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A few things I've gathered from e-mails, faqs and other posts. Not 100% complete, but I hope it can be of service to someone.
Spreadshirt Vector Requirements Guide.
Design Size
The entire design cannot exceed 11.7 x 11.7 inches (297.18 mm). Spreadshirt recommends a size of 8.86 x 8.86 inches (225 mm) so that your design can be successfully printed on most products.
Design Elements
All components of your design must be at least 0.059 inches (1.5 mm).
It is necessary to proof every object in the design for a minimum size of 0.059 inches. If the design element is larger than the 0.059 in shape, then the design will be able to be printed. If the design element is smaller than the 0.059 in. shape, then the design will not be able to be printed.
For designs where parts taper off the design must be no smaller than .04 inches at the base and extend no more than .12 inches. Anything very long and too thin will break off before being pressed. Note: When looking at examples for reference, make sure that the design you are looking at is a vector graphic and not a digital. Digital files do not have size requirements for upload.
If a vector design cannot be scaled down, it certainly contains elements which are exactly 1,5 mm of size - this is the minimum size for all elements which are supposed to be printed. If you need to scale the design down, make sure that all elements are bigger than 1,5 mm.
Spreadshirt does not resize the design. They check the size of the smallest element and add scaling (or not). If a design is far too small but meets all other conditions for plot printing, they might modify the size / make it bigger.
The space between elements should be no less than 0.04 inches (1 mm).
If a design is multicolor then the individual colors are allowed to be next to one another. It is elements within one of the colors. For example, with text the space between the letters and the empty space in letters like e, g,p, etc must be at least .04 inches.
Colors
Vector designs are limited to 3 colors.
File Format/Final Output (Adobe Illustrator)
Delete all pixel (bitmap) information from the document/design.
Convert all design elements and text into curves (paths.)
Select all of the design elements and keep selected during the next three steps:
1) MenuËObjectËFlatten Transparency.
Settings: 100% vector, Convert all Text to Outlines and Convert all Strokes to Outlines .
2) Pathfinder Palette: Merge.
3) MenuËObjectËPathËClean Up. Settings: Check all three boxes and click OK.
Save/Export your design(s) in .eps format.
Not everything, but hopefully enough to help you stay sane during the process.
how do u delete all pixel information from the design? it's probably looking me in the face, but i am having trouble finding what menu or button i need to hit. thanks in advance
To delete all the pixel info, you just need to delete any imported images/bitmaps into the illustrator file. Anything created in illustrator will be vector based, even grads (thought they won't work here). Pixel or bitmap data only comes from images brought into illustrator.
To delete all the pixel info, you just need to delete any imported images/bitmaps into the illustrator file. Anything created in illustrator will be vector based, even grads (thought they won't work here). Pixel or bitmap data only comes from images brought into illustrator.
Hope this helps.
so if i paste in or open a bitmap image in illustrator, hit the live trace button, then the paint fill button. those points show up mapping the outline/vector path. so if i then delete the bitmap file those points remain? i save as an esp. then if i open that file in illustrator it'll show the points?
That's pretty much it. Once you've deleted the bitmap, only the vector image will remain and that's what you need to upload. Then you just have to ready it for Spreadshirt's guidelines to get it through the system but that's another whole load of fun. If you look around the Spreadshirt forum on their site, a couple of people have posted some detailed guides as how to do this.
Ok, I followed all of this, but I couldn't find Step 2 of Final Format/Final Output: 2) Pathfinder Palette: Merge (Yes I'm using illustrator). Then i decided to just try to export it as a .eps anyway and see what happened, and when I went to the Shirt Designer on Spreadshirt, the file didn't even show up, only my jpegs, pngs, bmps, etc. or in other words, my non-.eps files.What am I doing wrong? Is it because I didn't do step 2 that Spreadshirt doesn't recognize it? And where can i find step 2? (Like Menu->Object->Flatten Transparency) THanks.
The Pathfinder pallet is viewable from Window>Pathfinder. The merge option is (on Illustrator 10 anyway) on the bottom of the 2 sets of pictograms, third pictogram along. This will merge any (vector) elements selected, whatever layers they are on. However it's good practice to flatten all the layers before sending the image to Spreadshirt anyway. You should try saving the file as a pre Illustrator 10 file (an Illustrator 9 file works for me), they have had problems in the past with newer versions of Illustrator, even saved as an eps file.
EDIT:Ok, now I see you have to be registered to upload a .eps file. Well all I want is to make 3 shirts of the same design for me and two friends. Do I have to register with them and open up a shop to do that? Does it cost money to register?
Last edited by KCBlack; April 24th, 2008 at 07:53 PM.
It doesn't cost any money to open a shop but there are limits on what you can do if you don't become a premium shop, this does cost money. I think (please check) that you can upload 3 designs with your free shop and buy as many designs as you want. You can, for a fee, upload more designs to use of a per design basis. But it sounds like you won't need to do this and so it shouldn't cost you.
about deleting the pixel info:
i've been able to convert the object to live trace, but i'm not sure how to then select the pixel info and delete that only. can someone help out? thanks!!
In Illustrator, once you have converted an image via Live Trace and have got the image the way you like it, you need to click on Expand. This will convert the image to vector and remove the original bitmap image. All you need to do now is edit the vector image to how you like it (and so it conforms to SpreadShirts rules).
Spreadshirt Vector Requirements Guide 
Re: Spreadshirt Vector Requirements Guide 
