correct file for printing on T-shirts?

[angelsfort]

Hi there! I've been volunteering at the local Theater (where my daughter got a part in a play!!) it's of mutual benefit for both myself and the theater... they get me working for free and I get to play around with Photoshop CS3, which is the photo editing software they are using! Woo Hoo! I'm loving it!

Anyways... they've asked me if I can create a "vector" file to send to their printer, the one who is making the T-shirts for the play (Seussical Jr.)

I have no idea how to create such a thing and I was hoping someone on here could walk me through it.

I'll be using CS3 at the theater, so hopefully you can help me with that.

Thanks in advance my friends!

[templeinmn]

Digital files come in two forms: Bitmap and Vector

A photograph that you take has a specific resolution ie 300 dots per inch. If you double the size of the photograph the resolution is cut in half. If you enlarge the photo to much the image will pixelate since there is no accurate way to make up information that was never there to begin with.

Vector format is a mathamatical formula that defines the art work. Start at point 0,0 and go to point 20,10. If you want to double the size of the image you multiply the formula by 2 and no resolution is lost.

Vector is used for drawings and created in programs such as CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator.

Photographs are bitmapped images and you would typically provide a file to the printer at the size and resolution that they require for printing, similar to having the photo printed. I usually send something along the lines of an 8 x 8 at 150 dpi TIFF or JPG.

[KmH]

CS3 cannot make vector files. The Adobe product that can is Illustrator.

[angelsfort]

what about photoshop elements?? that's what I've got at home...

[templeinmn]

Originally Posted by KmH

CS3 cannot make vector files. The Adobe product that can is Illustrator.

Once again, computer graphics falls into two main categories--bitmap and vector.

A Photoshop file can contain both bitmap and vector data. You can work with both types of graphics in Photoshop. I have never used elements, so I cannot tell you. You also need to be careful that Photoshop does not convert your vectored graphics into bitmap when you save the files.

For a more detailed explaination of the differences between the two you can check the on-line help file in Photoshop, or I am sure the manual will provide information.

The output that your T-Shirt printer will need will depend on the size of the file that you are working with. Design something 2" x 2" at 72 ppi TIFF or JPEG image and ask them to print it to fill the front of a T-shirt will look awful.

[pscala]

File type is some what based on the type of printing to be done. If it is silk screen, vector is needed for the seperations for the screens. Some of the newer printing processes are much like an airbrush application.
We do lots of shirts here for our motorsports clients and it is done with a Brother Printer that sparays the ink. We supply our images as a flat jpg at 200 dpi, full size right our of Photoshop and they print up very well.
I work in a large service bureau and we print lots of sepertions on clear film for screen printing firms. and they are all vector. The advantage of screen printing is the use of a white ink, so you can use colored t shirts.

Phil