One approved proof
The mock up you sign off becomes the reference the press floor works from. Nothing is printed from an earlier draft, a chat attachment, or a verbal description of the design.
Design Services: Artwork Setup
Creative Artwork Setup from a Rough Idea to a Print Ready File
Send a logo, a photo, or a sketch. We clean the file, lay the design out at the right size and placement on the garment, and send back a digital mock up for your approval. Once you sign off, we release a print ready file set sized to the decoration method you chose, so the first run matches the proof you approved.
- Digital mock up in 24 to 48 hours
- Full colour, no per colour setup fee
- Files archived for reorders
Stage 01 What you send A logo, a photo, a sketch, or a scan of an old print.
Stage 02 What we build Clean paths, colour separation, and a mock up on the garment.
Stage 03 What you receive The approved mock up, print ready files, and a placement guide.
The Setup Path
Five Steps from Brief to a File the Press Floor Can Run
Every apparel order moves through the same artwork path. Naming the steps up front is what keeps a production run from stalling on an unapproved file, and it is why the printed piece matches the proof.
- 01
Brief and intake
You send the artwork or the concept, the garment, and the print area you have in mind. If the method is open, we recommend one from the artwork itself. We reply the same business day.
- 02
Cleanup and redraw
Low resolution pixels are rebuilt into smooth paths. Stray white edges, compression noise, and broken letters are repaired before anything is printed.
- 03
Layout and placement
The design is sized against the actual garment panel, then set to a named print area such as full front, left chest, nape, sleeve, or allover.
- 04
Mock up approval
You receive a digital mock up on the garment for written approval. Adjustments are made until the layout reads the way you want it on the body.
- 05
Print ready handoff
The approved design is released as a production file set with separations where the method needs them, plus a written placement guide for the operator.
Before You Send
What We Need from You, and What Comes Back
Most artwork delays are caused by a missing detail rather than a difficult design. This is the full exchange, so the setup can be finished in one round instead of three.
What you send us
- The best copy of the artwork you have, in any format, including a phone photo of an old printed shirt.
- The garment and the print area you have in mind, such as left chest, full back, or an allover panel.
- Brand colours or a Pantone reference if you have one. If you do not, we read the nearest match from your file.
- The date you need the finished goods, so the setup is scheduled against it rather than after it.
What we hand back
- A digital mock up showing the design at final size and placement on the actual garment type.
- A print ready file set for your method, with separations for silkscreen or a stitch file for embroidery where those apply.
- A placement guide naming each print area in inches and centimetres, so the layout is repeatable on a reorder.
- An archived copy of the approved design, held under your account for future orders.
Approved artwork stays on record. A reorder six months later does not repeat the setup work, and it does not repeat the fee.
File Specifications
Artwork Requirements by Decoration Method
The same design needs a different file depending on how it will be printed. Use this table to send the right source file on the first message, or send what you have and we will tell you what to change.
| Print method | Preferred source file | Working resolution | Colour set up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sublimation | Vector in AI, EPS, or PDF, or a raster image at 300 dpi at full print size | 300 dpi at final dimensions | Full colour with no per colour setup fee |
| Silkscreen | Vector preferred, separated one layer per ink | 300 dpi at final dimensions | One screen per ink colour, simple art needs no extra preparation |
| Direct to film | PNG at 300 dpi with a transparent background | 300 dpi at final dimensions | Full colour with no separation step |
| Embroidery | Vector, or a 300 dpi raster clear enough to digitise | Digitised to a stitch count | Stitch file prepared per placement, fine detail simplified so it reads in thread |
| Large format | Vector preferred, otherwise raster at 150 dpi minimum at full size | 150 dpi at full size | Spot colour and CMYK both supported |
Setup Terms
What Artwork Setup Costs
Setup is quoted before we open the file, never after. The three cases below cover almost every order, and the fee for redraw work is credited back when the order is produced.
Clean file supplied
No extra setup cost
Applies to any order with a usable source file
If you already hold a clean AI, EPS, PDF, or SVG, the setup is a technical file check plus the placement layout. That work is included, and it applies on single piece orders as well as bulk runs.
Redraw or rebuild
₱500.00
about $7.95 / €6.95 / £5.95 per design
Simple logos with one to two colours. Complex reconstruction with detailed emblems, mascots, or multi colour shading is ₱1,000.00 (about $15.90 / €13.85 / £11.90). Both are quoted from the file you send.
Original concept design
Quoted per brief
Confirmed in writing before design starts
A new logo, a full identity set, or a collection concept is scoped after the brief. See Graphic Design Services for that work, or send the brief with your order and we quote both stages together.
Setup fee credit: the redraw and rebuild fee is 100% credited toward apparel production orders of 50 pieces or more. Converted figures above are approximate and are shown as a market reference. The header currency switcher converts live and settles the cart in the currency you choose, and every order still receives a written quotation.
Approval Discipline
Why the Signed Off Mock Up Is the Only File That Matters
A print run is only as reliable as the file it was built from. Three habits in the setup stage remove almost every avoidable reprint.
Placement measured, not guessed
Print areas are set against the garment panel and recorded in inches and centimetres. That record is what keeps a reorder sitting in the same place as the first batch.
Method matched to the artwork
Full colour gradients route to sublimation or direct to film. Fine text and small marks route away from heavy ink coverage. The setup follows the artwork instead of forcing it into a method it will not survive.
Artwork Setup Questions
Common Questions Before You Send a File
The questions our design desk answers most often, with the terms behind each answer.
What counts as creative artwork setup?
Everything between your idea and a file the press floor can run: the intake brief, cleaning or redrawing a low resolution logo, colour separation, laying the design out at the correct size and placement, the digital mock up for approval, and the print ready handoff. The print run itself is quoted separately, so the setup cost is visible on its own.
What file formats can I send?
Send the best copy you have. Vector files in AI, EPS, PDF, or SVG are ideal because they scale without losing clarity. We also work from JPG and PNG images at 300 dpi or better, PNG files with a transparent background, and scans. A phone photo of an old printed shirt is enough to start, and we rebuild the paths from there.
Do you charge a setup fee for every colour?
There is no per colour setup fee on sublimation or direct to film printing, so a ten colour design is set up at the same cost as a one colour design. Silkscreen printing needs one screen per ink colour and embroidery needs a stitch file, so those methods carry a per colour or per placement preparation step. Either way, the quotation names every setup line before production starts.
How long does artwork setup take?
A standard cleanup with a digital mock up is returned in 24 hours during business hours. Detailed emblems, mascots, and multi colour shading take 24 to 48 hours. Original concept work is scheduled after the brief is agreed. Tell us the deadline when you send the file and we confirm the date in writing before you commit to the run.
What if I only have a photo of my old printed logo?
Send it and we rebuild it. Redraw work starts at ₱500.00 (about $7.95 / €6.95 / £5.95) for a simple logo with one to two colours, and ₱1,000.00 (about $15.90 / €13.85 / £11.90) for a complex emblem, mascot, or multi colour shaded artwork. The redraw fee is 100% credited toward apparel production orders of 50 pieces or more.
Can I reuse the setup files on a future order?
Yes. Approved artwork is archived under your account, so a reorder in six months does not pay for the setup work again. Send the original order reference or the design name and we pull the print ready file, the placement guide, and the colour record back into the queue.
Start Your Artwork
Send Your Artwork or Ask Us to Build It
Send the file, the garment, the print area, and your deadline. Our design desk reviews the artwork and confirms the setup cost and turnaround in writing before any production time is booked.
Mankilam Main Office
Naungayan Building, Aala Road, Barangay Mankilam, Tagum City, Davao del Norte. Design desk, substrate proofs, and print setup for every decoration method. Open Mon to Sat, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
Cagayan de Oro Branch
Ficcoville, Iponan, Cagayan De Oro City, Misamis Oriental. Artwork consultation, mock up review, and sample pickup for regional clients. Open Mon to Sat, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.