File Types and Printing Process | Super Cheap Signs
At Super Cheap Signs, we offer two types of printing processes for your custom signs: screen printing and digital printing. Each process has different requirements for the file types and formats that you need to provide. Here is a brief guide on how to prepare your files for the best results.
Screen Printing
Screen printing is a process that uses a mesh screen and ink to transfer an image onto a material. Screen printing is ideal for 1-3 color 4mm corrugated plastic signs 24"x32" or smaller (Yard Signs), in quantities of 25 or more. Screen printing produces vibrant and durable colors that can withstand outdoor conditions.
To create a screen for screen printing, you need to provide vectorized artwork. Vector art is created using mathematical formulas to define shapes and colors, which allows it to be scaled to any size without losing quality. Graphic designers are well-versed in creating vector art, but if you are not, you can use our yard sign templates that are designed for easy customization and screen printing. If you have a designer who knows what they’re doing, we prefer AI files (Adobe Illustrator). If you want to use colors that are not in our standard palette, you can request an upgrade to PMS match. These file types can be in vector:
Digital Printing
Digital printing is a process that uses a printer and ink to print an image directly onto a material. Digital printing is suitable for almost everything else, such as banners, magnets, stickers, and more. Digital printing can produce high-quality images with unlimited colors and details.
To create a file for digital printing, you need to consider the DPI (Dots Per Inch) of your image. DPI is a measure of the resolution and sharpness of your image. The higher the DPI, the better the quality. You’ll hear that 300 dpi is a typical request for brochures and flyers, but we find that 72 dpi is a reasonable minimum for signs. These file types can be in raster:
We hope this guide helps you understand the printing processes and file types that we use at Super Cheap Signs. If you have any questions or need any assistance, please contact us and we will be happy to help. For more information on file types, you can visit these sites .
Way too much info about screen printing and files needed (this is for T-shirts but applies to screen printing signs, too): https://threadbird.com/help-center/file-prep