Why Rocky Road Printing Requires Print-Ready Artwork — And Why There’s a Fee If It’s Not

At Rocky Road Printing, we’re committed to delivering professional-quality results—every single time. Whether you’re ordering custom t-shirts, embroidered polos, or branded signage, one thing remains constant: the quality of your artwork directly affects the quality of the final product.

That’s why we require all logos and designs to be print-ready, and why a setup or artwork fee may apply if your file needs to be adjusted, cleaned up, vectorized, or digitized. It’s not just a technicality—it’s the foundation of flawless printing.

In this post, we’ll explain what print-ready artwork really means, why it matters, and why our team may charge a small fee if your art needs extra preparation before it hits the press or embroidery machine.

What Does “Print-Ready” Artwork Mean?

“Print-ready” means your file is formatted correctly and ready to go into production without any need for adjustments or conversion. This includes:

• Correct File Type (AI, EPS, high-res PDF for printing; DST or EMB for embroidery)

• Proper Resolution (usually 300 DPI for raster graphics)

• Vector Format for logos and designs (especially important for screen printing)

• Color Setup (CMYK or Pantone for consistent color matching)

• Text Outlined or fonts embedded

• Sized Correctly for your product

When artwork meets these standards, we can immediately begin the production process—saving time, avoiding errors, and ensuring the best print or stitch quality possible.

Why Vectorized or Digitized Files Are Essential

Depending on your project, we may require vector artwork or digitized embroidery files.

✅ For Screen Printing & Heat Transfers – Vector Files

Vector files (AI, EPS, SVG, PDF) are made of paths, not pixels, which means they:

• Scale perfectly without distortion

• Allow easy color separation for screen printing

• Produce sharp, crisp lines in the final print

Raster images (like JPG or PNG) might look fine on screen, but they often appear blurry or pixelated when printed—especially on apparel.

✅ For Embroidery – Digitized Files

Embroidery machines can’t read regular image files. They require special formats like DST, PES, or EMB, which tell the machine:

• How many stitches to use

• Where each stitch goes

• What direction the needle moves

• When to change thread colors

Digitizing is a technical and artistic process. Without a properly digitized file, the embroidery can look sloppy, off-center, or unreadable.

Why Rocky Road Printing Charges a Fee for Non-Print-Ready Art

If your artwork isn’t print-ready, our in-house design team needs to prepare it for production, which takes time, skill, and professional software. This is where the artwork setup fee comes in.

Here’s what that might include:

• Vectorizing a raster image (rebuilding your logo in Illustrator)

• Cleaning up low-resolution files

• Digitizing for embroidery, which involves creating a precise stitch path

• Adjusting color modes or outlines for printing compatibility

• Sizing and positioning your art correctly for different garments or products

In short, we’re not just pushing a button—we’re making sure your art looks exactly how you envision it when it prints or embroiders.

Why Print-Ready Art = Better Results

Your logo is the face of your brand. You don’t want it showing up blurry, off-center, or poorly stitched. By supplying print-ready artwork, or letting us prep it for you, you’re investing in:

• Cleaner, more professional results

• Consistent color and detail

• Faster turnaround times

• Fewer mistakes or reprints

• A product you’ll actually be proud to wear or display

We believe every customer deserves a polished, high-quality finished product—and great printing starts with great artwork.

Pro Tips for Customers

Want to avoid an artwork fee and speed up your order? Here’s how:

• Send us vector files (AI, EPS, or PDF with outlined fonts)

• For embroidery, provide a digitized DST or EMB file

• Ask your designer to export your logo in multiple formats

• Not sure? Email your file—we’ll let you know if it’s print-ready, free of charge

Final Thoughts

At Rocky Road Printing, we’re not here to nickel-and-dime you—we’re here to make your brand look amazing. Our artwork setup fee is simply a one-time investment in getting your file production-ready. Once your art is ready, you can use it again and again for future orders without additional setup.

Need help making your logo print-ready? Our design team is happy to assist. Reach out today and let’s bring your vision to life—with print-perfect results.