What Logo File Do You Need for Custom Shirts? An Artwork Guide

Published October 26, 2026. Last updated October 26, 2026.

The best logo file for custom shirts is a vector file such as AI, EPS, SVG or a vector PDF, because it prints sharp at any size. A large, high-resolution PNG also works for digital printing. If all you have is a screenshot, Quokka Prints still returns free custom artwork within 24 hours and rebuilds the logo before anything is printed.

What logo file do you need for custom shirts?

Custom shirts print best from a vector logo file: Adobe Illustrator (AI), EPS, SVG or a PDF that was exported from a design program rather than scanned. A vector file is built from shapes and lines instead of pixels, so the art team can scale it from a small left-chest mark to a full back print without any blur or jagged edges. Screen printing and embroidery both start from clean vector shapes.

If you do not have a vector file, send the largest, cleanest version you can find. A high-resolution PNG with a transparent background is the next best option and works well for digital (DTG) printing. Logos pulled from a website header, an email signature or a social media profile are usually too small to print well, but they are still useful as a reference.

The good news is that a perfect file is not required to get started with Quokka Prints. The art team creates free custom artwork within 24 hours, which includes redrawing a fuzzy logo, cleaning up a scan or building a design from scratch around your idea. Many PTAs, camps and small businesses start with nothing more than a photo of an old shirt or a sketch on paper.

What is the difference between vector and raster artwork for apparel?

Vector artwork is made of mathematical paths, so it stays crisp at any size and can be split into separate ink colors. Raster artwork is made of pixels, so it looks fine at its original size but turns soft or blocky when it is enlarged. For apparel, that difference decides how sharp the final print looks and which decoration methods are practical.

A quick way to check your file: zoom in close on the edges of the logo. If the edges stay smooth, you likely have vector art. If you see small squares or a soft halo, the file is raster. Either way, send it along with your request on the Get Started page and the Quokka Prints art team will tell you exactly what they can do with it.

How should you choose and specify ink colors for a custom shirt?

Ink colors for a custom shirt should be chosen for contrast with the garment first and brand accuracy second. A navy logo on a black hoodie disappears from a few steps away, while the same logo in white or a lighter tint reads clearly. If your organization has official colors, include the Pantone (PMS) numbers from your brand guide so the printer can match them as closely as possible.

• Screen printing: each color in the design is printed with its own screen, so simpler designs with fewer colors usually look bolder and approve faster.
• Dark garments: light inks on dark shirts are printed over a white base layer, called an underbase, so the colors stay bright instead of soaking into the fabric.
• Digital (DTG) printing: handles full-color art, gradients and photos without separate screens, which suits detailed designs on smaller runs.
• Heather and garment-dyed blanks: the fabric texture shows slightly through the ink, which gives a softer, vintage look that many groups prefer.

Screen colors on your laptop are only a guide, because every monitor displays color a little differently. When exact color matters, such as a school or company brand color, mention it in your request and Quokka Prints will call out the ink choice on the proof.

Where can artwork go on a shirt, and how big should it be?

Artwork on a custom shirt usually goes in one of five standard locations, and each location has a natural size range. Matching the design to the location matters as much as the file itself: a detailed crest that looks great across the back can become unreadable when it is shrunk to a left-chest logo.

Youth shirts, crop tops and hoodies with a front pocket have less print area than a standard adult tee, so the art team adjusts the size of the design for each style in a mixed order. Because Quokka Prints charges no setup fees, adding a sleeve or back-neck print does not bring a setup charge, which makes a second location an easy upgrade for staff and volunteer shirts.

What changes when a logo is embroidered instead of printed?

Embroidered logos are stitched with thread, so very fine details, tiny lettering and color gradients do not translate the way they do in ink. An embroidered logo needs bold shapes, clear spacing and text that is large enough for the thread to form each letter. A design built for a full-front screen print often needs a simplified version for a left-chest polo or a hat.

Before a logo can be embroidered, it is converted into a stitch file, a process called digitizing. The digitizer decides the stitch direction, density and order so the logo lies flat and looks sharp on the fabric. Clean vector artwork makes that step faster and more accurate.

• Thin outlines and hairline strokes may be thickened or removed.
• Small taglines under a logo are often dropped on hats and left-chest marks.
• Gradients are replaced with solid thread colors.
• Performance polos and knit fabrics may need lighter stitching so the fabric does not pucker.

If you are deciding between methods, the Quokka Prints comparison of screen printing and embroidery explains which works better for each garment, and the art team can show both options on your proof.

What are the most common artwork mistakes on a first custom shirt order?

The most common artwork mistakes on a first custom shirt order are small files, unconverted fonts and designs that ignore the shirt color. None of them are hard to fix, but each one can add a round of revisions if it is not caught early.

1. Sending a logo grabbed from a website. Ask whoever designed the logo, or your marketing team, for the original vector file.
2. Leaving fonts as live text. If the printer does not have your font installed, the text changes. Convert text to outlines or send the font name.
3. Using a white box instead of a transparent background. The box prints as a white rectangle on colored shirts.
4. Low contrast between ink and garment. Dark ink on a dark shirt or light ink on a light shirt is hard to read.
5. Too much text. Long sentences on the front of a shirt are hard to read from a distance.
6. Using a mascot or brand you do not own. School, league and partner logos need permission from the owner.

Quokka Prints reviews every file before it reaches production and flags these issues on the proof, so you can fix them before printing rather than after.

How does the artwork proof and approval process work at Quokka Prints?

The artwork proof process at Quokka Prints is simple: you share your idea or file, the art team sends a digital mockup, and nothing is printed until you approve it. The proof shows the design on the actual garment color, the print or stitch locations and the ink colors, so your whole group can review the same picture.

1. Submit your request on the Get Started page with your logo, sketch or idea, the garment you like and your rough quantity.
2. Receive free custom artwork within 24 hours, placed on the shirt, hoodie or polo you chose.
3. Ask for changes to colors, sizing, placement or wording until the design is right.
4. Approve the proof and confirm your size breakdown.
5. Production typically takes 7 to 14 business days, followed by 3 to 4 days of free shipping.

Minimums start as low as 10 to 25 pieces depending on the product, and there are no setup fees for new designs or extra colors. With a 5-star Google rating and 5,000+ organizations served, the Quokka Prints team has seen nearly every kind of logo file, from a crisp vector to a napkin sketch, and can turn either into a shirt your group is proud to wear.