What you need to know before logo printing

In any discussion about logo printing, there are a few terms that come up over and over again. So before we get into the technical aspects of printing your logo on specific materials, here’s a quick glossary of the terms and concepts to help you understand the significance of your design decisions.

CMYK and RGB

CMYK and RGB are two different colour modes used for printing. Their names refer to the colours they use: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key, or the more traditional Red, Green and Blue.

Bottom line: CMYK is for print projects, RGB is for digital. Learn more about the technical differences between RGB and CMYK here.

Raster and vector images

The next thing you need to know is the difference between raster and vector images, as well as the different image file formats used in logo printing.

Generally, vector images are recommended for logo printing.

Raster images are made up of pixels. In contrast, vector images are made up of geometric shapes. When a raster image is created, the number of pixels it contains is locked. You can make it bigger or smaller, but the image will get blurrier as those pixels are stretched and squashed. Vector images, on the other hand, are essentially math equations. When you scale one larger or smaller, it retains its original dimensions.

Logo printing process

There are three main ways to do logo printing on soft fabric:

• Screen printing: the gold standard for T-shirt printing. The printer will make original screens of your T-shirt design, allowing you to print in bulk. Best for bulk orders and printing bright colors.
• Vinyl graphics: vinyl graphics are created through transfer printing, resulting in a more dimensional look and texture from screen printing. Best for simple graphics.
• Direct-to-garment: this method sprays ink onto the garment—like inkjet printing on paper, but with fabric. Best for small-quantity orders with high amounts of detail.

Learn more about logo printing here!