Out here in the desert heat of St. George, Utah, we don’t mess around when it comes to good printin’. Whether it’s a rugged design for a rodeo shirt or a sharp logo for a local brand, at Geezy Tees we know the value of clean, solid prep. That starts with learnin’ how to make clean raster images—the right way.
Know the End Size Before You Ride
Before a cowboy heads out, he knows his destination. The same goes for print design. The first step in making clean raster images is deciding the final size of the print. Whether you’re settin’ up a small left-chest print or a big ol’ back hit, your file needs to match that final size exactly.
Stretchin’ an image after the fact is like tryin’ to fix a busted wagon wheel with a shoelace—it just won’t hold. Start with purpose, and you won’t have regrets on the trail.
300 DPI or You’re Wastin’ Ink
There’s a rule out here: make clean raster images by sticking to at least 300 DPI (dots per inch). Anything less and your print will come out lookin’ like a mirage. Pixelated edges, blurry lines, and details lost to the wind.
DPI is your grit. Your toughness. It’s what gives the image sharp edges and makes it sing when it hits the press. Don’t bring 72 DPI to a gunfight.
RGB Ain’t Welcome in These Parts
Your screen may show you a world in RGB—red, green, blue—but printing don’t work that way. Our inks ride in four colors: CMYK—cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. If you design in RGB and forget to switch, your colors will shift worse than a wild horse in a thunderstorm.
Convert to CMYK before exporting. That way, what you see is what you print.
Export With Care and Confidence
Once your file’s sized, your resolution’s right, and your colors are ready for the real world, it’s time to export. Stick with flattened TIFF or high-quality PNG formats if you want to make clean raster images every time. Keep your layers tidy, your file names clear, and your artwork safe for the journey ahead.
For a deeper dive into how raster images work, this guide from Shorthand paints a full picture.
Saddle Up with Geezy Tees
Here at Geezy Tees, we treat your designs like we treat our neighbors—with respect and precision. Whether you’re sendin’ us a full-color masterpiece or a simple text hit, takin’ the time to make clean raster images will make your print stand tall.
So next time you’re preppin’ for a print, remember: know your size, respect your DPI, convert your colors, and export with care. We’ll take it from there.