Working with Designers

Jesse MacKenzie
January 22nd, 2015

Usually not as Difficult as it Seems

If you don’t create the art for your prints, you’ve probably run into trouble or confusion dealing with an artist or designer at some point. This page will teach you what to ask for from your artist so their art can be best transferred to a print. The most important thing when it comes to working with designers is communication. It’s difficult to explain what you want someone to create for you, but chances are they care about giving you what you want, so don’t be afraid to be clear with them.

These steps will help you know what to communicate to your artist or designer, and if they’ve never worked with screen printing before, tell them to visit our website so they can perfect their technique for your benefit.

Research

Research both your designer, as well as what you want them to do. Ask them before they start if what you’re asking is possible. Some designers might be afraid to say they can’t do something, so double check that they feel confident about it. Make sure to communicate beforehand what exactly you want in return. Tell them what File Types you’ll need, as well as specific sizes and specifications.

Get the Originals

An artist who doesn’t understand the printing process might try to send you a compressed or merged file. Besides sacrificing quality, these files can make our jobs a lot harder and affect the final product. Make sure you clarify this beforehand. Some designers are hesitant about giving out their original files, so communicate that before they do hours of work for you.

Review Their Work

Sometimes artists and designers get so focused on the details of their design, that they can overlook simple mistakes like spelling errors. Trust Printshop is not responsible for spelling errors in your art. If we see something, we’ll say something, but that’s not our focus and we have unfortunately had several jobs get all the way back to the customer without us noticing. There is no worse situation than paying for a bunch of shirts you can’t use because of a stupid error, so double check all your work when you get it from the artist.

Send them One

Designers love seeing their work in real life, so make sure you order an extra for them so they can show it off. If you’re building a clothing company, your designers will be a vital part so treat them well.