VECTOR ART
Vector files are typically preferred: Illustrator CS5 (or less), Freehand MX , Vector PDF, & Vector EPS. If you have Corel Draw, please export the file as Illustrator, PDF, or EPS. Ultimately, each separate color must be made a SPOT color. ALL FONTS MUST BE CONVERTED TO PATHS (made into outlines) You can also include all fonts that you used, however if you did everything correctly this is not necessary.

NON-VECTOR ART
For images with photo-like qualities (B/W, duotone, full color process) Images should be saved at 100% (preferably in LAYERS) at 200 dpi or higher. Increasing a low resolution image will NOT improve the quality of the image. Save as Photoshop CS2 (or less) if created in Photoshop. Also acceptable are TIF, EPS, PNG,& JPG, GIF, (Giffs & Jpegs are often lower quality)

"Camera Ready" Prints: Good old-fashion "LINOs" or crisp b/w LASER prints can be acceptable for 1 color (Non-Vector) art. Keep in mind that these are rather limiting with today's "cameraless" technology.

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Adobe Illustrator >> (PC or MAC format) This is the industry standard vector basedgraphics program. When completing your design make sure to convert all type used to "outlines" (from the type pull down). This will prevent the need to supply fonts with your file. Also, when placing images in your Illustrator file, make sure to place only TIFF or EPS formats with no compression. (TIFF uses LZW compression, EPS uses jpeg compression) These compressions should never be used. They will impair the placed image. Make sure all colors used are SPOT colors unless you are printing process. Save the file at 100% and include all linked images.

Macromedia Freehand >> (PC or MAC format) This is a great vector based program that has been discontinued (Now owned Adobe Illustrator). When completing your design make sure to convert all type used to "paths" (from the text pull down). This will prevent the need to supply fonts with your file. Also, when placing images in your Freehand file, make sure to place only TIFF or EPS formats with no compression. (TIFF uses LZW compression - EPS uses jpeg compression) These compressions should never be used. They will impair the placed image. Make sure all colors used are SPOT colors unless you are printing process. Save the file at 100% and include all linked images.

Adobe Photoshop >> (PC or MAC format) This is a great photo manipulation program, but not commonly used for creating SPOT color separations. It is most commonly used for printing in FULL COLOR PROCESS. When creating Photoshop files make sure the resolution is proper so that image quality is never sacrificed. The general rule is - Always start your design with a resolution of 300 dpi. For t-shirts you can get away with 150 dpi, On the web, resolutions can be even lower. But when making good color printing, resolution is everything. If you are placing small type directly into your Photoshop image, we advise using a vector program (Freehand, Illustrator, etc.) for the type. Here's a common mistake people make when designing - They start a file with a lower resolution, and when they are done they increase the resolution to the correct dpi. This will not work! Even though you increased the resolution at the end, the image will still be soft or blurred. If you are getting the image off of the internet (72 dpi) find an image that is more than double the size that you need to print it. Start & save the image in CMYK or GREYSCALE preferably as a layered Photoshop file or flattened as a TIF or an EPS.