Artwork instructions

To ensure the best results, we prefer all design files to be submitted as vectorized PDFs. Why vector? It means your art can be scaled up or down infinitely without losing that crisp, sharp edge. Most logos are vectors, whereas photos are not.
If your design uses photos, make sure they are high-resolution. We require a minimum of 300 DPI for most of our products. If you’re not sure if your image is up to par, just reach out to our team—we’re here to help!

To get your brand colors exactly right, we use various methods like the Pantone® Matching System (PMS), CMYK process inks, or specialized colored transfer foils. Before sending your files, check the specific product's printing standard to ensure your art matches the required format.
Need a hand with conversion? We can convert your files for you, but keep in mind that color shifts can occur during the process, and the final result might not be a perfect match to your original screen view.
Please note that we cannot be held responsible for color variations resulting from these conversions. For the best results, always provide your artwork and color specs in the format requested for that specific product.

Check out the table below to see how we rank different file formats for printing. To guarantee a perfect finish, we always recommend sticking to our 'three-star' formats. You can send us other file types, but please keep in mind that the customer assumes responsibility for any loss of detail or color shifts when using non-ideal formats.

File Type	Software	Notes	Quality Rating
pdf	Illustrator	Create outlines/paths	★ ★ ★
eps	Illustrator Photoshop	Create outlines/paths	★ ★ ★
ai	Illustrator	Create outlines/paths	★ ★ ★
tiff/psd	Photoshop	Min 300 DPI	★ ★
jpg	Photoshop Other	Min 300 DPI	★
png		Min 300 DPI	★

Want to make it personal? For products featuring individual names or data, please send us your list in an Excel spreadsheet. Keep each person on their own row, with names, titles, and company info in separate columns.

If you’re handling the design, just send us one example file showing exactly how you want the text positioned. Our production team will handle the data merge during the printing process, so please do not submit a separate print file for every individual name.

Name	Title	Company
James Miller	Team Leader	Tennessee Tech LLC
Sarah Jenkins	Operations Manager	Southern Events Inc.

Pro-tip: We always recommend ordering a few blank badges alongside your personalized ones to cover any last-minute guest list changes!

Planning an event? Below are the standard production timelines for personalized badges. To keep things moving, we recommend sending your artwork 1-2 weeks before your event—even before your final attendee list is ready. Please submit your finalized Excel guest list within the timeframes below.

Size	Qty	Production time
2.9"x4"	Up to 500	3-4 business days
	Up to 1000	4-5 business days
	Over 1000	5-6 business days
4"x6"	Up to 500	4-5 business days
	Up to 1000	5-6 business days
	Over 1000	6-7 business days

Pro-tip: Always order a few blank badges along with your personalized ones to handle those last-minute walk-ins at the registration desk!

When it comes to sublimation, we strive for the perfect look, but it’s important to know that color matching isn't an exact science. Sublimation is a four-color (CMYK) process, while a Pantone® (PMS) color is a single, specific ink. We can get incredibly close by simulating those shades, but a 100% identical match is technically impossible.

Also, keep in mind that even the Tennessee weather plays a role! Factors like local humidity and temperature in the shop can cause very slight shade variations between different production runs. We always aim for consistency, but these natural variables are part of the process.

Using Canva for your designs? We love the creativity, but make sure to export your file as a **'PDF Print'** to ensure high quality. **Crucial Step:** When downloading, switch the color profile from RGB to CMYK. Standard digital files are usually RGB, but for physical printing, CMYK is the industry standard.

Also, don't forget the 'Bleed!' Your artwork needs to extend slightly beyond the final product size to ensure a perfect cut. Be sure to check the specific product page for margin requirements.

Looking for the exact specs for your project? You can find product-specific design instructions right on the individual product pages. Just head to the Artwork Instructions section, located directly below the price list. There, you can download the specs in PDF format. If you don't see a guide for a specific item, just reach out to our sales team. Some products require a specialized layout from our end; in those cases, we’ll work with you to gather your logo and design elements so our graphic design team can handle the heavy lifting.

Getting your files to us is easy! If your artwork is under 5MB, feel free to email it directly to our sales team. For larger, high-resolution files, we recommend using www.wetransfer.com—it’s fast, free, and ensures your design arrives in perfect condition.

When sending over your PDF artwork, please skip the password protection so our team can access the files. To keep your fonts looking exactly as intended, convert all text to paths (create outlines) and make sure all images are embedded. Also, please do not add crop marks or color calibration bars—our production team will handle the technical setup on our end.

For most of our gear, you’ll see the exact print placement shown in the design templates. However, when we're printing on fabrics, the material itself can be a bit of a moving target—textiles are naturally flexible, and sizes can vary slightly from piece to piece. If you're ordering a product where high-precision alignment isn't standard, please keep in mind that the exact placement may shift slightly.

Pro-tip: We recommend avoiding designs with thin borders that run parallel to the outer edges. These tend to highlight even the tiniest shifts in alignment. In industrial-scale production, it’s all about efficiency, and spending excessive time on individual alignment for every single piece isn't always feasible.

If your design absolutely requires 'pixel-perfect' precision, let us know right at the start! We’ll chat with you about whether it’s possible and what it might take. Just keep in mind that high-precision manual alignment can extend production times and may carry an additional cost for the extra handcrafting involved.

When we’re building 3D products, the more detail you can provide, the better! In many cases, a high-quality 2D vector file works just fine—as long as it’s clear which parts should be raised or recessed. If your design features complex curves or intricate cutouts, providing a 3D drawing is the best way to go. If you're unsure, just reach out to our team here in Tennessee, and we’ll take a look at your files. This 3D tech is most commonly used for custom lapel pins and soft PVC patches. For more info on pins, head over to www.pins24.com.

Want your gear in a unique custom shape? Products that are die-cut or contour-cut generally require vector files with the cut line clearly marked as its own path. You can include the cut line directly in your artwork if it's easy to tell apart from the design, or you can send us two separate files—one for the print and one for the cut.

We use custom cutting most often for metal pins, event badges, soft reflectors, and custom-shaped mouse pads. If you’re designing something out of the box, our team here in Tennessee is ready to help make sure your final product is cut to perfection.

Don’t let the technical specs slow you down—you don’t need to be a graphic designer to work with us! If you just want to add your logo or some text to a product, we’ve got you covered. Just reach out, send us your logo, and our team will put together a professional digital mockup for you to review before we start production.

Please keep in mind that our proofing service is complimentary for all confirmed orders. To keep our designers focused on our customers' projects, we do not provide digital proofs without a confirmed order.

We’ve got your back—to make sure everything is perfect, we provide a digital proof for almost every item before it ever hits the press. Our Digital Proofing Service allows you to see a full mockup of your custom gear before production begins.

This proof is designed to show you exactly where your design will go, how big it will be, and a close approximation of the colors. Just keep in mind that since every computer monitor is calibrated differently, the colors on your screen are a visual guide rather than a 100% exact match of the physical ink on the final product.

We expect a few tweaks! That's exactly why we send digital proofs—to make sure the size, position, and colors are spot on before we head to the shop. It’s also the best time to catch any typos or content errors before they become permanent.

If something isn’t quite right, just let us know what needs changing and hit 'reject' on the proof. We’ll jump back in, make the adjustments, and send over a fresh version for you to approve.

To keep your project moving efficiently, we include 1–2 rounds of revisions for free. If you need more extensive changes beyond that, we’ll move the project over to our graphic design team. Depending on the complexity and order size, a design fee may apply, but we’ll always check in with you first!

Need to see it in person? Printing a single physical test sample involves the same high-level setup and labor as a full production run. Because of this, we don't typically offer physical samples just to visualize a layout—our digital proofs handle that perfectly.

However, for high-stakes projects with large volumes where brand-exact color matching is a top priority, a physical pre-production sample is a smart insurance policy. Just keep in mind that custom samples are billed at full setup cost, which can be significant for just one piece.

A physical sample is the best way to guarantee a perfect result for major orders, but the production time for the sample is added on top of your standard lead time. If your project timeline here in Tennessee is tight, we recommend sticking with our high-resolution digital proofing to keep things moving fast!

We want you to love your custom gear, which is why we offer complimentary digital proofing with every confirmed order! It’s our way of ensuring everything is perfect before we start the presses. Please note that while digital proofs are free, physical pre-production samples are not included. To keep your project moving fast and on schedule here in Tennessee, we include up to two rounds of revisions at no extra cost. Beyond that, additional changes may be billed as graphic design time—so we always recommend bundling all your feedback into that first round of edits!

The Xerox® Beyond CMYK technology expands standard digital printing with high-performance specialty inks. This system includes metallic gold and silver, digital spot varnish, fluorescent neon colors, and white ink. These expanded gamuts allow for more vivid color reproduction and complex visual effects on paper-based products.

The process is supported by Xerox® Iridesse®, iGen® 5, and Versant® 180 production presses. These specialty colors can be applied to any paper stock order, including event badges, product tags, invitations, and business cards.

Crucially, this technology enables high-opacity printing on non-white substrates. You can now utilize white ink on unbleached brown kraft paper, black cardstock, or other deeply colored materials to create high-contrast designs on unique paper and board stocks.

Find more technical details on our dedicated page Beyond CMYK by Xerox^®

With sublimation printing, your design is first digitally printed onto specialized transfer paper using large-format printers. We then use high-heat pressing to transfer that image onto the product. During this process, the ink actually evaporates and bonds directly with the material fibers.

Because of this high-heat molecular bond, sublimation prints are incredibly durable—they are highly resistant to fading and won't wash out or crack over time.

We handle sublimation in two ways: individual pressing for smaller items or 'roll-to-roll' printing for high-volume orders.

Products like mouse pads, neck gaiters, and microfiber cloths are typically printed from a roll. Our custom lanyards are also produced in continuous rolls of about 110 yards before being cut to your specified length, ensuring a seamless, high-quality finish across the entire batch.

Screen printing is the gold standard for bold, vibrant designs that really pop. We use high-quality, pre-mixed inks matched precisely to your brand's colors using the Pantone® Solid Coated system. Since we apply the ink one color at a time, each shade stays crisp and true.

Pro-tip: Screen printing is all about solid, punchy colors. If your design features gradients, shadows, or photographic fades, you'll want to go with our CMYK digital printing to get the best result.

When you need vibrant, multi-colored graphics, our full-color CMYK process is the way to go. This method combines four primary inks to create nearly any image imaginable. We utilize CMYK across several technologies: UV printing for crisp name badges and hard plastics, and DTF (Direct to Film) for high-quality apparel and textiles.

Pro-Tip: Because CMYK is a blend of four colors, it cannot perfectly match solid Pantone^® (PMS) spot colors. We can get remarkably close to your brand’s palette, but a 100% identical match is technically impossible with this process.

When we need to print on tough surfaces like plastic, metal, wood, or cardboard, UV Printing is our go-to. To clear up a common myth: 'UV' doesn't mean it glows in the dark! It refers to the specialized LED UV lights that instantly cure the ink during the printing process. This means your gear is ready for action immediately, with a finish that's built to last.

We use this tech for everything from professional name badges and office signage to Roll-Up banners and custom promotional swag.

Sustainability matters to us here in Nashville. That’s why we exclusively use Mimaki equipment and Greenguard-certified inks. These inks have ultra-low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions, making them safer for our team, your customers, and the environment.

We keep our shop cutting-edge—most of our machines are less than three years old, and our newest units just arrived this year (2026). This modern tech isn't just faster; it's more eco-friendly and uses ink more efficiently than ever before.

Laser engraving delivers a permanent, high-end 'burnt' effect that looks great on almost any material. We can achieve deep branding on wood or create light-to-dark contrast on metals. For items like professional security badges, we use multi-layered plastic where the laser etches away the top layer to reveal a contrasting color underneath.

Keep in mind that laser engraving is not a color process; your artwork should be submitted as a simple black-and-white vector file.

If you’re looking for a custom shape, our laser cutting can handle various materials with extreme precision. When designing for a custom cut, please set your cut line as a separate path or indicate it clearly with a bright spot color in your file so our Nashville production team knows exactly where to make the cut.

Pad printing is the perfect way to get Pantone® color-matched branding on items with curved or irregular surfaces—think sports bottles, enamel mugs, and thermal tumblers. It works like a specialized stamp: a soft silicone pad picks up the ink and adapts to the shape of the product to leave a crisp, clean mark.

To get the best results here at our shop, please submit your artwork as a vectorized PDF with your Pantone (PMS) colors clearly labeled.

To bring your custom lapel pins to life, we use two main methods: a specialty enamel paste mixed to your exact Pantone® (PMS) colors, or genuine crushed glass for that classic, premium finish. If you’re going the glass route, we’ll help you pick the closest matching shade from our library of vibrant colors. Don’t worry if you’re not a pin expert yet—our Nashville-based sales and design team is here to guide you through every color choice to ensure your final design looks sharp and professional.

Looking to make a statement at your next Middle Tennessee event? For our screen-printed lanyards, we use the Pantone® Solid Coated standard for both the ink and the fabric base. In fact, we dye the individual yarns to your specific PMS color before they are even woven into the final strap.

Sublimation lanyards offer total creative freedom with full-color CMYK printing. Your design is digitally printed onto transfer paper and then heat-fused onto white polyester webbing. This allows the base color, logos, and text to be applied all at once with stunning detail.

Just a heads-up for our designers: Pantone matching is not possible with CMYK sublimation. While we can get very close to your brand colors, the process is inherently different from spot-color printing. For the highest color accuracy in a textured finish, our woven lanyards also use Pantone® Coated specs to dye the thread before production.

You can download the PDF artwork instructions for pinback buttons for each individual size directly from www.pins24.com.

Event badges and other paper name tags are printed in full-color CMYK. If your order includes individual personalization, please submit your attendee list as an Excel file. Ensure names are separated into individual cells, with one person per row. If the badges require additional fields like job title or company name, place those in separate columns on the same row. Keeping this data separate allows us to accurately map the variable data to your design template.

Please provide only one sample design file showing the desired font, size, and placement. We handle the data merging during the printing process; do not submit multi-page files or pre-merged sheets.

Name	Title	Company
Mike Dawson	Team Leader	Gaming Company Llc
Annie Creek	Team Manager	Event Center Inc

Pro-tip: We recommend ordering a few blank badges alongside your personalized ones to accommodate last-minute guest changes.

Screen-printed apparel utilizes the Pantone® Coated color system. Each ink is custom-mixed to your specific Pantone® shade and applied one at a time. Full-color CMYK process printing is also available via screen printing.

DTG (Direct to Garment) and DTF (Direct to Film) printing use a CMYK digital process. Please note that exact Pantone® matching is not possible with these methods.

Embroidery uses physical thread to recreate your design. Because threads are pre-dyed, exact Pantone® matching is not available. We select the closest possible thread colors from the manufacturer's palette to represent your design as accurately as possible.

Knit socks are manufactured by interlacing different colored yarns to create your design. Since logos, patterns, and colors are built directly into the fabric, these socks are not printed. Because of this, intricate logos will appear simplified, taking on a 'pixelated' or grid-like look dictated by the stitches. Fine details and razor-sharp edges cannot be perfectly replicated with yarn.

Yarn color options are more limited than ink-based printing systems, but we always work to select the closest possible shades to match your brand.

Our soft reflectors utilize specialized 3M® ScotchLite® reflective film, with the artwork printed beneath this layer. Since these reflectors are classified as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) designed to maximize visibility in low-light conditions, safety performance is the primary technical requirement.

Due to the retroreflective properties of the film, the printed design is not clearly visible when viewed directly head-on (perpendicularly); it becomes visible only when viewed from an angle. Additionally, the film naturally blurs and softens the print, meaning colors and fine details will not appear as sharp as they would on non-reflective surfaces. If you are unfamiliar with how these safety materials affect print clarity, we strongly recommend requesting a physical sample before finalizing your order.

When designing name badges, please avoid extremely thin hairlines. The minimum recommended line thickness for metal or plastic badges is 0.01" (0.25mm). While thinner lines can technically be printed, they are highly susceptible to scratching or wearing off during daily use. We suggest choosing fonts with a sturdy weight to ensure names and logos remain legible and durable for the long haul.

Our shop utilizes the latest 2026 high-tech digital printing equipment. These printers are capable of achieving incredible, microscopic detail. While we love exploring new ideas and pushing the limits of what’s possible, please trust our professional expertise if we advise against a specific design choice; it is likely a method we have already tested and found to be unreliable in practice.