Production-ready textile artwork is more than a visually attractive image. The file must match the intended repeat or placement, physical scale, colour communication and supplier workflow. Because printing systems differ, final export requirements should be confirmed with the specific printer before release.
1. Confirm print method and supplier
Ask whether the project uses digital, screen, sublimation, transfer or another process and request the supplier's current artwork specification.
Fabric composition, machine, ink system and print width can change colour mode, resolution, channels and file format.
2. Build the repeat or placement
For all-over work, create and test a seamless tile at the approved physical dimensions. For placement work, use the defined print area and garment landmarks.
Keep production artwork separate from lifestyle mockups and include an expanded preview for visual checking.
3. Set physical scale
Document width and height in a real unit. Do not rely on pixel dimensions alone because different software can interpret resolution metadata differently.
Print a 100-percent paper section or supplier strike-off and review it against the garment.
4. Vector versus raster
Vector artwork is useful for clean shapes and scaling. Raster files suit painted, photographic or textured motifs but require adequate pixel dimensions at output size.
Do not artificially enlarge a small image and assume it gains real detail. Inspect edges and texture at production scale.
5. Colour references
Organise named swatches or channels consistently and supply references requested by the printer. Remove accidental duplicate colours and hidden objects.
Pantone can support communication where appropriate, but fabric, ink and process change appearance; the physical strike-off is the approval standard.
6. Cleanup, bleed and edges
Remove stray points, transparent debris, hidden layers and unintended overlaps. Check every repeat edge and any bleed required for the placement area.
Keep editable master layers organised, then flatten or separate only as the supplier requires.
7. Export and preflight
Confirm dimensions, resolution, colour setup, file format, naming and version. Include a read-me or specification sheet when multiple files are involved.
Open the delivered export independently, test the repeat and retain the approved version used for sampling.
8. Production approval
Review colour, scale, sharpness, registration, hand feel and fabric behaviour on a strike-off or sample.
Record approval and any controlled correction before bulk printing. Screen previews should not be treated as exact fabric colour.
9. Package the supplier handoff
Deliver only the approved artwork version, with a concise specification naming print method, tile or placement size, colourway, fabric reference and intended orientation. Remove abandoned exports from the shared handoff folder.
Ask the supplier to return a rendered layout or preflight confirmation before sampling where its workflow allows. Keep the final strike-off, comments and released file together so a reorder can be traced to the actual approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about this topic
What resolution should textile artwork use?
It depends on physical size, artwork type and supplier process. Ask the printer for its current requirement rather than applying one number universally.
Should textile artwork be RGB or CMYK?
Requirements vary by process and RIP workflow. Confirm the colour setup with the specific supplier.
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