# can the DTG printers print a high resolution JPG or does it have to be vector graphic ?



## evildingo (Jul 28, 2010)

I make large paintings, lots of colour and detail, I'm looking for the best method for turning them into t-shirt graphic. I want it to be as photorealistic as possible and have distressed edges with a smooth transition to the fabric.

I think the best solution must be DTG printing. I sent a low resolution photo of my artwork to a DTG printer to get a price estimate, and asked if they needed vector graphic. The reply was that basic for printing is vector graphic without background. But the vector graphic and photorealistic doesn't really work together. And I thought one of the advantages of the DTG printing was that it printed high resolution photo images, or am i totally wrong here ?


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

dtg printers can print either raster or vector graphics. Most photo realistic pictures are raster graphics. But the raster graphic needs to be the correct size that you want to print and more than 150 dpi to print well.

You said you sent a low res photo to the company. That was your mistake. They would take a vector graphic as the size can be increased without affecting the quality. But you can't do the same with a raster graphic.

Hope that explains things.

Mark


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## equipmentzone (Mar 26, 2008)

From Billy in our Support Department:

The beauty of direct to garment printing is that it can print any type of graphic imaginable. If your trying to get your paintings printed on a shirt through direct to garment you must take a high resolution picture of it first. Start off with a camera that is high in megapixels to get the best picture possible. Then take that picture and edit it any way you would like. It is possible to print raster and vector together but you will have to create this in your preferred graphic software. Then it is as simple as saving it in a proper format, such as a png, and then printing it. If its raster, vector, or both, direct to garment printing can do it.


Harry
Equipment Zone


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## evildingo (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks guys,. that helped a lot. At least now I know where to start. I knew I needed a high resolution photo before printing, and I was going to send that to the printers after i got the price estimate. but i was just hoping I wouldn't need the vector.

I want to send them finished artwork ready for printing, as my plan is to work mainly with this kind of designs in the future too, but I think at the moment this might be out of my league. I'm using Adobe Illustrator/photoshop for vector graphic on my 1 -4 colour designs, but have no experience with raster, or photorealistic vector exept using the live trace option. Is it the wrong software to use for this kind of graphics ?

I need to learn this eventually, but i don't want to wait too long for the shirts to go in to production. Would it be realistic for someone with just the basic knowledge of illustrator, photoshop to, with a litle training, make vector/raster graphics good enough for photorealistic DTG print ? or should I just send a high resolution photo and pay to get the vector done, while I keep studying and upgrade my software ? 

thanks again for helpfull replies,.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

you can print high res or low res or vector. wysiwyg with dtg, just like printing on paper but on cotton.


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## evildingo (Jul 28, 2010)

AHA,. so as long as I'm working in actual size and over 150 dpi I can just save it as a png with a transparent background and it's ready for printing ? 

that would just about solve everything 

Thanks


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

evildingo said:


> AHA,. so as long as I'm working in actual size and over 150 dpi I can just save it as a png with a transparent background and it's ready for printing ?


yuppers


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## bornover (Apr 10, 2008)

I prefer Adobe Photoshop PSD files over all other formats for DTG printing. A PNG with a transparent background works, but with my RIP software PSD is the best.

These are the settings I use when creating raster artwork. Doesn't matter if it is for DTG, screen printing or sublimation; I use the same settings in Photoshop. 300 dpi/ppi, full printing size, RGB color mode, Adobe(1998) color profile. If I have any raster elements in an Illustrator vector, I use the same settings for the raster elements in the AI file. If your raster artwork meets these minimum requirements, it does not matter what printing methods get used after that. You have a starting point that works with all.

If your raster artwork meets these requirements and a printer still demands vector artwork, find another printer, they have a mediocre (at best) art department.


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## evildingo (Jul 28, 2010)

thanks a lot Mark,. will use these settings when creating artwork ,.


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## bornover (Apr 10, 2008)

So Bjorn, got a cool Evil Dingo logo? Sounds like it would be a fun design to do.


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## evildingo (Jul 28, 2010)

working on some different designs at the moment, but I need a DTG printer close to Norway


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## perjabs (Sep 9, 2011)

evildingo said:


> working on some different designs at the moment, but I need a DTG printer close to Norway


So we print DTG in the black color - 100% cotton T-shirt ?
I have a requirement on black T-shirt with 15*8 inch coverage print.


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## chinasigns2015 (Feb 13, 2014)

This is very useful, thanks


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