Which Logo Files Do You Need for Custom Apparel?
Prepare vector artwork, raster images, brand colors, and stitch files without confusing file extensions with quality.
By Embroidery Finder
Send the original, highest-quality logo artwork you have, together with the finished decoration size and intended garment. Vector files are often useful for clean shapes, while suitable raster images can work for some printing and digitizing workflows. A file extension alone does not prove that artwork is production-ready.
What is the difference between vector and raster artwork?
Vector artwork describes shapes with paths. Raster artwork describes an image with pixels. A vector design can generally be resized without the same pixelation problems as a low-resolution bitmap, but the file must genuinely contain usable vector objects.
Wilcom's documentation identifies both vectors and bitmaps as possible digitizing backdrops. That does not mean both will require the same preparation or produce identical results from poor-quality originals.
Which files should you collect?
Ask your designer for the original logo package, not a screenshot from a website. Include any vector artwork, high-resolution images, brand color specifications, and an explanation of the permitted logo versions.
For raster artwork, tell the shop the intended output dimensions. A small image stretched across a large print can lose detail. Enlarging the file's dimensions or changing its resolution setting cannot recreate missing visual information.
Does a PDF always contain vector artwork?
No. A PDF can contain vector objects, raster images, or both. Similarly, saving an image inside a design application does not automatically create clean editable paths.
Send the actual file for inspection. Avoid promising a vendor that artwork is “vector” solely because its filename ends in a familiar format.
What else should accompany the file?
- Finished width and height.
- Every intended placement.
- Garment colors and fabric information.
- Approved brand colors.
- Wording that must remain exact.
- Whether background areas should print, stitch, or remain undecorated.
For printing, ask whether a transparent background is required and whether the shop wants specific artwork preparation. For embroidery, ask what simplification and digitizing are needed.
Is an embroidery file enough?
A machine stitch file may be useful, but it is not necessarily the editable source artwork or suitable for a new garment and size. Tell the decorator where the file came from, what it was previously used on, and whether you have permission to use it.
Ask what files you will receive if the shop creates or revises the design. Confirm any reuse, licensing, and file-release terms before ordering.
Should you approve a screen mockup?
Use it to confirm layout, spelling, and proposed dimensions. It cannot establish the physical feel of a transfer, actual thread sheen, or fabric response. Ask about a production sample when those details matter.
Keep one clearly named final file and archive older versions separately. A filename such as “logo-final-new-final” is not an adequate version-control process.
Follow the digitizing guide or send a complete brief to an apparel printing business.