What File Should I Send? A Simple Guide to Print-Ready and Cut-Ready Artwork

One of the most common questions we get is "What kind of file do you need?" The right file makes your order faster and your sign, banner or shirt look sharper. Here's a quick guide.

Printing vs. cutting

Printed items, like banners, yard signs, window graphics and T-shirts, are printed in full color, so we need a high-resolution image. Cut vinyl, like lettering, decals and some window graphics, is cut by a machine that follows lines, so we need a vector file.

Files for printing

We accept PDF, EPS, TIF and JPG. The bigger the better: your file should be close to the final print size at a good resolution. A small image from a website or social media will look blurry when it's blown up to banner size. JPEG, PDF and TIFF files get the fastest turnaround, with 24-hour production.

Files for cut vinyl

We need vector artwork: AI, EPS, PDF or SVG. Vector files are made of clean lines and shapes, not pixels, so they can scale to any size without getting fuzzy. A JPG or PNG can't be cut, even if it looks sharp on your screen.

How do I know if my file is vector?

If you zoom way in and the edges stay smooth, it's probably vector. If it gets blocky or blurry, it isn't. Logos made by a designer are often vector. Images saved from the web, screenshots and most AI images are not.

Don't have the right file?

No problem. Send us what you have and we'll take a look. We can rebuild logos and images into clean, print-ready or cut-ready files. Design fees start at $50 and go up to $175 depending on the work.

Have a project in mind? Request a quote and send your file along. We'll let you know if it's ready to go.