Production checklist

Artwork preflight checklist

Artwork faults found after printing are pure loss: film, ink, garments, and press time. The same faults found at preflight cost one email. Run every customer file through this list before it is released to production — and keep the customer's approval attached to the exact version you checked.

File & format

File opens cleanly and is the format you expect (vector source or high-res raster, not a re-saved thumbnail)
A JPEG renamed to .png is still a JPEG, and a 40 KB "logo" will never print sharp. Check what the file actually is, not its extension.
Raster artwork has enough resolution at final print size (commonly ~300 DPI at size for garment work)
Resolution only matters at output size. A file that's 300 DPI at 5 cm is 75 DPI at 20 cm — visibly soft on a shirt.
Fonts outlined/converted to curves, or font files supplied
A missing font substitutes silently on your system — the customer sees a different typeface on the finished goods.
Artwork is the approved version (filename/version matches the sign-off)
Printing v1 after the customer approved v3 is a full reprint at your cost, with a correct-looking file in the folder to confuse the blame.

Colour & transparency

Colour mode checked and conversions reviewed (RGB→CMYK shifts inspected, brand colours referenced)
Bright RGB greens and oranges dull visibly in CMYK. Better the customer sees the shift on a proof than on 200 shirts.
Background transparency is genuine — no white box, no near-white fringe pixels
A white bounding box invisible on screen prints as a white rectangle on a black garment. Fringe pixels print as a halo.
White elements and knockouts checked against garment colour
White artwork on a white-garment order either disappears or needs an underbase decision — either way it needs a human decision before printing.
Thin lines, small text, and fine detail checked against the process's practical minimum
Every process has a floor — hairline serifs that survive on film may fill in with powder, and 4 pt text won't stitch legibly in thread.

Size & placement

Artwork dimensions set to the agreed print size — not scaled to fit by eye
"Looks about right" drifts across a job. The order says 25 cm; the file should say 25 cm.
Placement and orientation confirmed against the order (position, side, direction)
Upside-down back prints and swapped left/right chest placements are classic avoidable reprints.
For multi-position jobs, each position's artwork is matched to the right position on the job sheet
Front/back and sleeve mix-ups multiply on jobs with several placements — one wrong mapping ruins the whole run.

Related resources

Guide

Print file preparation: the basics behind clean output

What actually matters when preparing artwork for print and decoration: vector vs raster, resolution at output size, colour modes, fonts, and transparency — explained for the person checking customer files, not the designer sending them.

Read guide

Checklist

New-order intake checklist

Everything to confirm before a custom print or decoration order enters production — spec, artwork, quantities, dates, and payment terms — so problems get caught in a five-minute review instead of on the press.

Open checklist

Checklist

DTF production checklist

A start-to-finish run sheet for DTF transfer production: printer condition, RIP setup, powder and cure, press parameters, and post-press checks — the routine that keeps transfers washable and colours consistent.

Open checklist

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Last reviewed 2026-07-17 · Maintained by the damantra team. This resource is editorial guidance based on established industry practice — it contains no manufacturer specifications. Spotted an error? Tell us.

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