The single most common reason a print disappoints is artwork that was fine on screen and far too small on fabric. Screens are forgiving; fabric is not.
The rule
Aim for at least 150 DPI at the printed size, and 300 DPI if you can get it. DPI on its own is meaningless — it only means something once you say how wide the print will be.
Working it out
Divide the pixel width by the print width in inches. A 1000px logo printed 25cm (about 10 inches) wide gives you 100 DPI — below our minimum, and it will look soft.
Turn it around to find the largest usable size: pixel width divided by 150. That same 1000px logo is good up to about 17cm.
Common sizes
- Left chest (10cm): around 600px wide minimum
- A4 front print (21cm): around 1240px minimum
- Full back (28cm): around 1650px minimum
You do not have to guess
Upload your logo in our design studio and it tells you the effective DPI at the size you have chosen — and, if it is too low, the largest size that would still print cleanly.
A note on file types
A PNG with a transparent background is the safest choice on coloured garments. A JPEG cannot hold transparency, so a logo saved as one may print with a visible white box around it.