At Printful, we always strive to deliver the highest-quality products through various printing techniques. However, each printing method has its own specific production characteristics and limitations that may affect the outcome of your order.
Whenever you create products using a new printing method, make sure to carefully review the File guidelines tab on the product page to ensure the best results.
Direct-to-Garment (DTG) disclaimers
- We do not print white ink on white garments.
- Light ink elements on bright-colored garments may appear tinted due to the curing process and product dye. This is most evident in Red, Maroon, and other similarly-colored garments.
- Graphics with hard lines or symmetrical shapes may have slight variations due to the manual printing processes, and a minimal shrinkage per print location is possible due to different material compositions.
- Any minor discoloration of the product or stains around the printed image will disappear after the first wash.
- Some smaller youth/women products can have their inside labels positioned a bit lower than typical due to a printing process limitation.
- We do not ship blank products.
Learn more about creating the perfect DTG file here
Direct-to-Film (DTFlex) disclaimers
- Due to printing specifications, the white film layer beneath the color ink may be slightly visible in some areas.
- The print might feel slightly stiff at first, but it will wear in after a few washes. The feel of the print can vary based on the type of fabric the garment is made of. The breathability for these prints is relatively low.
- The direct-to-film print might develop small cracks if the garment is washed in hot water.
- We recommend ironing garments inside out, as ironing the print might change its color. For example, white design elements could turn yellow.
- Ensure all lines are a minimum of 1 pt thick in Adobe Illustrator or approximately 4 px at 300 DPI in Photoshop.
- Keep all text lines at least 1 pt thick. Font sizes may vary depending on the typeface, but should generally be between 10 and 12 pts.
- Add a background color to small text to help prevent it from peeling off.
Learn more about creating the perfect DTFlex file here
All-Over Print (Cut & Sew) disclaimers
- Dark colors are expected to become lighter when the fabric is stretched because all-over print design files are sublimated on white fabric.
- It’s impossible to perfectly align patterns or images from front to back.
- With dark designs, the white base fabric may show through slightly at the seams and folds. This is an expected result of the printing process.
- In areas where the fabric is double-layered (like pockets), details from the inner fabric layer may subtly show through.
- Elements outside the safe print area are not guaranteed to appear fully on the finished product.
- In case of low fabric stock, we might use comparable fabric to fulfill the order. The substitute will be as close to the original as possible.
- The color white can’t be printed on all-over print products. Any white or transparent elements of your designs can end up being the color of the fabric if the product has other darker color layers (e.g. a duffle bag has a black fusing on the inside). We suggest not using white or transparent elements in your all-over print designs to guarantee the best print results.
- We can’t guarantee a 100% black color match between a pre-colored black fabric and fabric that’s been colored black in the sublimation process.
Learn more about creating the perfect All-Over Print file here
All-Over Cotton disclaimers
- The color range is more limited compared to sublimation—very bright or neon tones may not appear as expected.
- Some fading may occur over time after repeated washing.
- Natural fiber fabrics can show slight color variations between batches.
- Cotton fabrics may shrink slightly after washing.
Embroidery disclaimers
- The generated preview on the mockup is for visual reference only and might not match the final result.
- We use a single row of stitches (run-stitch) for fine details in flat embroidery, and due to the limitations of the embroidery process, text with very small letters may be unreadable.
- Elements with less than 3mm between them may be connected by segments of run-stitch or connecting threads, which can be 1.3–3 mm (0.05"-0.19") long. This is most noticeable in text.
- The flatness and consistency of the stitching depend on the material on which it’s stitched. For example, the satin stitch on beanies will have more gaps than on a hoodie.
- Large and heavy embroidery on thin fabrics can sometimes cause the fabric to curve or warp slightly.
Due to the soft fabric, details done in run-stitch on beanies can sink into the base material and appear as “missing.”
Learn more about creating the perfect embroidery file here
Still need help? Our Support Team is here for you—reach out anytime through our contact form or start a chat with us.