What file format should I upload for a custom product?

PNG, JPG or SVG. PNG is the safest default because it carries real transparency, which almost every method needs — transparent areas are left undecorated and show the product itself. Use SVG for line art and lettering, and convert any text in an SVG to outlines before saving so the font cannot be substituted. Use JPG only for photographs, where its lack of transparency does not matter.

What resolution should my design file be?

Match the print area’s own pixel size — every side we print states it in pixels, and that is the number that matters. A 1,200 px file stretched across a 4,200 px print area has only a third of the pixels it needs, however sharp it looks on screen. Very large items such as blankets and tapestries are the exception: their print areas run into the tens of thousands of pixels, and roughly half that is plenty, because the print is enormous and is viewed from further away.

Should I design in RGB or CMYK?

RGB. Production works in RGB throughout, and a CMYK file is converted on the way in — a conversion that can shift colours noticeably. If you want to preview how a design will look printed, convert a copy to CMYK to check it, then undo the change and export the original in RGB.

Why does my design need a transparent background?

Because on most methods, whatever is not transparent is reproduced. A white background is not empty — it is a white area, and it will print as a visible white box, be cut as part of a vinyl shape, or be engraved as a solid block across the whole piece. Only genuine transparency is treated as "leave this alone".

Which decoration method should I choose?

Match the method to the artwork. Photographs and full-colour detail need a printed method — direct-to-garment, direct-to-film or digital printing. A pattern that must cover a whole garment needs an infused method — all-over print or direct-to-fabric. A bold logo or monogram that should look premium is best embroidered or engraved. If your design has more than about six colours or any smooth gradient, avoid the stitched and woven methods entirely.

Will the preview show exactly what I receive?

It depends on the method. For flat printed methods the preview is very close to the finished item. For embroidery, weaving, engraving and the specialty vinyl finishes it shows placement and colour but cannot show texture, stitch, height or shine — the very properties you are choosing those methods for. Each guide states plainly what its preview can and cannot promise.

Design guides

How a product is decorated decides what artwork will work on it. A photograph that prints beautifully on a t-shirt cannot be embroidered, a gradient that fades smoothly on paper arrives as visible bands on a woven blanket, and an engraved item has no colour at all. These guides cover every method we produce — what each one physically does to your design, the file it needs, the minimum sizes it can hold, and the mistakes worth knowing about before you start.

Printed on the surface

These methods lay colour onto a finished item — ink sprayed straight into the fabric, or a printed film pressed onto it. They are the most forgiving family to design for: full colour, photographs, fine detail and soft edges all reproduce, and what you see in the preview is very close to what ships. The things to watch are the transparent parts of your file and how the colour of the item underneath shows through.

Dyed into the material

Here the artwork is turned into dye and driven into the material itself, or the fabric is printed on the roll before the item is cut and sewn. Colour is vivid and permanent — it cannot crack or peel because there is no layer sitting on top. In exchange you design to the bleed rather than to a box: the artwork should cover the whole template, and small amounts of placement drift around seams are normal.

Stitched and woven

Nothing is printed. Your artwork is rebuilt out of thread or yarn, from a fixed set of colours, by a machine that can only make shapes it can physically sew. That gives a texture and a perceived value no print can match — and it means gradients, photographs and hairline detail have to be redesigned rather than merely resized. Design bold and design simple, and these are the most premium-looking pieces we make.

Etched and cured

These methods alter the item rather than coat it — a laser removes a thin layer of the surface, or ink is cured solid onto glass, metal or wood. The results are permanent and feel expensive. The design constraint is unusual and worth understanding before you start: on engraved pieces there is no colour at all, and your artwork is reproduced as a single tone cut into whatever the item is made of.

Questions that apply to every method

What file format should I upload for a custom product?: PNG, JPG or SVG. PNG is the safest default because it carries real transparency, which almost every method needs — transparent areas are left undecorated and show the product itself. Use SVG for line art and lettering, and convert any text in an SVG to outlines before saving so the font cannot be substituted. Use JPG only for photographs, where its lack of transparency does not matter.
What resolution should my design file be?: Match the print area’s own pixel size — every side we print states it in pixels, and that is the number that matters. A 1,200 px file stretched across a 4,200 px print area has only a third of the pixels it needs, however sharp it looks on screen. Very large items such as blankets and tapestries are the exception: their print areas run into the tens of thousands of pixels, and roughly half that is plenty, because the print is enormous and is viewed from further away.
Should I design in RGB or CMYK?: RGB. Production works in RGB throughout, and a CMYK file is converted on the way in — a conversion that can shift colours noticeably. If you want to preview how a design will look printed, convert a copy to CMYK to check it, then undo the change and export the original in RGB.
Why does my design need a transparent background?: Because on most methods, whatever is not transparent is reproduced. A white background is not empty — it is a white area, and it will print as a visible white box, be cut as part of a vinyl shape, or be engraved as a solid block across the whole piece. Only genuine transparency is treated as "leave this alone".
Which decoration method should I choose?: Match the method to the artwork. Photographs and full-colour detail need a printed method — direct-to-garment, direct-to-film or digital printing. A pattern that must cover a whole garment needs an infused method — all-over print or direct-to-fabric. A bold logo or monogram that should look premium is best embroidered or engraved. If your design has more than about six colours or any smooth gradient, avoid the stitched and woven methods entirely.
Will the preview show exactly what I receive?: It depends on the method. For flat printed methods the preview is very close to the finished item. For embroidery, weaving, engraving and the specialty vinyl finishes it shows placement and colour but cannot show texture, stitch, height or shine — the very properties you are choosing those methods for. Each guide states plainly what its preview can and cannot promise.