Print Studio Pro

All-In-One POD Designer

File Format Guide

Understanding which file format to use for your designs

⚡ Quick Recommendation

For most POD products: Use PNG at 300 DPI with transparent background. This works for 90% of print-on-demand products.

PNG

.png

Best for: Web graphics, transparency needed, POD designs

Pros

  • • Lossless compression
  • • Supports transparency
  • • Great for solid colors
  • • Works everywhere

Cons

  • • Larger file size than JPG
  • • No animation support

JPG/JPEG

.jpg / .jpeg

Best for: Photos, complex images, web use

Pros

  • • Small file size
  • • Widely supported
  • • Good for photographs

Cons

  • • Lossy compression
  • • No transparency
  • • Quality degrades with saves

PDF

.pdf

Best for: Print-ready files, professional printing

Pros

  • • Professional standard
  • • Preserves quality
  • • Can embed fonts
  • • Universal format

Cons

  • • Larger file size
  • • Requires special software

SVG

.svg

Best for: Logos, icons, scalable graphics

Pros

  • • Infinitely scalable
  • • Small file size
  • • Editable in code
  • • Perfect for simple graphics

Cons

  • • Not good for photos
  • • Limited support
  • • Can be complex

TIFF

.tif / .tiff

Best for: Professional printing, archival

Pros

  • • Lossless compression
  • • High quality
  • • Professional standard
  • • Supports layers

Cons

  • • Very large files
  • • Limited web support
  • • Overkill for most uses

PSD

.psd

Best for: Photoshop editing, layered work

Pros

  • • Preserves layers
  • • Full editing capability
  • • Industry standard

Cons

  • • Proprietary format
  • • Large file size
  • • Requires Photoshop

Common Use Cases

👕 T-Shirts & Apparel

Use PNG with transparent background, 300 DPI

Recommended: PNG

🖼️ Posters & Prints

Use PDF or high-res PNG/TIFF, 300 DPI minimum

Recommended: PDF

☕ Mugs & Products

Use PNG at 300 DPI, consider wraparound

Recommended: PNG

💡 Pro Tips

  • • Always save a master copy: Keep your original design in editable format (PSD, AI, etc.)
  • • Export at high resolution: 300 DPI is standard for print, 72 DPI for web
  • • Use appropriate color mode: RGB for digital/POD, CMYK for offset printing
  • • Keep backups: Save multiple versions in different formats
  • • Test before bulk orders: Order a sample to verify quality