Your Essential Custom Artwork Guide: Create Custom Clothing Effortlessly
Ordering customised clothing should be simple — even if your artwork isn't production-ready. At Class Uniform, you can upload the best file you have and our team will check it before anything goes into production.
Our artwork process
1. Upload your artwork
Choose your garment, select your customisation options, and upload your logo, image or design. You don't need to know whether the file is vector, print-ready or suitable for embroidery before placing your order — simply upload the best-quality version you have.
Preferred file types include:
- AI
- EPS
- SVG
- PNG
- JPG / JPEG
- PSD
- TIFF
Other common artwork formats may also be accepted. For the best results, vector files such as AI, EPS, PDF and SVG are preferred whenever available.
Maximum upload size: 50MB per artwork file.
2. We check it
Before production, our team reviews your artwork. We check things such as:
- Image quality
- Resolution
- Background
- Colours
- Size
- Proportions
- Print suitability
- Embroidery suitability
- Fine detail
- Text clarity
If the artwork is suitable, we prepare it for production. If something needs changing, we'll contact you first — we'd rather resolve an artwork issue before production than produce a garment that doesn't look right.
3. We prepare it
Printing and embroidery require different types of artwork preparation.
For printing, we prepare the artwork so it's suitable for the selected printing method and garment. Where required, we may remove unwanted backgrounds, check resolution, resize artwork, adjust positioning, prepare transparent areas, check colours, and optimise the file for production.
For embroidery, a standard logo file can't be sent directly to an embroidery machine — your design must first be digitised. Digitisation converts your artwork into stitch information, including stitch direction, stitch density, thread changes, design sequence and overall embroidery size.
For a new embroidered logo or design, Class Uniform charges a one-time £10.00 embroidery digitising/setup fee. This charge applies to the artwork itself, not to each garment — 10 garments or 50 garments embroidered with the same new logo is still one £10.00 setup charge. Once we've prepared and saved your embroidery file, you won't be charged the setup fee again when ordering the same design in future.
4. You approve it
Where artwork approval is required, we'll send you a proof before production. Please check the proof carefully and confirm: correct logo, spelling, names, numbers, colours, artwork size, design position and overall layout. If something needs changing, let us know before approval — once approved, the order moves into production.
5. We produce it
After artwork approval, your garments are printed or embroidered. Every order is checked before dispatch to make sure the customisation has been produced as expected, then prepared for delivery.
Artwork specifications
The information below will help you supply the best possible artwork.
Maximum design size
The maximum recommended width for printing is 30cm; for embroidery, 25cm. The actual maximum size may vary depending on garment type, decoration position, seams, pockets, zips and garment construction. The height of your artwork will normally scale proportionally so the design keeps its correct shape.
Image quality
For non-vector artwork such as JPG or PNG files, we recommend 300 DPI or higher. Low-resolution artwork may become blurred or pixelated when enlarged — if a file isn't suitable for the requested print size, we'll contact you before production. If you have several versions of the same logo, upload the highest-quality version available.
Transparent backgrounds
Transparent artwork usually gives the cleanest result when a logo doesn't need a coloured background. Good formats for transparency include PNG, SVG and EPS. If your artwork has a white or coloured background that shouldn't appear on the garment, our team can usually remove it during artwork preparation — if you're unsure, upload the artwork as supplied and include a note with your instructions.
Where can my design go?
Available print and embroidery positions depend on the garment. Common positions include:
- Front: left chest, right chest, centre chest, large front, full front
- Back: upper back, centre back, large back, full back
- Sleeves: left sleeve, right sleeve
Other positions may be available depending on the product — caps, beanies, jackets, workwear and specialist garments may have their own position options. If the position you need isn't listed, contact us and we'll advise what's possible.
Choosing between printing and embroidery
You don't need to decide this alone — our team can advise which method is most suitable for your design and garment.
Printing is usually best for: photographs, gradients, detailed artwork, large designs, complex colour graphics, and artwork with very fine detail.
Embroidery is usually best for: company logos, school logos, workwear, polo shirts, jackets, caps, beanies, names, initials and simple branding.
Embroidery design limitations
Embroidery is created using thread, so some artwork may need to be simplified. Potential issues include very small text, extremely thin lines, colour gradients, photographic detail, tiny shapes and highly complex artwork. If your original design can't be embroidered cleanly, we'll advise you before production — we may recommend increasing the design size, simplifying small details, thickening fine lines, adjusting text, or using printing instead. Our aim is to preserve the look of your branding while making sure the finished embroidery remains clear and professional.
High stitch count embroidery
Large or complex embroidery designs can require significantly more machine time. High stitch count pricing may apply to designs that are more than approximately 15cm wide, around 25,000 stitches or more, or unusually detailed or dense. If this applies to your design, we'll advise you before production — see our Price Guide for the current rates.
Colour matching
Colours can appear different depending on the screen, fabric and decoration method used. If colour accuracy is particularly important, please provide any available brand colour references such as Pantone, CMYK, RGB or HEX — we'll use these as a guide when preparing your artwork. Embroidery thread colours may not always be an exact match to digital colours, but we'll select the closest suitable option.
Small text & fine lines
Very small text and fine details can be difficult to reproduce, especially with embroidery. If your artwork contains elements that are too small, we may recommend increasing the size, using thicker lettering, simplifying the design, removing unnecessary detail, or choosing printing instead of embroidery. We'll contact you before making any significant changes.
Don't have perfect artwork?
That's fine — you don't need to be a graphic designer to order customised clothing from Class Uniform. Upload the best file you have and tell us what you want. Our team will check the artwork and contact you if anything else is required. We can help with logo quality, backgrounds, positioning, sizing, embroidery preparation, print suitability and design clarification.
Need help before ordering?
If you're unsure about your artwork, garment choice, print position or embroidery suitability, contact the Class Uniform team. We can help you choose the best option before your order goes into production.
