These are the artwork rules we follow for every design.
At grabNade, artwork quality is an engineering requirement. Below are the rules (DPI, formats, and color) we apply to every design file before it goes to our print partner, Printful. They are about sharp, clean artwork; the printing itself is done by Printful with DTG.
## 01. RESOLUTION INTEGRITY (DPI)
// DEFINE: Dots Per Inch (Density of ink points)
Our Constraint: 300 DPI Minimum.
While standard screens display at 72 DPI, we don't send any design file below 300 Dots Per Inch to print. This keeps lines and details sharp.
The "Dilution" Safeguard
Many brands fail by stretching low-res designs. If a 300 DPI image is stretched 2x, its quality drops to 150 DPI (blurry).
-
Our Protocol: We design at 1:1 scale.
-
Result: A small chest logo and a full back print maintain the exact same sharpness.
-
Exception Handling: Zero-tolerance for unintentional pixelation.
(Note: Designs featuring intentional retro/bit-style aesthetics are rendered with razor-sharp edges, not blurry artifacts).
grabNade strictly controls the file formats entering the pipeline to prevent compression artifacts.
AUTHORIZED FORMATS
PNG (Alpha Channel) & Vectors (SVG/AI)
We use these exclusively. Vectors use mathematical paths instead of pixels, allowing for "Infinite Scale" without quality loss. PNGs allow for true transparency, ensuring no ugly "white box" around designs.
RESTRICTED FORMATS
JPEG / Low-Res Web Files
We ban JPEGs from our print chain. They use "lossy" compression which introduces noise and cannot handle transparency. This is a common cause of "cheap looking" prints.
## 03. GENERATIVE REMASTERING
Modern problems require modern solutions.
When we work with vintage aesthetics or legacy designs, simply "zooming in" destroys quality. Instead, we utilize advanced Generative AI Upscaling.
-
Process: The AI analyzes the low-res structure and regenerates new pixels to fill the gaps.
-
Benefit: We can print complex, retro-style art with modern 300 DPI crispness.
## 04. COLOR PHYSICS (RGB vs CMYK)
// DEFINE: Red, Green, Blue (Screen/Light)
// DEFINE: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black (Print/Ink)
There is a physical difference between the light from your screen (RGB) and the ink on cotton (CMYK). Some "neon" colors only exist in light, not in pigment.
> View our Color Accuracy Assurance Protocol
