Back to Posts

Artwork Guidelines

By CustomCat - October 24, 2024- in Knowledge Base Resources

October 2024 Update:

We have recently updated all of our sublimation product art templates to provide more accurate and precise print areas. The new templates are designed to better match the full print area, allowing you to utilize a larger printable space and generate more accurate mockups. While the old templates and designs will still print as they always have, we recommend switching to the new art guides for improved results. Both the mockup images and the final product will reflect more accurate dimensions, ensuring the best possible print quality.

Knowing the correct artwork specifications is important to achieving the best possible print quality on your products. After all, a printed product is only as good as the file used to create it.

Below, you’ll find the tools you need to create the perfect print on demand artwork.

Our Design Guidelines & Best Practices will walk you through the file types, color profiles, & design effects that will translate to the best printed products for each decoration method. Our product-specific artwork templates are also provided for all dye-sublimation products to give you the exact artwork specifications if you’d like to utilize the maximum print area.

With these tools, you’ll be able to sell flawless designs on any product.

Have a question not mentioned in our instructions? Visit our FAQ section or shoot us an email at [email protected] with specific details.

Click the above image to download our design guidelines, or follow this link.

For your convenience, we’ve also divided this information into separate documents for each decoration method. Please note that all information found in the documents below is included in the comprehensive Design Guidelines & Best Practices document above.

Click the image above or follow this link.

Art Templates

Below is our complete selection of art templates used for designing within the full printable area of our dye-sublimation products. Each template comes with a .png detailing Safe Area, Bleed, etc. Simply click the download button; the template will open in a new tab so you can save & begin selling!

To use an Art Template:

Open the CustomCat art template for your selected product in Photoshop or another design program.
Insert your artwork in a new layer, placing all important parts of your design within the designated “Safe Area” on the art template to ensure your design will not be cut off during the printing process.
If you’re designing drinkware, use the indicated centering lines to ensure your artwork is placed exactly where you’d like.
Hide or delete the Art Template layer from your file.
Save as a .png, .jpg, or another accepted file type.
Ta-da! You’ve now used a CustomCat art template to create artwork exactly to the recommended specs for that product.

To ensure your design prints properly on each product:

- Ensure all important elements of your design are within the safe area on the product template.
- Fill the entire design template! The outer edge of the template represents “Bleed Area,” which signifies the areas which may print on the outer edges of your product.
- Failure to fill the bleed area will likely result in unprinted white unprinted areas around the edge of your product.

Please note: if you are using “CC Preset” positioning within the CustomCat platform, you can use a transparent PNG file & any of our colored backgrounds to ensure your design will print perfectly. There’s no need to utilize a design template for this option.

Vegan Leather Hat Patches:

	Circle Patch (3″ Diameter) *Can also be used for 2.2″ diameter circle
	Small Circle Patch (2.2″ Diameter) *Cannot be used for 3″ diameter circle without resolution loss
	Rectangle Patch (3.46″x2.44″)
	Oval Patch (3.46″x2.44″)

Accessories:

Luggage Bag Tag

Baby Apparel:

Baby Bib

Blankets:

	30″ x 40″ Sublimated Blanket
	50″ x 60″ Sublimated Blankets
	60″ x 80″ Sublimated Blankets

Drinkware:

	11oz Mug
	11oz Black Mug
	15oz Mug
	15oz Black Mug
	Beer Stein
	Coaster
	Silver Travel Mug
	White Travel Mug
	11oz Color-Changing Mug
	15oz Color-Changing Mug
	11oz Accent Mug
	15oz Accent Mug
	Enamel Camping Mug

Rugs & Mats:

Indoor Doormat

Holiday Ornaments:

	Circle Ornament
	Heart Ornament
	Oval Ornament
	Star Ornament

Wall Art:

	Portrait AirFrame 5″ x 7″
	Portrait AirFrame 8″ x 10″
	Portrait AirFrame 11″ x 14″
	Landscape AirFrame 7″ x 5″
	Landscape AirFrame 10″ x 8″
	Landscape AirFrame 14″ x 11″
	Square AirFrame 8″ x 8″
	Square AirFrame 12″ x 12″
	Square AirFrame 16″ x 16″
	Portrait Canvas 8″ x 12″ x 1.5″
	Portrait Canvas 12″ x 16″ x 1.5″
	Portrait Canvas 12″ x 18″ x 1.5″
	Portrait Canvas 16″ x 20″ x 1.5″
	Portrait Canvas 16″ x 24″ x 1.5″
	Portrait Canvas 20″ x 24″ x 1.5″
	Portrait Canvas 20″ x 30″ x 1.5″
	Portrait Canvas 24″ x 36″ x 1.5″
	Landscape Canvas 12″ x 8″ x 1.5″
	Landscape Canvas 16″ x 12″ x 1.5″
	Landscape Canvas 18″ x 12″ x 1.5″
	Landscape Canvas 20″ x 16″ x 1.5″
	Landscape Canvas 24″ x 16″ x 1.5″
	Landscape Canvas 24″ x 20″ x 1.5″
	Landscape Canvas 30″ x 20″ x 1.5″
	Landscape Canvas 36″ x 24″ x 1.5″
	Satin Landscape Poster 18″ x 12″
	Satin Landscape Poster 24″ x 16″
	Satin Landscape Poster 36″ x 24″
	Satin Landscape Poster 48″ x 32″
	Satin Portrait Poster 12″ x 18″
	Satin Portrait Poster 16″ x 24″
	Satin Portrait Poster 24″ x 36″
	Satin Portrait Poster 32″ x 48″
	Satin Square Poster 16″ x 16″
	Satin Square Poster 24″ x 24″
	Satin Square Poster 30″ x 30″