Having quality accurate artwork will give your next project the best results. Here are specific guidelines to follow when creating and submitting art to us.

Artwork is considered “print ready” when it can be used for screen printing without the need for adjustments that may possibly incur added fees or result in delays. When submitting digital art files to TBLEH, please refer to the below guidelines.

Vector artwork files must be saved up to Adobe Illustrator CS6 (.ai, .eps, .pdf). All fonts must be converted to curves or outlines to prevent font substitutions. Include a proof of your design with color designations to confirm that no font substitutions have occurred. All objects must have at least a 1pt line thickness to guarantee proper print quality. If the vector file contains any placed raster images, these images must meet or exceed our requirements for resolution when rendered at 100% of the final imprint size. Also, they must be submitted with the original vector file.

We will accept raster artwork files saved in a .TIF, Encapsulated Post Script (.eps) format, or an Adobe Photoshop Document (.psd) up to Adobe Photoshop CS6. If these images are not provided on a transparent background art charges may be applied. For screen printing, all raster elements and art files must be saved at 100% of the final print size with a resolution of at least 220ppi.

We will accept files saved in Adobe Illustrator CS6 providing that all text is converted to curves or outlines. We will also accept files saved in Adobe Photoshop CS6 at 100% of final print size with a resolution of at least 220ppi. Jpegs are most often useless if they are taken from the internet, but can be replicated for use in screen-printing at an hourly art fee of $50.

For vector art, text must be converted to paths, curves, or outlines. The text then becomes an object and can no longer be edited as text. Be sure to include a paper proof composite with color call-outs. A .pdf, .tiff, or .jpg thumbnail to ensure no font substitution has taken place.

All design elements should contain a line thickness of at least 1pt. Failure to assign a 1pt line thickness to all objects may compromise the final imprint quality.

Please specify color via PMS spot color designations to each object, text, or layer in your design. Due to hardware and software color calibration differences, this will allow the best color matching possible. We primarily use the Pantone Coated library. If you need more information about the Pantone Matching system please visit www.pantone.com.

When creating designs for our customers, proofs are a way of assuring that we have set your type correctly and that all of the design elements are placed according to your requirements. A proof will be sent to your email address provided that can be approved with a simple reply. We will not start on any project until your proof has been approved.

We’re happy to accept A.I. generated and Canva-made artwork! However, A.I. and Canva images often need extra work before they can be screen‑printed. A.I. artwork can include blurry details, odd artifacts, or low‑resolution areas. As such, these files are not considered “Print Ready.” Additional art processing time may extend our standard turnaround time.

The Best Little Embroidery House, The Best Little Merch House are not responsible for printing issues caused by flaws in your original file.

Please review the following guidelines so your order goes smoothly:

FILE QUALITY & FILE TYPES

• Vector (most preferred file format)
• .ai (Adobe Illustrator), .eps, .svg
• Bitmap (recommended resolution of 300 DPI or above at desired output size)
• .png, .psd , .tiff (must have transparent backgrounds)
• .jpeg (Not recommended, this format does not support transparent backgrounds)

ARTWORK PREPARATION FEES

A.I. generated designs require:

• Color separation
• Cleanup or touch‑ups
• Resolution fixes
• Vectorization

Canva designs often incorporate raster and vector elements into the same file and are output in a non-industry standard format. Thus, text/fonts aren’t embedded or outlined, clipping masks are undone & reveal hidden objects that the Canva user does not intend to be included in the final product. Therefore, we often must completely rebuild the file.

Our art time is billed at $50/hour, in 30‑minute increments.

WARNINGS

• Make sure your design does not violate any copyright, trademark, or publicity rights. Customers are solely responsible for confirming copyright, trademark, and licensing permissions for all submitted artwork and agree to indemnify The Best Little Embroidery House, and all subsidiary companies, from any related claims.

Many types of file formats work well for embroidery digitizing. The two preferred file types are png or pdf. Also common are Adobe Illustrator (.ai) format, jpegs, and eps files. There is no need for vector based art, but it does work great and is the highest quality format available for logos and designs.

Size restrictions are based on location for embroidery. We suggested 3.5 in wide for locations like a left chest. A sleeve we like to keep the logo around 3 inches wide. For baseball caps the width of the design can vary, but the height is restricted to 2.55 inches. Most full back embroidery is around 10 inches wide, but that can change depending on the garment.

If it does we will not sew a design in that location unless you are ok with the inside pocket being sewn shut.

We can sew over seams, but it does cause a difference in the appearance of the embroidery.

We suggest a minimum height on small letters at .25 inches. When doing small lettering the openings in certain letters can cause damage to the garments, or the openings will close up making the letters hard to read. We always like to and try to avoid this situation.

Like screen printing, it is very important if not more important to have the correct type of artwork. With our experience we can say even more so than screen printing, that having vector art will give you the highest quality print on promotional products. Reason being is that many promotional products have very small imprint dimensions. Knowing that vector art is not resolution dependent will retain the highest detail at these small imprint sizes.