So you created your art design in Adobe Illustrator, so it should be vector art, ready to print on a t-shirt….right? Unfortunately, in most cases the answer is no. Here at Garment Graphics we want to make your order process as simple and easy as possible. Here are some tips to help you or your artist get your awesome design ready for printing.
Tip 1: Always convert your fonts to outlines
Fonts are not universal and will not transfer correctly if they are not saved as outlines. Even a .pdf file will not keep the fonts you have chosen for your design if you have not saved them. To do this go to Menu>Type>Create Outlines.
It is a good idea to save 2 copies of your art file, one with the fonts not converted so if you need to use it again you don’t have to guess which font you used, and the second with the fonts saved so you don’t have to worry about transfer issues.
Tip 2: Expand art with strokes
Working with strokes can be unpredictable, so it’s best to convert them to shapes. This ensures consistency if the artwork needs to be resized (Strokes can often be pushed out of proportion when resized with the Scale tool). Depending on if your art has many strokes, fills and effects will determine which steps you need to do.
(Illustrator will grey out the option if it is not needed.) Select your object(s) and go to:
1) Menu > Object > Expand OR Menu > Object > Expand Appearance and then Menu > Object > Expand.
More tips to come.