Preparing Your Logo File
What is a vector file, how do you export one, and is yours print-ready?
Why is a vector file required?
The print plate is produced from the mathematical curves in your file. A vector file scales to any size without loss; pixel-based files (PNG, JPG) degrade at the edges when enlarged and cannot be used for plate production.
Accepted formats
Is your file really vector?
A simple test: open the file and zoom to 800%. If the edges stay sharp, it's vector; if they pixelate, it isn't. Saving a logo as PDF doesn't automatically make it vector — if the image inside is pixel-based, the PDF carries pixels too.
Convert text to outlines
If your logo contains text, convert it to outlines before sending. Otherwise, if we don't have that font installed, the text opens in a different font and your logo breaks. In Illustrator: Type > Create Outlines. In CorelDRAW: Arrange > Convert to Curves.
Preparing for single-colour print
Most customers use a single colour in pad printing. If you don't have a single-colour (black) version of your logo, a greyscale or multi-colour logo may give unexpected results in print. Send the single-colour version too if you have one.
If you don't have a vector file
Ask the agency or designer who made your logo for the source file — almost all of them keep it. If all you have is a JPG or PNG, any graphic designer can redraw it as vector quickly.