You're so RAD for choosing Rockford Art Deli to help with your screen-printing needs! We know your brand is important, and we want to make sure you get the best product possible. That's why we ask that you send us any design files (image, logo, text or illustration) in a VECTOR format.
Sending Artwork
Send RAD Your Artwork
What is a vector file?
There are two types of files: raster files and vector files. While raster files have their time and place, what we need at RAD to make your gear is a vector file.
What's rad about vector files is that they are based off of points, lines, shapes and curves. This means that your design could be as large as a billboard or as small as a business card and the quality will look just as great in both those large and small formats.
Raster files, on the other hand, are based off of color blocks called pixels, and quality does not translate to every size. Have you ever taken a photo and tried to make it larger, but it started to look grainy? That's because it's a raster file and they can lose quality when made larger.
Vector Image
Raster Image
Common Vector Files
These are some commen vector file types, and our favorites to receive of your artwork! Not sure which file type to send? You really can't go wrong with any of these three:
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. PDF files are made to be opened on almost any operating system, so you don't necessarily need the program on which that PDF was made.
EPS stands for Encapsulated PostScript. This is another solid vector file format, although not every program is able to open EPS files. Also don't be fooled, some EPS files can be raster files instead of vector if they were not made in a vector format!
AI stands for Adobe Illustrator. These files are created right in Adobe Illustrator, which is the premier program for creating vector files. Perfect for RAD to use to make your custom gear!
How can you tell if the file you have is vector?
You're in good shape if your file ends with one of the three extensions mentioned above (.PDF, .EPS, .AI). If you have a raster file, it will likely end in one of these extensions: .JPG, .TIF, .GIF, .PNG or .PSD.
If you have a vector file (or a designer sends you a vector file), you might not be able to open it unless you have the correct software...but that's ok! We'll be able to open the vector file you send to use for your RAD apparel.
What if you don't have a vector file?
We know that sometimes files can get lost and not everyone has the programs to create vector files, and we will certainly work with what you can provide. Send us what you have beacuse we work with awesomely talented people who can trace or recreate your file into a vector file. However, translating a raster file into a vector file will take some extra time and effort, which means adding more to the final price for you. We'll let you know what we need to do and what that would mean for an additional cost. Just contact us!
What else can you do?
So you have a vector file - great! There are a few extra steps you could take to make sure the file is ready to send to RAD.
Outlining your fonts - If you're using any typed text with a unique font in your vector file, the font will unfortunately not send along with the file unless the receiver of the file happens to have that same font. Bypass these issues by outlining your fonts! If you're working in Illustrator, select all the type, go to the Type menu and select "Create Outlines." this will make all your text into shapes...no font needed!
Placing files - If you have an image placed onto a vector file, you might be able to open it just fine, but when it gets sent to us, we won't have the same link you do! To help solve this problem, you could simply send us the linked file along with your vector file, or you could make sure to uncheck the "link to" box when you're placing the file in the document.
Choosing specific colors - We do our best to make sure the ink colors we use closely match the colors you want. But just to make sure our colors are matching up, make sure you use (or send us) the specific Pantone color for each color you would like.