The artwork brief your decorator wishes you'd send
What decorators need for screen print, embroidery and transfers, and how to brief them so the first run is the right run.
Most decoration problems start with the brief. A file arrives with "hoodie, left chest" and the decorator has to guess the size, the colours and whether the white in the logo should print or be the garment showing through.
A good brief answers those questions before they're asked. Here's what to include, and what changes by decoration method. Treat these as rules of thumb and confirm the specifics with your decorator, since equipment and preferences vary.
What every brief needs
- The approved proof, showing the artwork on the actual garment colour.
- Garment details: supplier, style code, colour and the size range.
- Placement: the position (left chest, full back, sleeve) and the distance from a fixed reference, such as 80 mm down from the collar seam.
- Size: the artwork width in millimetres. If it changes across sizes, say so.
- Colours: Pantone references for print, or thread colours for embroidery.
- Quantities: the size run, and any names or numbers as a single list.
Screen print
Screen printers want vector artwork (AI, EPS or PDF with outlined text) with the colours separated. Each colour is a separate screen, so the number of colours drives setup cost. If the design has gradients or photographic detail, ask whether it needs halftones or whether a transfer would suit it better. On dark garments, check whether an underbase is needed.
Embroidery
Embroidery needs a stitch file (commonly DST) created by digitising the artwork. Digitising usually has a one-off cost, so reuse the client's existing stitch file wherever you can. Very small text and fine lines don't stitch cleanly, so simplify the logo for small placements. Stitch count drives price, and large solid areas add stitches quickly.
Transfers and DTF
Transfers handle full colour and fine detail well. Send a high-resolution file at the final print size (300 dpi is a common target) with a transparent background. Check that nothing in the artwork is meant to be the garment showing through, because a transfer will print it.
Before it goes
Read the brief as if you'd never spoken to the client. If you'd have to ask a question, answer it in the brief. It's the cheapest step in the whole job.
In BrandKit, the approved proof, placement and colours travel with the decorator's purchase order, and client logo assets, including existing stitch files, are stored against the client so they can be reused on the next order.