The right textile print file format is simpler than most guides suggest: send your artwork as a flattened PDF, TIFF, JPG or PNG at roughly 200–300 DPI at the finished print size, and let production prepare the press files. The format label matters far less than one number — the effective resolution of your artwork at the real-world size it will be printed. Get that right and any of the four formats delivers a sharp result.
At Fabrixa you also don’t need to build production-ready files yourself: you supply the artwork, and we create the correct print files for the product. What follows is the practical minimum every designer and brand team should know.
DPI, defined — and why “finished size” is the catch
DPI (dots per inch) measures how much image information lands on each inch of fabric. The trap is that a file has no fixed DPI on its own — only pixels. Resolution only becomes meaningful at a print size: a 3,000-pixel-wide file printed 30 cm wide works out around 250 DPI and looks crisp; the same file stretched across a 150 cm fabric panel drops to roughly 50 DPI and turns soft.
So the rule is always relative: aim for 200–300 DPI at the size the artwork will actually be printed. For a small placed graphic that’s an easy target; for edge-to-edge designs it means building the file at panel scale from the start — our all-over print artwork checklist walks through that workflow. Vector artwork sidesteps the question entirely, because it scales without losing sharpness.
Which textile print file format should you use?
All four accepted formats can carry print-quality artwork. Choose by what your design is made of:
| Format | Best for | Why | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artwork with vector shapes or text | Keeps vectors infinitely sharp at any scale | Flatten layers and convert text to outlines before export | |
| TIFF | Photographic or highly detailed raster art | Lossless — no compression artefacts, full detail preserved | Large files; flatten before sending |
| JPG | Photographic artwork, easy handling | Universal and compact | Export at maximum quality; every re-save adds artefacts |
| PNG | Graphics with flat colour and hard edges | Lossless, renders crisp edges cleanly | Files get heavy at photographic sizes |
If in doubt: PDF for anything containing text or logos, TIFF or PNG for detailed rasters you’ll keep editing, JPG at maximum quality for photographic designs. We take it from there.
Colour: designed on screen, printed in fibre
Your screen shows backlit RGB light; reactive printing bonds dye into cotton and linen fibre, where colour is reflected, not emitted. No screen preview is the final word on how a colour lives on fabric — and the same artwork renders differently per base, from matte clarity on Percale to richer saturation on Sateen. Design in a standard colour space, don’t chase the fabric on your monitor, and let a physical sample settle the question. The reactive print guide explains how the dye process shapes colour.
What happens to your file at Fabrixa
However artwork arrives — uploaded in the dashboard, attached to an order from your Shopify or WooCommerce store, submitted through the Integration API, or created by your end customer in Fabrixa Studio — the production team prepares the print files: panel layout, placement and production setup included. There is no template pack and no prepress software on your side.
That also means file questions are never a blocker to testing. With MOQ 1 you can put your artwork on the actual product as a single sample, check sharpness and colour on real fabric, then scale the same file to any volume.
The 60-second pre-flight check
- Is the file built at (or exported for) the real print size?
- Does it hold 200–300 DPI at that size — or is it vector?
- Flattened, with text converted to outlines?
- Exported at maximum quality, in PDF, TIFF, JPG or PNG?
- Sample ordered before the full run?
Five yeses and your artwork is production-ready in every way that counts.
Frequently asked questions
What DPI do I need for textile printing?
Around 200–300 DPI at the finished print size. Upscaling a small file doesn’t help — interpolation adds pixels, not detail.
Is JPG good enough for textile printing?
Yes, exported once at maximum quality. Keep a TIFF or PNG master if you’ll re-edit, because JPG loses a little detail on every save.
Do I need to convert my artwork to CMYK?
No conversion is required — send the artwork in the colour space you designed in, and Fabrixa prepares the production files. Fabric is the final proof, so confirm critical colours with a sample.
What if my file is smaller than the target resolution?
Rebuild it at scale rather than upscaling: recreate the design at the correct dimensions, or switch to vector. Enlarged rasters print soft, and softness shows on fabric.
Want the full picture from file to fibre? Read the reactive print guide, or talk to our team if you’re unsure whether your artwork is ready — real humans, quick answers.
