Artwork & Proof Guidelines

These guidelines explain how to prepare and submit artwork for your custom promotional products and what to expect during the proofing process at Promotional Product Inc. Following them helps us reproduce your logo accurately, avoid production delays, and keep your order moving smoothly. If you have questions about a specific file or imprint, contact our art team at art@promotionalproductinc.com or call 1-888-212-5501.

Accepted File Formats

The quality of your finished product depends directly on the quality of the artwork you supply. For the best results we strongly prefer print-ready vector files. Vector artwork can be scaled to any size and separated into spot colors without any loss of quality.

Preferred — vector files: Adobe Illustrator .ai, .eps, or vector .pdf with all fonts converted to outlines or curves.
Accepted with caveats — raster files: high-resolution .psd, .tif, .png, or .jpg at 300 DPI or higher at the actual imprint size. Low-resolution images, screenshots, and web graphics generally cannot be used as-is.
Not accepted as final art: files from word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation programs (such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint), and images copied from a website.

Vector vs Raster Art

Vector art is built from mathematical paths, so it stays crisp at any size and is ideal for logos, type, and line art. Because vector files separate cleanly into individual colors, they are required for most imprint methods such as screen printing, pad printing, laser engraving, and embroidery digitizing.

Raster art is built from a fixed grid of pixels. It can be used for full-color processes when supplied at a high enough resolution, but it cannot be enlarged without becoming blurry or pixelated. If you only have a raster logo, send us the highest-resolution version you have so our art team can evaluate whether it is usable or needs to be redrawn.

Resolution Requirements

Raster artwork must be a minimum of 300 DPI (dots per inch) at the actual size it will be printed. A file that looks sharp on screen is often far too low-resolution for production, because monitors typically display images at only 72 DPI.

If the artwork you submit is below our minimum resolution, we will let you know before production begins. Low-resolution art may be rejected, or it may require our art team to recreate it as clean vector art, which can incur a redraw fee. We will always confirm any such charge with you before proceeding.

Color Modes: Pantone (PMS) & CMYK

Imprint colors are matched using the Pantone Matching System (PMS). For spot-color imprint methods such as screen printing and pad printing, please specify the exact PMS color numbers you would like us to match. Without specified PMS values, our art team will match your colors as closely as possible at our discretion.

Full-color decoration is reproduced using the CMYK process color model. Artwork created in RGB — the color mode used for screens and websites — must be converted to CMYK or PMS for production, and some colors may shift during this conversion. Because monitors, printers, and decoration methods all render color differently, slight variation between your screen, your proof, and the finished product is normal and expected.

The Proof Process

After your order is placed and payment is confirmed, our art team prepares a free virtual proof — a digital mock-up showing your artwork on the selected product. Virtual proofs are typically emailed to you within 24 to 72 business hours, depending on the complexity of the order.

Please review your proof carefully and check the spelling, layout, imprint colors, item, and imprint location. Production does not begin until you provide written approval of your proof. Any deadline you have provided is calculated in business days starting from the date we receive your approval.

Proof Revisions

Your initial virtual proof includes reasonable revisions, so let us know if anything needs to be adjusted and we will send an updated proof for your review. We want you to be fully satisfied with how your artwork looks before it goes into production.

Production cannot start until the proof is approved in writing. Extensive changes, new artwork, or revisions beyond what is reasonable for a standard proof may require additional art time; if that applies to your order, we will discuss any charge with you in advance.

Art & Setup Charges

Every customized order includes a one-time set-up charge, which covers preparing your artwork for production — for example, creating screens, plates, or tapes. The set-up charge varies by product and imprint method and is shown on your quote or invoice.

Set-up charge — applied per product and imprint method on every customized order.
Vector redraw fee — charged when usable production-ready art is not supplied and our art team must recreate your logo as vector art.
Run charge for additional colors — each imprint color beyond the first typically adds a per-piece run charge, since each color is applied separately.

We will always confirm any art, set-up, or run charges with you before production begins so there are no surprises on your invoice.

How to Submit Your Artwork

You can attach your artwork files directly to your order during checkout, or email them to our art team at art@promotionalproductinc.com. Please reference your order number or company name so we can match the files to the correct order.

Send vector files (.ai, .eps, or .pdf) whenever possible, with fonts converted to outlines.
List the exact PMS color numbers you want matched for each imprint color.
Include any imprint instructions, such as imprint location, size, and item placement.
Tell us your in-hand date so we can schedule proofing and production accordingly.

If you are not sure whether your file is production-ready, send it to us anyway — our art team will review it and let you know what, if anything, is needed before we create your proof. For help, call us at 1-888-212-5501.