White 100% Cotton: This fabric yields the most vibrant print results and is ideal for designs requiring bright, vivid colors.

Colored Garments: Printing on colored garments involves an underprinting of white ink followed by the design, which can slightly reduce vibrancy compared to white fabrics.

Sweatshirts and Hoodies: Aim for garments with at least 80% cotton content for optimal print brightness. Blends with 50% cotton may result in less vibrant prints. Be cautious of potential dye bleeding when using large areas of white ink on red or orange fabrics.

Resolution: Use a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch) at the final print size for optimal clarity. Avoid using images below 150 dpi, as this may result in pixelation.

File Formats: PNG files are generally recommended for their transparency support. For vector-based designs, PDF/X4 files with embedded PNG files are suitable.

Fine Lines: Avoid using fine lines on colored garments, as they might not reproduce well. Opt for hard edges instead of anti-aliased edges for better definition.

Contrast and Color: Use strong, contrasting colors to compensate for the limited tonal range of fabric printing. High-contrast designs tend to produce more visually impactful results.

White ink: White ink isn’t used on natural tees or tote bags - even if the preview still reflects white, be aware this won’t be reproduced in the press! See image below:

Transparency Effects: Transparency in designs can lead to reduced vibrancy. In design software, transparency is often represented by a checkerboard pattern. For the most vibrant prints, use opaque elements.

Show-Through on Light Fabrics: On lighter fabrics, using very dark colors, especially black, might result in a slight show-through from the back of the fabric. Consider using greys and pastels as alternatives to heavy blacks to minimize this effect.

File Quality Check: For added assurance, you can opt for a file quality check by the production team before printing. This helps identify potential issues early on.

Dry Production DTG: This method uses printers from vendors like Brother and Epson. Ink is applied directly to a dry garment after a pre-treatment process. It's suitable for fine lines but might have lower vibrancy compared to wet-production DTG.

Wet Production DTG: Kornit is a key vendor for this method. Ink is applied to a wet, pre-treated garment, resulting in improved vibrancy and ink adhesion compared to dry DTG.

Dry Production DTF: This method involves printing the artwork on a polymer carrier, which is then transferred to the garment using heat and pressure. It offers the highest vibrancy, consistent colors, and a glossy finish. However, the print might feel slightly "stuck on" compared to DTG methods.

The print process typically involves applying a layer of white ink before the black ink is added. This double layer creates a gloss effect that contrasts with the garment's deep matte black color.

The result is a noticeable difference between the "black" ink applied to the garment and the black fabric itself, often making the printed areas look lighter or glossier than intended.

Replace black ink areas in your file with transparency. This allows the garment's natural matte black color to show through, providing a richer and more seamless look.

Utilize the garment's inherent color to complement your design, avoiding unnecessary ink layers that could alter the desired effect.

Figure on the left: Black ink was used on the bird's beak in the file, resulting in a greyish appearance due to the glossy effect created by the additional ink layers.

Figure on the right: The design utilized transparency instead of black ink, leveraging the garment's deep matte black fabric to achieve a more natural and visually striking appearance.