What does the term vector art mean?

Artwork Guidelines

Great printing starts with the right type of artwork. Submitting the correct file type ensures your design looks sharp, colors come out accurate, and the finished product matches your vision. We want every project to look its best, so you’re stoked about your products. Here’s a quick guide to preparing artwork for production.

what is Vector Artwork?

Vector artwork enables us to achieve the highest quality results and separate each color for the screen printing process. Vector files are created with digital lines, shapes, and paths, which means they can be resized without losing clarity. Whether your design ends up small on a chest print or large across the back of a shirt, vector art helps the artwork look as good as physically possible. That’s why it’s the artwork type we recommend and default to for almost all projects.

Vector files are usually made in Adobe® Illustrator® and saved as one of the following formats:

  • .ai

  • .eps

  • .pdf (editable)

  • .cdr

  • .svg

Tips for submitting vector artwork:

  • Convert all fonts to outlines before sending.

  • Script fonts may need to be merged/united.

  • For exact color matching, either use the PANTONE® Solid Coated colors within the artwork or tell us what Solid Coated Pantone colors you’d like to use

 

WHAT IS RASTER ARTWORK?

Raster files are images built from squares or pixels. The more pixels that are in an image the higher resolution the image is, the bigger the file size. A good example of a raster image would be a photograph… or I always think of Mario from Super Mario Brothers. He looks like he’s built from a bunch of blocks (or pixels)!

Raster images are made of pixels, like a digital photograph. These can look good on a screen, but when enlarged or printed, low-resolution files can appear blurry or pixelated. To avoid this, raster artwork must be created at 300 PPI (pixels per inch) at the actual size you want it printed. Increasing the resolution afterward (called “upsampling”) won’t improve quality. This format is primarily used in digital printing, such as with a computer printer.

Raster files are usually created in Adobe® Photoshop® and may include formats like:

  • .jpg

  • .png

  • .tif

  • .psd

Tips for submitting raster artwork:

  • Art files should be at 300 PPI at the final print size.

  • When possible, BBP will recommend raster files to be converted to vector for better results.

  • Send us your original, highest-quality file to ensure the best print outcome.

 

Not Sure About Your Artwork?

No sweat, most people aren’t graphic designers, and that’s where BBP comes in. Just send us the file you have, and our team will review it. If adjustments are needed, we’ll guide you through the process or help prepare the file so it’s print-ready and you have it for future use. Unfortunately, if a graphic wasn’t created in a vector-based software it can’t be converted to a vector without some extra work. For example, if a logo was created in sketchbook (a raster-based program) but it’s saved as an .AI file it’s still a bitmap/raster image. If you’re ever in question of a PDF graphic, you can try the zoom test! Zoom in A LOT on an image and if it starts looking pixelated or blurry, it’s a raster image and not a vector.

With the right artwork, your screen printing projects will turn out clean, professional, and how you imagined.

Troy Mandery