Artwork Requirements & Image Guidelines
Create stunning products with professional print quality. Follow these guidelines to ensure your artwork looks amazing on every product.
Why Image Quality Matters
Pixerr uses high-quality, print-on-demand production through our partners (like Printful). To make sure your products look great on t-shirts, posters, mugs, and more, we recommend following these artwork guidelines.
The golden rule: Start with the highest quality image you can. It's easy to scale down, but impossible to add detail to a low-resolution image.
General Artwork Guidelines
- Use high-resolution images — At least 300 DPI where possible for crisp, professional prints
- Upload at or above recommended dimensions — Each product type has optimal pixel sizes (see table below)
- Accepted file types: PNG (preferred for transparency) and JPG/JPEG (for non-transparent designs)
- Avoid upscaling small images — Low-resolution images will look blurry and pixelated when printed
- Keep details away from edges — Products often require a bleed/safe area; important text should be at least 0.25" from edges
- Test your design — Use our product preview to see how your artwork will look before publishing
Recommended Sizes by Product Type
| Product Type | Recommended Resolution | DPI | File Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-Shirts / Hoodies | 4200 × 4800 px | 300 DPI | PNG or JPG | Use a transparent background (PNG) if you want the garment color to show through. |
| Posters / Canvas Prints | 7200 × 10800 px or higher | 150–300 DPI | PNG or JPG | Avoid low-res images; full-bleed designs work best for wall art. |
| Mugs | 2700 × 1125 px | 300 DPI | PNG or JPG | Keep key text and graphics away from the handle area. |
| Phone Cases | 2000 × 4000 px (approx.) | 300 DPI | PNG | Use a full-bleed background; avoid important details at the edges (camera cutouts). |
| Stickers | 1500 × 1500 px (minimum) | 300 DPI | PNG (preferred) | Transparent background recommended; avoid very thin lines that may not print well. |
| Tote Bags | 4500 × 5400 px | 300 DPI | PNG or JPG | Center your design; bags often have a large printable area. |
| Pillows / Blankets | 6000 × 6000 px | 200–300 DPI | PNG or JPG | Use edge-to-edge designs for best results. |
| Embroidered Items | 300 × 300 px (vector-like) | N/A | PNG | Simple shapes, no gradients; limited colors; thick lines preferred. Keep designs small and bold. |
Color & File Tips
Color Considerations
- Work in RGB color space — Printful will handle conversion for print automatically
- Consider contrast — Avoid extremely dark designs on very dark products unless you want a subtle look
- Text readability — Use high contrast for text (light text on dark backgrounds or vice versa)
- White backgrounds — If your design has a white background, it will print white. Use transparent PNG if you want the product color to show
File Format Best Practices
- PNG (Recommended): Use for designs with transparency, crisp edges, or text. Supports transparency (alpha channel).
- JPG/JPEG: Good for photographs or complex images without transparency. Slightly smaller file size.
- Avoid: GIF (limited colors), BMP (large file size), or heavily compressed images
- Save quality: When exporting, use maximum quality settings (90-100% for JPG)
AI-Generated Artwork with Pixerr
Using Pixerr's AI Art Generator
When you generate artwork with Pixerr's AI tools, we automatically create images large enough for most products. Our AI outputs high-quality images at sizes like 1024×1024px or larger, which work great for:
- Phone cases
- Mugs and drinkware
- Stickers
- Small to medium apparel prints
Pro tip: For large format items like posters or full-print hoodies, you may want to upscale your AI-generated images using an image editor or upscaling tool before applying them to products.
Common Issues & How to Fix Them
Cause: Your source image resolution is too low for the product size.
Solution:
- Use a higher resolution source image (see table above)
- If using AI, generate at the largest available size
- Consider using the image for smaller products (stickers, phone cases) instead of large prints
Cause: Your image has a white background instead of transparency.
Solution:
- Save your artwork as a PNG with a transparent background
- Use an image editor to remove the background
- Some AI tools allow you to generate with "transparent background" option
Cause: Screen colors (RGB) don't always match printed colors exactly.
Solution:
- Be aware that prints may appear slightly different than on-screen
- Order a sample product to see actual print quality
- Avoid very bright neon colors that are difficult to reproduce in print
- Use high contrast to ensure details remain visible
Cause: Design extends into the trim/bleed area.
Solution:
- Keep important text and details at least 0.25" (or 75px at 300 DPI) from edges
- Use the product preview to check how your design fits
- Adjust your design to fit within the safe printing area
Quick Reference Checklist
Before Publishing Your Product:
Need More Help?
Still have questions about artwork requirements?
- Check out our AI Prompt Guide for creating better artwork
- Learn about Creating Products from start to finish
- Contact us at support@pixerr.com for personalized assistance
