PDF files are very common and quite often contain artwork that we can use in place of an EPS or AI file. If we can use a PDF depends on how it has been created. A PDF that is a scan of a page or another file cannot be used, however increasingly designers directly from an EPS or AI file create PDF – we can usually use those. So if you cannot locate an EPS or AI file but have a PDF please email to us – we will open it in our artwork software program and can determine if it can be used in place of an EPS or AI file.

 We look forward to helping you with your order of Promotional Products or Custom Clothing, if you have any questions please contact your account manager for more advice.

EPS and AI files are very similar and are the art file type of choice for decorating most products. Promotional Products are at their best when using high resolution ‘vector art’ like EPS and AI files. We value your brand and it’s quality representation of it on our products, therefore we source these file types so there is absolute consistency between the branding work we do and how the designer intended your logo to be reproduced. We want to produce exact colours, fonts, and all graphical elements – the easiest way to do this is with an EPS or AI file.

 Don’t worry, we find that most clients have their logo in one of these formats: "jpeg", "bitmap", "tiff", “word” or "PDF" - this makes sense because all of these formats can be viewed on most computers without the specialised graphics software used in the print industry.  

 Locating EPS or AI files: most logos exist (somewhere) in an EPS or AI format somewhere (these are formats that most graphic artists work in). We either need to locate or create an EPS or AI file – you can save money by asking the right people in your company for these logo types. Ask your marketing people, or the person who looks after letter headed stationery or perhaps the company that does your signwriting or business cards - all of these people may have one of these files. 

 Creating EPS or AI files: If you cannot locate one of these files we will have to redraw your Bitmap, Jpeg, Tiff or Word document into an EPS or AI file. Sometimes clients think they can create an EPS or AI file simply by ‘saving as’; unfortunately this does not give the file the properties of an EPS or AI file. Please do not give your non-vector art file to your IT department ‘to make an EPS’ – all they will do is ‘save it as’ an EPS or AI file – they will normally take a few hours to save this file which will still be unusable, creating EPS files is a job for a graphic artist! An EPS or AI can only be produced by tracing your existing image and redrawing in an EPS or AI software program, this is not a quick process but we do this at a cut-price rate of $60+GST for most logos for clients.

We always like to source a good quality EPS or AI file however not all the decoration processes we employ require these files. Very basically here are the minimum art file types that we require for different decoration types:

Embroidery – any electronic file type (we ‘digitise’ your file so can work with any electronic format that you provide. 

 

Screen-printing – we require either an EPS or AI file for high quality prints. 

 

Pad printing - like screen-printing we need EPS or AI files for Pad Printing. 

 

Offset printing – we need either an EPS or AI file also for offset printing. 

 

Transfer prints – we need either an EPS or AI file also for transfer prints. 

 

Laser Engraving – we need either an EPS or AI file also for laser engraving. 

 

There are other decoration methods that we employ, namely: sublimation printing, rotary printing, decal printing, direct printing, blind-embosses and foil stamping – all of these require an EPS or AI file for high grade results on your chosen products. Promotional Items are at their best when they have a quality decoration – we will not sacrifice the quality of your promotion with poor quality artwork.