How to Prepare Artwork for a Large-Scale Screen Print Order

At small quantities, artwork problems are annoying — a small reprint, a short delay. At 100,000 units, the same problems are expensive. A color separation error, a gradient that can’t be screen printed, or a file in the wrong format can delay an entire production run or require rework that costs more than the original setup.

Getting your artwork right before the order starts is one of the highest-leverage things you can do as a large-volume buyer.

Vector vs. Raster: Why It Matters

The single most important artwork distinction for screen printing is vector vs. raster.

Vector files (Adobe Illustrator .ai, .eps, .pdf with vector data) define shapes mathematically. They can be scaled to any size without quality loss and allow clean color separations. This is what you want.

Raster files (Photoshop .psd, .jpg, .png) are made of pixels. At the wrong resolution they become blurry when enlarged, and color separations from raster files are less clean. If you only have raster files, they need to be at least 300 DPI at the final print size — ideally higher for sharp detail.

If your logo only exists as a .jpg from a website, your pre-press team will need to recreate it as vector before production. That’s billable time and a delay. Start the project with the right files.

Color Separations: The Core of Screen Print Prep

Screen printing is a one-color-at-a-time process. Each ink color requires a separate screen. That means your artwork needs to be separated into individual color layers — one per screen — before anything gets printed.

This matters for a few practical reasons:

Color count drives cost. Every additional color means another screen, more setup time, and slower press speed. A 5-color print costs meaningfully more than a 2-color print at any volume. If your design has 6 colors and 3 of them could be combined or simplified without hurting the brand, that conversation is worth having before setup.

Spot colors, not CMYK. Screen printing uses spot inks mixed to a specific color — not the CMYK dot patterns used in offset printing. Your artwork should specify Pantone colors for each element, not CMYK values. CMYK-to-Pantone conversions made at the last minute often produce inaccurate color.

No gradients in spot color jobs. A gradient (one color fading smoothly into another) requires either halftone simulation (which adds a screen or requires a specific ink technique) or can’t be faithfully reproduced. If your design has gradients, discuss this with the production team before assuming it’ll print as shown.

Pantone Colors: The Standard for Screen Print Accuracy

If brand color accuracy matters to you — and at 100,000+ units it should — specify Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors for every element in your design.

Pantone gives ink mixers an exact formula to follow. “Match this hex code” gives them a best guess. At scale, “best guess” produces inconsistency run to run. Pantone specifications produce consistency.

If you don’t know your brand’s Pantone colors, this is worth resolving before the order. A graphic designer or your brand standards guide should have them.

File Formats and What to Send

Preferred formats:

• Adobe Illustrator (.ai) — ideal, all vector, fonts outlined
• EPS — widely accepted vector format
• PDF — acceptable if saved with vector data preserved (not flattened/rasterized)

Outline your fonts. Before sending any Illustrator or EPS file, convert all text to outlines (Type → Create Outlines in Illustrator). This prevents font substitution errors when the file is opened on a different system.

What not to send:

• .jpg or .png for final production (acceptable for initial review, not for production)
• Word documents or PowerPoint slides with your logo
• Screenshots of designs

Common Artwork Mistakes That Cause Delays

Thin lines that won’t hold. Lines thinner than roughly 0.5pt at print size often don’t hold cleanly in screen printing — the mesh can’t support them. Fine detail that looks great on screen may wash out in print.

White ink on light garments. White ink only shows on dark or colored garments. A design with white elements printed on a white shirt will lose those elements entirely.

Incorrect print size. Always specify the intended print size explicitly. “Make it look right” is subjective. Provide dimensions: 12” wide × 10” tall, 4” left chest, etc.

Too many colors in too small a space. Tight registration between many colors in a small print area is difficult. Colors that need to be adjacent with no gap require precision that increases the likelihood of press variation. Simpler artwork is more producible at scale.

What Happens in Pre-Press

When your artwork arrives, the pre-press team will:

1. Review for print readiness — color count, format, size, color specification
2. Separate the artwork into individual color layers
3. Output films (one per color) used to burn screens
4. Mix inks to your Pantone specifications
5. Set up screens with proper tension and registration marks
6. Produce a digital or physical strike-off (proof) for your approval

Artwork problems discovered at step 1 add time. Problems discovered at step 5 or 6 add significant cost.

The Takeaway

For a 100,000-unit order, the investment in sending production-ready artwork pays off immediately in faster setup, more accurate color, and fewer pre-press surprises. If you’re not sure your files meet the standard, ask before the order starts — that conversation is free.

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Merch Factory Direct handles pre-press in-house for orders of 100,000+ units. See our artwork and design requirements, or get a quote and we’ll review your artwork as part of the process.