To make a print-ready file, export your design as a transparent PNG sized to the real print area, at the resolution your print partner asks for (usually 300 DPI), with clean edges and nothing stray on the canvas. Get those four things right at export and the file goes straight to production instead of coming back with a question or printing with a white box around it.
This routine is for sellers who design in any tool, from Photoshop or Affinity to Procreate, Canva or a browser editor, and want the same export steps for every design. A bad file costs more than a reprint: it holds up the order, uses up your processing time and can end in a disappointed review. Our guide to print file requirements for POD explains each requirement on its own. This article gives you the order to do them in.
Step 1: Start from the print area, not a blank canvas
Every product has a maximum printable space, and each provider publishes its own. They differ more than most sellers expect: one provider's standard front print area used to be 12 x 16 inches and now measures 15 x 18 inches on select DTG tees, and other providers use other sizes. Open the template for the exact product and print method before you draw anything.
Next, decide how large the design should actually print. That is rarely the whole area: a chest design sits well inside the maximum, and pocket, sleeve and mug designs are far smaller. Set the canvas to that print size, because, as one provider's file guide puts it, "Make sure the file is sized to match the actual print dimensions to ensure DPI is calculated correctly."
Step 2: Set resolution and pixel size together
DPI only has meaning next to a physical size. Pixels are inches multiplied by DPI, so a design that prints 12 inches wide at 300 DPI needs 3,600 pixels across, and a full 12 x 16 inch area needs 3,600 x 4,800 pixels. Typing 300 into a resolution box without changing the pixel count does nothing for the print. Our explainer on what DPI means for print files covers the maths in more detail.
What to aim for:
300 DPI at print size for shirts, mugs and most small products. One provider's file requirements state that "The recommended resolution for JPEG/PNG files is 300 DPI".
Lower values for big items, only where the provider allows them: the same page lists 120 to 150 DPI for large-format products, and another provider accepts 150 to 300 DPI depending on the product.
No fake resolution. If a source image is short of pixels, enlarge it with a proper upscaler and inspect the result at 100% zoom before you export.
Step 3: Export a transparent PNG with clean edges
Anything that should not be ink must be transparent. JPEG cannot store transparency, so its empty areas can print as white, which on a coloured shirt looks like a sticker. PNG keeps the transparency, and the same guide says "For DTG products, PNG is usually the best option because it supports transparent backgrounds." Our walkthrough on exporting a transparent PNG for a t-shirt shows the settings in common tools.
Before exporting, zoom in on the edges. Drop shadows, glows, soft brushes and leftover background pixels leave semi-transparent areas, and half-transparent ink tends to print as a faint halo or a speckled outline. Remove the effects you do not need, harden soft edges and delete the background fully rather than painting it white.
Keep the colour profile simple as well. Work and export in sRGB: one provider recommends the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 profile and warns that converting to CMYK before upload can "unnecessarily reduce the available color information".
Step 4: Trim, then check what the print method can handle
Trimming means cropping the canvas to the edges of the artwork so no empty border remains. Providers do not all handle placement the same way, so check whether yours wants trimmed artwork or a full-size canvas with the art already in position, and follow that. Either way, delete stray pixels far from the design, because one forgotten dot widens the file's bounds and can shift the placement.
Then check the details against the method:
Thin lines and tiny text can fill in or break up. Embroidery is the strictest case: one provider's embroidery rules set a minimum text height of 0.25 inches. Our guide to thin lines and small text covers the other methods.
White does not exist on all-over print: one provider notes that "The color white can't be printed on all-over print products." The same provider does not print white ink on white garments, so a white element simply disappears there.
Dark lettering vanishes on a black shirt, so plan a light version of the design for dark garment colours.
Step 5: Name the files and check them before upload
Clear names prevent the most avoidable mix-up: the right design on the wrong colour or placement. Pick one pattern and keep it, for example sunflower-teacher-light-front.png and sunflower-teacher-dark-front.png: design name, light or dark version, then placement. Keep the layered master file apart from the exports, so you never have to edit a flattened PNG.
Last, check the upload limits. One provider takes up to 100 MB for a PNG and 20 MB for an SVG, and another up to 200 MB and 20,000 x 20,000 pixels.
Here is the whole routine on one screen:
| Setting | What to choose | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas size | The size the design will really print | DPI is calculated from it |
| Resolution | 300 DPI at print size, lower only where the provider allows | Sharp edges at full size |
| Format | PNG, plus an SVG for flat vector art if accepted | PNG keeps transparency |
| Background | Fully transparent | Empty JPEG areas can print white |
| Colour profile | sRGB | Converting to CMYK can lose colour information |
| Edges | No halos, soft shadows or stray pixels | Half-transparent pixels print badly |
| Trimming | As your provider asks | Placement depends on the file's bounds |
| File name | Design, version, placement | Prevents mix-ups between versions |
How Alomations prepares print-ready files
In Alomations, this export routine is built into every design. Generate artwork with AI or upload your own, and it comes back print-ready at 12 inches and 300 DPI (3,600 pixels on the long side), as a transparent PNG with an SVG alongside. One design also gives you light and dark versions, and tone rules per garment colour decide which version each shirt colour gets, automatically and with the option to override.
When a file needs fixing first, the Design Editor on paid plans covers the steps above: one-click background removal, eraser and crop on image layers, fit to canvas, outlines, enlarging a photo that is short of pixels and redrawing flat art as vector. The tour of the Design Editor walks through each tool, and the features page lists the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Is 300 DPI always required?
No. 300 DPI at print size is the usual recommendation for apparel and small items, but some providers accept 120 to 150 DPI for large-format products. Check the file requirements of the exact product you are listing.
Can I use my print file as an Etsy listing photo?
No, the two do different jobs. Etsy says "Animated .gif files & transparent .png files are not supported" for listing photos, so the listing needs a mockup or product photo, while the transparent PNG goes to the printer.
Should I upload a PNG or an SVG?
Upload whatever the provider asks for. PNG works for almost everything, including photos and painted art. SVG suits flat vector designs, but some providers cap SVG uploads lower than PNG.
Why did my design print smaller than I expected?
A common cause is a canvas much bigger than the artwork, or stray pixels that widened the file's bounds. Some providers also scale designs down on smaller garment sizes, so check the product template.
You can start on the free plan and get your next design back as a print-ready PNG and SVG.