Graphics Factory - Screenprinting Apparel, Signs, Banners, Vehicle Graphics

FAQ

What determines how much I pay for screenprinted apparel?

What type of digital files are appropriate for screenprinting?

There are many graphics programs out there and many different graphics formats. However, there are two main categories: vector and raster (bitmap). Examples of popular vector editing programs are Illustrator, CorelDRAW, and Freehand. Examples of popular raster editing programs are Photoshop, Photopaint, and Paint Shop Pro. Don't worry if your program isn't one of these. Many times there are methods of exporting artwork out of programs into a format we can easily digest.

What is the difference between vector and raster artwork? Vector artwork is basically created through mathematics. Every line or object has a mathematical formula describing its shape, direction, and color. This makes for nice "clean" artwork which can be enlarged without degrading the image quality. Vector artwork is suitable for text and graphics of solid areas of color.

A vector image enlarged. Nice, clean lines.
Raster artwork is altogether different. A raster image is comprised of tiny dots called pixels. The "faq" header image on this page is a raster image (as is most web images).
A raster image enlarged. Not so pretty, huh?
The quality of raster images depend on the resolution of the image (the number of pixels per unit, usually per inch). The minimum resolution we like for apparel printing is about 150 dpi (dots per inch). Almost every photo editing program will give you an option to set your resolution.