For designers and agencies.
Your designer has finished a campaign graphic, but the printer still needs to know what belongs on the shirt, how large it should be and which file is current. A beautiful PDF does not automatically become a production instruction. Campaign T-shirt artwork handoff is the bridge between creative approval and repeatable decoration, particularly when agencies manage several candidates, languages or regional versions.
Send an organized artwork package with a versioned design, dimensions, placement, color references and garment specification. Have the factory confirm print feasibility and the finished sample before bulk production. Keep the person who approves wording clearly identified.
Which files should the printer receive?
Ask the supplier which file formats its process supports. Vector artwork can be useful for shapes and lettering, while photographs and complex raster graphics need sufficient detail at the intended print size. Keep an editable master and supply the production export requested by the printer.
Include linked assets where needed, and confirm how fonts will be handled. Do not assume that a compressed messaging-app image is suitable for printing. A preview helps people recognize the design, but it should not silently replace the approved production file.
How do you specify print size and position?
Write the width and height in physical units and identify the measurement points. “Large front print” leaves room for interpretation. State the distance from an agreed garment reference and provide a placement drawing that matches the intended finished size.
Discuss how placement changes across the size range. One graphic dimension may suit several sizes, but a small shirt can need another arrangement. Review the complete garment so the image does not crowd the neckline or run into seams. Treat front, back and sleeve positions as separate instructions.
Will screen colors match the finished print?
Screens, paper proofs and printed textiles can look different. Send the agreed physical color reference or documented matching target, and state which parts of the artwork are especially important. Ask the printer how the garment background and decoration process affect the proposed match.
Approve the result on the actual shirt material and color. White ink on black jersey is a different production situation from dark ink on a white shirt. Use Polltee’s decoration options to discuss suitable processes before assuming that every artwork effect is achievable at the same cost.
Who checks wording and permissions?
The buyer should nominate an authorized reviewer for spelling, names, translations and all supplied logos. Ask that reviewer to check the exact production preview rather than an earlier presentation. A supplier may spot a visible error, but it cannot infer which wording the campaign intended.
Confirm permission to reproduce supplied marks and licensed elements. WIPO’s licensing guidance provides background for those discussions. Keep the permission decision with the responsible buyer; an image found online is not automatically approved artwork for a commercial apparel order.
How should regional versions be organized?
Give every design a unique identifier and connect it to garment color, sizes, quantities and destination. Avoid filenames such as “final-new-final.” Include a visual contact sheet so the production team can recognize each approved version and compare it with the order matrix.
When a revision arrives, show which version it replaces and obtain supplier acknowledgement. Ask whether screens, transfers or fabric have already been prepared. A small wording change may have a large schedule effect once the relevant production step is complete.
What should happen before printing thousands?
Request a finished print sample or another approval format agreed for the project. Evaluate detail, coverage, placement and the hand feel of the decorated area. Confirm any durability checks relevant to the intended wear and care, rather than judging the print only from a distant photograph.
My production view is that the best handoff is easy to identify and hard to misread. Keep the approved artwork, garment specification and sample reference together. If one file changes, reopen the affected approval instead of assuming that previous comments still apply.
The handoff folder
Keep the production artwork, preview, placement drawing, quantity matrix and approval note in one dated folder. Remove superseded files from the active handoff package while retaining an archive. Ask the printer to name the version it will use. That small confirmation is more useful than sending several attachments and assuming everyone knows which one is current.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the factory recreate a low-resolution logo?
It may offer artwork preparation, but confirm cost and approve the recreated design. Rebuilding can introduce differences.
Can I change text after printing starts?
Check the stage first. Finished prints cannot usually be revised like a digital file, and replacement work may change cost and timing.
Related purchasing guides
Campaign T-Shirt Sample Approval: What to Sign Off Before Bulk · Campaign T-Shirt Quotes: A B2B Cost Comparison Checklist
Prepare your B2B order brief
Send your artwork versions, physical print dimensions, garment colors and quantities. Ask Polltee to review the artwork package before the print method and schedule are finalized.
