.

Pro Tip: Vector files are resolution-independent, which means they can scale to any size without losing quality — perfect for larger prints.

3. Color Considerations

Colors often look different on a screen than they do in print. Preparing your colors correctly ensures your design comes out vibrant and true to your vision.

RGB vs CMYK: DTF printing uses a wide color gamut, but it’s helpful to design in RGB to maintain brightness. We adjust for printing internally.
Contrast matters: High contrast designs stand out better, especially on darker apparel.
Spot colors: If your design uses very specific brand colors, let us know — we can check for print accuracy.

4. Backgrounds & Transparency

Your background choice can make a big difference in the final print:

Transparent backgrounds – Allow your design to appear clean and professional, without white boxes around it.
Solid backgrounds – Can be used intentionally, but make sure it’s part of your design, not accidental.
Avoid unnecessary layers – Flatten layers if they are not needed to reduce file size and simplify printing.

Tip: Always preview your file with a mockup to see how the background interacts with your garment color.

5. Sizing & Scaling

Your design needs to be scaled correctly to fit the apparel:

Work at the actual print size — don’t rely on shrinking or enlarging later.
Keep important details large enough to remain legible.
If you’re printing multiple sizes on a gang sheet, consider spacing and cut lines.

Pro Tip: For logos or text, aim for a minimum of 1”–1.5” height on shirts so nothing gets lost in the transfer process.

6. Proofing Your Artwork

Before sending your file to print, double-check for common errors:

Spelling and grammar in text.
Alignment and spacing of elements.
Color accuracy against your garment mockup.
Any hidden layers or elements that shouldn’t print.

Proofing is your last chance to avoid mistakes that can cost time and money.

7. Upload & Print with Confidence

Once your artwork is prepared correctly, uploading it is simple:

Use our Upload Your Design tool to add your artwork to your gang sheet or blank order.
Our team will review your file for print readiness and reach out if adjustments are needed.
From there, we print your designs, ship them fast, and you get high-quality, durable results every time.

Conclusion

Preparing your artwork properly is the first step toward professional-looking DTF prints. By choosing the right file type, resolution, colors, background, and size — and double-checking your proof — you set yourself up for success.

At Birdie Printing Co., we make this process easy with templates, guides, and an upload tool designed for creators like you.

Upload Your Artwork & Get Started Today!

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