The belly of the beast. The pièce de résistance. The crux of the matter. Other expressions that mean it’s important. No matter if you have a fully flushed art file ready for production, or a doodle on a napkin – we can work with any artwork concept!
We really try to make it easy for our customers to get just the look they want in their custom screen-printed items. Some artwork is really straight-forward to achieve, and some artwork is very complicated. But, there’s almost nothing we say no to – so we can work with whatever you’ve got! And, if there’s going to be some hoops to jump through with the artwork, we will be sure to have a fully informed conversation with you.
What types of artwork files can I give you?
We aren’t picky.
AI, SVG, ESP, PDF, PowerPoint, PSD, TXT . . . we can work with almost anything, even your child’s drawing on the fridge. Ideally, vector art files with the text outlined is the fastest for our order process.
Here’s what you really need to know:
- We are magic and can create amazing artwork from anything. Or even nothing.
- Our presses are not magic. We use our magic to make things that work on press.
- Magic doesn’t care about file types.
Sometimes magic is fast and free. Sometimes it takes time and money.
- If we can easily get your art press ready, it’s free. Even PowerPoint files. Magic!
- If it needs extra magic, we let you know right away, along with what it would cost.
Really, the file type matters less than the design. So just send us what you’ve got. We’ll tell you what works and what should change. And if you want us to do the work, we can do that too. Should I say it again? We can work with any artwork concept.
Printable Areas
Can I get you to print off the bottom edge of the shirt?
No. That makes the presses messy. Ick.
Here’s our basic print limitations . . .
- Our max-print area is 12 × 15 inches on most apparel, so keep your art boards or image files at that size or less.
- We need a smooth surface to print on, which means we can’t get closer than three-quarters of an inch from a seam.
And here’s more detailed specs . . .
Standard Print Locations:
Special Print Locations:
Ink Colors
What ink colors do you have?
We have three types: stock, custom, and specialty.
- Stock inks have no extra cost to them (see below for the selection)
- Custom color mixing is $15
- Specialty inks — like neons or metallics — are also $15. Let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll let you know if we can get them to work on our presses.
Printing Options
How does color ink look on a colored shirt?
It looks different.
Have you ever known someone with hazel-colored eyes who could get their eyes to look blue or green depending on the color of their outfit? If not, just accept that it’s a real thing. The color of the shirt will mess with your perception of ink colors, too.
Sometimes it’s very subtle, sometimes it’s extremely pronounced. It’s part physiological, part psychological, and all relative to the individual person. In general, people can’t tell the difference from memory. They need the side by side comparison. Take a peek of a print test we did under the previous Coed Monkey brand:
Printing: Photographic Printing
Can you make a print a shirt from a photo?
Yes!
And not like the schlocky iron-on from the drug store . . .
We don’t do full color printing, like you get from an ink jet printer. Going onto apparel, it just looks weak. We convert your photo to spot color(s), using either line art or halftoning techniques. Which gives you art that looks like this:
Not every photo is a great candidate for a shirt. Having the subject in high contrast to the background or cut out completely makes a big difference. Having an image where there are fewer key colors also makes it easier to print without adding a lot of added expense. But, dare I say it again, we can work with any artwork concept.
Depending on the source photo, the technique you want to use, and number of colors you choose, we may need to charge you some art fees. But don’t worry, we’ll let you know how much work it will take and what it will cost before the work starts.
Further Questions?
Don’t worry, we get it. If no one had questions, we wouldn’t have a business. Call us! Send us a chat. Drop us a Contact Message. We are here to help, and there’s no one better suited to help bring your ideas to life.