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Using high-quality artwork is extremely important for printing top-quality DTF transfers. The quality of your designs dramatically affects how your prints will turn out. Even the best inks and printers can't correct issues with the artwork. So, starting with good-quality designs is crucial to get the best results.
Transparent background: no one wants a white rectangular print. Ensure that your artwork's background is transparent.
Understand the Power of Pixels. When working with PNG format, remember that it is pixel-based. The resolution depends on how many pixels fit within a square inch or DPI (dots per inch). Higher DPI translates to clearer, higher-quality images. Remember, with raster art, you can only decrease resolution, not increase it. For example, you can't take 72 DPI art and make it 300 DPI, but you can take 300 DPI art and make it 72 DPI. Start with high-resolution artwork to ensure optimal results.
Exceptions: there's just one! If you have an image with extremely large dimensions, such as 3,200 pixels by 2,400 pixels (45" x 34") at 72 DPI, there is sufficient DPI at these scales to resize the image while maintaining high print quality.
Manage Color Expectations: Colors may vary between monitors and printers. Our printer is calibrated, and we use a custom ICC profile specifically designed for our ink and DTF film. However, if color accuracy is critical and even slight variations are unacceptable, we strongly recommend ordering our Color Chart: regular size or oversized for easier color reading.
For bright colors such as bright blue, lime green, highlighter yellow, bright magenta pink, and similar shades, please note that these may not print as vividly. These colors are most affected during the RGB to CMYK transformation process. However, by using one of our Color Charts and adjusting your graphic accordingly, you can achieve a closer match to your desired color.
Understanding How Enlarging Images Reduces DPI: A Brief Explanation
DPI refers to the density of dots or pixels within a given area of an image. When you enlarge an image without adding more pixels (in other words, you're stretching the existing pixels to cover a larger area), the density of pixels per inch decreases. This results in a lower DPI value for the larger image. Think of it like stretching a rubber band. The more you stretch it, the thinner it gets. Similarly, when you enlarge a picture, the dots that make up the image spread out, making it look less sharp. This is why the DPI goes down when you make an image bigger.
For example, if you have a 300 DPI image that is 2 inches by 2 inches, it contains 600 pixels horizontally and 600 pixels vertically (300 DPI x 2 inches). If you increase the size of this image to 4 inches by 4 inches without adding more pixels, the same 600 pixels are now spread over 4 inches horizontally and 4 inches vertically, resulting in a DPI of 150 (600 pixels ÷ 4 inches = 150 DPI).
Lowering the DPI will affect the quality of the image when printed or displayed at a larger size because there are fewer pixels per inch to represent the details, resulting in a potentially pixelated or blurry appearance.
Why Do Colors Look Different on Screen vs. When Printed?
Colors look different on screens and prints because they use different color profiles and processes. Screens use RGB (red, green, blue) with light to create bright, vibrant colors through an additive process. Prints use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) with ink, a subtractive process that can produce a different, often duller, range of colors.
Here's a simple way to understand it: Monitors make color with light, allowing for a wide range of bright colors. In contrast, printers use ink made from ground-up solids mixed with a medium like water or oil, applied to a substrate without light behind it. This results in less vibrant colors compared to what you see on a screen. So, if you use a color on your screen that isn't in the CMYK range, the printer will try to match it as closely as possible, but it may not be as bright or vibrant.
On Screen vs. Printed
What you see on the screen and how it will print
If specific color preservation is crucial, please order one of our Color Charts and adjust your graphic accordingly. With our Color Chart, you can achieve a closer match to your desired color.
If you're uncertain whether your artwork is suitable for DTF printing, don't hesitate to contact us at order@pnwprintco.com. If your files are of low resolution and your goal is a high-quality end product, for a small fee, we can vectorize your low-quality artwork for beautiful DTF-printed results if needed.
PLEASE NOTE: We cannot be held responsible for the printing outcome if low-resolution images are provided. Additionally, we do not proof-check your gang sheets for overlapping designs or evaluate the quality of your artwork. Often, we only see the quality or resolution of your artwork once your order is printed. Therefore, once it reaches this stage, we are unable to cancel your order, and you will receive what was ordered. Please ensure to check your files thoroughly before sending them for DTF printing.