Keep only the background you want printed
PNG supports transparency, but saving as PNG does not automatically remove the background. A white background is artwork too. If it remains in your PNG, it may print as a white box. Use genuine transparency where you want the garment to show through.
Illustrations only. A checkerboard drawn into your image will print; it must be your editor’s transparency display, not part of the artwork.
Check: view the file against light and dark backgrounds. Keep any white lettering, outlines or other white details that you actually want printed.
Check pixels at the size you want
We recommend 300 pixels per inch at the finished print size. This is a useful quality target, not a guarantee or an automatic pass/fail rule. The builder may call this DPI.
A 1,500-pixel-wide file is 300 PPI at 5 inches wide, but only 150 PPI at 10 inches. Increasing its size spreads the same detail over more space. Changing the resolution label alone does not add detail.
How much detail does my file have?
Enter your file’s pixel width and the width you want printed. Use the whole file width, including any empty edges.
Width meets the 300 PPI target. Check height and actual detail too.
Check: start with the original artwork. Screenshots and images saved from social media may contain less detail than the original. Enlarging a file cannot guarantee a sharper print.
Measure the artwork, not the empty space
The builder measures the whole file, including transparent margins. That file size can be larger than the visible logo.
Crop unwanted transparent margins in your artwork editor before exporting. Then check the file again at the size you want. Leave only the space that belongs in your design.
Check: compare the file boundary with the visible artwork in the builder. The dimensions apply to the complete file, not just its coloured pixels.
Check soft edges before you print
Partly transparent pixels around a fade, shadow or soft cutout may leave a white halo or ghosting in DTF printing. This is different from the fully transparent space outside a clean design.
Simplified illustrations of edge structure, not a prediction of the printed result.
Check: review any pink highlights or partial-transparency warning in the builder. Have unwanted feathering or shadows corrected in the original artwork. Fully opaque gradients inside a design are different from edges that fade to transparency.
Review every design before approving
Upload your individual PNG designs and set the size and quantity for each one. You do not need to create your own gang-sheet PDF.
- Match the file to the design. Use descriptive names such as club-logo-front.png and sponsor-back.png.
- Check every size and quantity. Review them separately for each file, including names and numbers.
- Read each warning. Low resolution, extra transparent space, partial transparency and solid backgrounds are different issues.
- Review the complete layout. Check orientation and spacing, as well as spelling and the actual artwork.
Automatic checks cannot catch every problem or decide what you intended. PA Fastprint does not create, edit or repair artwork. Arrange corrections before ordering.
This guide explains file preparation. Read the separate DTF ordering and artwork approval information for the approval process and order policies.
Before you upload
This checklist stays on this page only. It is not an order approval.
Artwork ready?
Open the gang sheet builder to set your design sizes and quantities. Review your files and the layout before ordering.
Build my DTF sheet