Welcome to the Cafepress images & graphics forum. This is the place to discuss programs, tips & tricks, creating, editing & using the images you put on your products, and in your Cafepress shop. Fricka & I are the moderators of this forum.

Please check here to see if your questions have been answered. If you have information to add to the FAQs, let me or Fricka know!

The information in these FAQs has been carried down from the "old" forums, and is the work of many shopkeepers. Thanks to all who have contributed information!

Shortcuts to some common topics in this FAQ: (If these links don't work for you, you can just scroll down the page)

Official CafePress help links
What software to use (includes cheap & free options)
Clip art & stock photo sources
Sources for fonts
Problems uploading
Image format (png, jpg, etc)
Size of your graphics
Aspect ratios (rectangle proportions)
What's a pixel
DPI (dots/pixels per inch)
CMYK/RGB color formats
Transparency in images
No white ink (transluscent ink, effects on light colored t-shirts)
Partial transprency causes white outline or halo effect on black/dark t-shirts
Avoid anti-aliased edges on black/dark t-shirts
Full bleed graphics
Designing for mugs/a>
Blues & yellows in printing
I can't find my image after uploading it
Image is filtered (not showing up) when I try to apply it
My image is transparent on my computer but not after I upload it: Alpha Transparency vs 8 bit (indexed) Transprency

2/9/07 updated faq... CafePress had changed the system so it no longer "filters" transparent PNGs and we can now use them on light items too

Before you ask a Question...
When you ask a question in this forum, always provide any of the following information that you can about your problem:

1.) What graphic program are you using, and what version? (Photoshop CS2, Photoshop 7, GIMP, Corel Draw 10, etc)

2.) What is the size of the graphic, in pixels? (2000x2000, 3000x5000, etc)

3.) What file format is it? (JPG, PNG, etc)

4.) What is the address of your shop, or even beter, the address of the specific product you are having a problem with? (http://www.cafepress.com/yourshopid)

5.) Use a meaningful subject line in your post. Don't just say "I need help!" Instead say "Problem with Transparancy" or "File Upload Error" or anything else that tells us the kind of problem you are having.

The more information you can provide about your problem, the faster you will get an answer!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MagentaStudios,

This will be a growing FAQ.
=========================
Cafepress's Official Help Pages
The first place to stop when looking for help, the official word from CP.

Cafepress's Image Workshop Page:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/help/images.aspx

Cafepress's Learning Page for Black T-shirts:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/learn/blackshirts

Cafepress's Official Product Templates:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/sell/images/help_templates

Cafepress's Color Repoduction Info:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/help/color.aspx

Cafepress's Printing Processes Info:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/help/processes.aspx


I am having problems uploading!
CafePress has a help page for that here:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/help/images.aspx#upload

Why don't I see my image in the image basket?
One thing to look for is check the size of your image in pixels. The image basket filters out images that are too small to use on a given product. If your image is less than 200 pixels in one of its dimensions (either hight, width, or both) it is too small to use at cafepress at all, and you will not see it.

General Graphics Tips & Info from other shopkeepers:

What graphics file format should I use?
CafePress has a help page for that here:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/help/images.aspx#format

Many file formats are accepted, but if you can upload your graphic as PNG, then do so- PNG is CafePress' prefered format, and it has lossless compression. That means every single pixel of your graphic is retained. If it is a very high

resolution, such as for the posters or prints, then the PNG files may be too large, and the session may time out before it is uploaded.

When saving as PNG, save as 24 bit, RGB format (not CMYK or greyscale) no transparency (flattened to the background), and no interlacing. If you save an image that has transparent areas or layers, your image will only be usable on products that take transparent images (ie black t-shirts). It will not let you put it on a white t-shirt.
(If you save as an 8 bit PNG, it will only have 256 colors instead of millions, and may end up with a pink or grey background in your shop)

If you use JPG instead, the file size will be much smaller, and will be more likely to upload. It will be lossy compressed however- meaning it will blur some pixels in some areas, removing small details, so the file can compress smaller. This results in blurry, noisy, squares in the graphic- these squares are known as JPG artifacts.

If your graphics are high enough resolution, and you compress them at a high enough quality, you will not be able to see any JPG artifacts when printed.

JPG artifacts are only noticable on low resolution graphics (like for web pages) or graphics that have been compressed way too much.

When saving as JPG, save at highest possible quality, and no interlacing.

Also: JPG is an output format only. It is not for saving working graphics, that you re-open, edit, and save again, because every time it gets saved, the JPG artifacts get worse.

JPG is not compatible with products that need transparency (ie the black t-shirt) If your image is meant to be a rectangle (like a photo) it is fine to use a JPG on a black t-shirt. However if your graphic needs areas of the rectangle to be cut out and not print (like if your logo was a circle) you must use a PNG instead. Otherwise, the background of the JPG will print, making an unsightly rectangle around your graphic. Using black as a background color in a JPG will not work, because the black will print as black ink which will still be visible as a rectangle around the finished product. To look good on a black t-shirt, you must use the transparent PNG.

What is a Pixel?

Pixels are "picture elements". They are the small colored squares used to make an image. Every bitmapped image on a computer is like a large piece of graph paper, and each square of the paper is filled with a single solid color.

What is DPI and PPI?
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/help/images.aspx#dpi

If you don't understand DPI, you don't need to worry about it, just focus on creating images to the number of PIXELS in the specs, or use the templates. But, if you would like to learn about them, here is some info:

DPI means "dots per inch". PPI means "Pixels per inch". PPI is used when you want to differentiate between printer dots and computer screen pixels, but the term DPI is more commonly used for both dots or pixels.

DPI is a ratio, it refers to a *relationship* between dots and inches. Think of it like speed limits- MPH for "Miles Per Hour" (or KPH for "Kilometers Per Hour"). That is a relationship between miles (kilometers) and hours. Miles

(kilometers) measure distance, hours measure time, and MPH (KPH) is miles completed in an amount of time.

DPI is the same thing- Dots, or in this case Pixels, are bits of data in your image- they are the stuff graphics are made of. Inches are our real-world measurement system. "Dots per Inch" tells you how many of those dots it takes to fill an inch- which means how big the dots are. The smaller the dots, the sharper and crisper the image.

CYMK, Gamuts, Color shifts

Should I upload my graphic as RGB or CMYK?

Always upload graphics as RGB. CafePress requires RGB for their processes, so your files need to be RGB when uploaded. In the end all printed products are in CMYK- so check your colors in CMYK to see how they look. To make sure all your colors are "safe" for printing, create your graphic in RGB, convert it to CMYK, and then convert it back to RGB. Or just create it as CMYK in the first place, then convert it to RGB when you save a copy to upload.

What is this CMYK/RGB thing, and why can't I get this bright blue color on my screen to show on my shirt?

There are a few factors at play here. The biggest one is that colors on your monitor are created by light being emitted straight into your eyes. Colors on paper (or shirts etc) are created by pigments -- the light first hits the pigment then bounces off and into your eyes. There are certain colors in each color space (CMYK and RGB) that can not be created in the other space. Even though Cafepress needs an RGB file, it still makes sense to create your image products trying to match the CMYK spectrum since the end product is NOT something created by light being emitted straight into the eyes.

The second factor in color matching is in the process used by Cafepress to make items. This can include a slight color shift that is not completely dependent on the color space you work in but can be a factor of time, temperature, ink brand, item brand, and even weather during the time of item creation.

Here's an example of the difference in the RGB vs CMYK spectrum and of certain color shifts. Keep in mind these examples are from June of 2005.
http://www.cafepress.com/ontexasholdem/671660
If you'd like to order the shirts yourself you an order them here:
http://www.cafepress.com/ontexasholdem/653773
Thanks to Barbara for the above two links

Problem Colors:

Many colors can be effected by being out-of-gamut, but two particularly tricky colors in CMYK are bright blues and yellows, so check them carefully before you upload. An out-of-gamut blue tends to look greyish. A "lemon" yellow will tend to gome out greenish (A warm, slightly orangy "mcDonalds" type yellow works better)

Why does the zoom/preview image look pixelated- it does not look as nice as the graphic I uploaded.
The preview image is only 400 pixels square. It's there just so the customers can see what the design looks like- it is not the graphic used for printing. The high resolution graphic you uploaded is used for printing on the products.

The high-resolution image is not shown to the customers, because:
1.) it would take too long to download.
2.) it would be too large to see on the screen at once.
3.) anyone could steal it and print it themselves.


Transparency

How do I deal with transparency in my graphic?

At this time light colored garments are printed with "transluscent" inks, and dark garments with "opaque" inks. Because these are completely different processes, the graphic format is handled differently, which means you must be mindful of transparency in your images.

"Dark" (black and dark colors) t-shirts need to be transparent PNG if you wish to cut out certain areas of the image area and not have a background.

"Light" (white and pastel) do not need transparency, though it won't hurt it either. Using an image with a transparent background or a white background will have the same effect.

Transparent Inks (what is used on light colored products)

The printing process CafePress uses for light colored garments and other products is similar to your color printer at home- there is no white ink. Wherever there is white in your graphic, the color of the product itself shows through.

Remember to be careful using graphics with transparent areas on light items. For example if you make a design with white text on a transparent background, it will be invisible on a light colored item!

"No White Ink" does not mean that all other colors other than white are opaque- every color is translucent when printed on a light item. There is no "off-white" or "light grey" to use instead of white.

For example, red ink printed on the yellow shirt will be slightly red-orange. Light grey ink printed on a yellow shirt will be slightly darker yellow, just like if you used your home printer to print on a piece of yellow paper. (This is why CP cannot print on dark shirts with traditional printing, and has to use a whole different process. Try putting a black piece of paper in your home printer and see what you get )

Browse through other CafePress shops and see how the graphics look on the colored products. The thumbnail images of your product overlay the colors together to show this, so what you see is what you get.


Partially Transparent Pixels and the "halo effect" or white outline
Are you finding your image printed with a white halo or outline?

The process CafePress uses to print on dark/black t-shirts first puts down an opaque white ink layer in the exact shape of your image, then prints the colored inks on top of the white. Using transparent areas in your image tells it where to not put the white ink down.

Graphics programs are capable of making an area partially transparent, however the white ink can't do that... a spot either has the white ink under it or it doesn't. For this reason you should avoid using partial transparency, like special effects created with transprency or anti-aliasing around the edges.

For example, a "glow" or "shadow" effect in photoshop is created by fading the color out with transparency, so it has a whole range from 0% to 100% transparency. However, when the white ink is printed, it prints everywhere except where the image is 100% transparent. Your glow effect would be printed against the white ink background, which would look more like fading out to white, creating a white outline or halo.


Anti Aliasing
Anti Aliasing is something your image software does to make the edges of images look smoother by fading the colors a little around the edges so the square shape of the pixels do not look so obvious. This is especially useful on web graphics because they are low resolution.

But be careful with anti-aliasing when designing your dark t-shirts. When you anti-alias against a transparent background, it creates partially transprent pixels, which can cause a halo effect or white outline on a dark garment (see above). It's ok to use anti aliasing on the inside of your image, but for best results the outside edges are better as a hard line not anti-aliased. Because of the large size of the images and the texture of fabric, anti-aliasing is not really going to make a difference in smoothness when printed on a t-shirt and you don't really need it.



Graphic Sizes

What size should I make my graphic for different products?

The templates provided by Cafepress at the link below contains the MINIMUM pixel size to make graphics for each product.
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/help/templates.aspx

The following list is of recomended pixel sizes for creating graphics at higher resolutions for the most common products.

Graphic sizes are specified as number of inches wide by number of inches tall. The dot per inch refers to the precision of the graphic- if there are 100 pixels in each inch, the pixels are much larger than if there are 300 pixels in each

inch. The more pixels you have, the sharper the image.

The DPI and inch size information is just used to calculate what the pixel size needs to be- it is not important information that is stored in the file. All that is important in determining the size of an image is the pixel size. For example, it does not mater if your file says "72dpi" when you open it or if your file says "1200dpi". If it is 2000 pixels square, it will be 10" square on a shirt, so it will be 200dpi.

To find out how big to make an image in pixels, take the width times the DPI, and the height times the DPI.

All sizes are expressed as:

inches x inches @ dots per inch = pixels x pixels

Most types of Shirts
===========================
10" x 10" @ 100 dpi = 1000 x 1000
10" x 10" @ 150 dpi = 1500 x 1500
10" x 10" @ 200 dpi = 2000 x 2000
10" x 10" @ 300 dpi = 3000 x 3000
10" x 10" @ 400 dpi = 4000 x 4000

Other Shirts with a smaller print area (ie Jr. Raglan)
=========================
8" x 10" @ 100 dpi = 800 x 1000
8" x 10" @ 150 dpi = 1200 x 1500
8" x 10" @ 200 dpi = 1600 x 2000
8" x 10" @ 300 dpi = 2400 x 3000
8" x 10" @ 400 dpi = 3200 x 4000

All types of Cups, All Shops
====================
8.31" x 3" @ 200 dpi = 1662 x 600
8.31" x 3" @ 300 dpi = 2493 x 900
8.31" x 3" @ 400 dpi = 3324 x 1200

Standard Baseball Caps & Hats, All Shops
====================
5" x 2" @ 100 dpi = 500 x 200
5" x 2" @ 150 dpi = 750 x 300
5" x 2" @ 200 dpi = 1000 x 400
5" x 2" @ 300 dpi = 1500 x 600
5" x 2" @ 400 dpi = 2000 x 800

Mousepads, All Shops
================
9.5" x 8" @ 200 dpi = 1900 x 1600
9.5" x 8" @ 300 dpi = 2850 x 2400
9.5" x 8" @ 400 dpi = 3800 x 3200

Large Posters, All Shops
==================
23" x 35" @ 150 dpi = 3450 x 5250
23" x 35" @ 200 dpi = 4600 x 7000
23" x 35" @ 240 dpi = 5520 x 8400
23" x 35" @ 300 dpi = 6900 x 10500


With the posters, the given size in inches is the MAXIMUM size, but it can be vertical or horizontal, and it will be cropped according to the size and aspect ratio requested by you to match your design.

If you make your images a high enough resolution, a single image can be used on many diferent products. For example, if an image is 10000 pixels by 10000 pixels square, it will be diferent DPI on each product:
===============================================
SHIRTS: 10" x 10" @ 1000 dpi = 10000 x 10000
SMALL POSTERS: 16" x 16" @ 625 dpi = 10000 x 10000
LARGE POSTERS: 23" x 23" @ 434.78 dpi = 10000 x 10000

Of course, it will not actualy print at 1000 dpi on the shirt, but the graphic will have more than enough information to print at the maximum quality the shirt can be.


4000 by 4000 square:
===============================================
SHIRTS: 10" x 10" @ 400 dpi = 4000 x 4000
SMALL POSTERS: 16" x 16" @ 250 dpi = 4000 x 4000
LARGE POSTERS: 23" x 23" @ 173.9 dpi = 4000 x 4000

I created my graphic the wrong size, Can I scale the size and make it look good?
If you created your image TOO BIG, yes, you can resize it either in your graphics program before uploading it, or if you have already uploaded it use the product designer (It will automatically keep it shrunk down to the max printable size of the product, and you have the option of making it even smaller in the product designer.)

If you created an image that is TOO SMALL, then no, you have to start over. Your graphics program cannont create new information or detail... so if you try to resize it into an image that is 300 pixels across into an image 3000 pixels across, it will be blurry, pixelly, and artifacty. Some people use "artistic" filters as a work around: You will never get a crystal clear photo from enlarging it, but you could try to turn the image into "pop art", or a faux watercolor, etc. If your graphic is very simple and you are not enlarging it too much, the "median" filter in photoshop will help reduce the jaggy edges, but you still lose detail.

The exception to enlarging is if you create in a vector format (such as adobe illustrator) and save it as a vector NOT rasterized (converted to pixels). A vector graphic saved in its native format can usually be enlarged as much as you like.

What size graphic will work on the most products?
If you are not planning on making "full bleed" images, a 10" wide image with a white background is usable on most products except the posters (the product designer will let you size down an image from a 10" t-shirt to a 1" button!) and will give you the most "bang for your buck"

The size in pixels for a 10" image should be:
2000 pixels -->Recommended
3000 pixels or 4000 pixels -->Better

If you are working with full bleed, here are some recommended sizes (courtesy Nick of MagentaStudios)
(If you do not understand aspect rations, you can just use the official templates but for those that can use this sort of math
I have been playing around with aspect ratios, trying to find ideal rectangles that will bleed on as many products as possible.

I found that:

Vertical
-------------

A graphic with a 2x3 aspect ratio will bleed on all of the following products:
Keepsake (Oval),
Journal,
Sticker (Rect),
Sticker (Oval),
Postcards,
Large Poster (full),
Greeting Card (almost, but not quite)

... so you can get a lot of milage out of a graphic with a 2x3 aspect ratio, such as 4000x6000 or 3000x4500.

Horizontal
----------------

A graphic with a 4x3 aspect ratio will bleed on all of the following products:
Postcards,
Calendar Print,
Greeting Card (almost, but not quite)

A graphic with a 6x5 aspect ratio will bleed on all of the following products:
Mousepad

Aspect ratios:
If you do not understand aspect rations, you can just use the official templates but for those that can use this sort of math (courtesy Tanith):

Aspect ratio is the relationship between the height and the width.

4 x 6 has the same aspect ratio as
8 x 12

4/6 = .6666
8/12 = .6666

It isn't so much about improving design as knowing which images can be used on multiple products even if the products are very different sizes. I believe that some products are less fussy about exactness than others but after getting stung by the accuracy required for the aspect ratio of the calendar I only go for exact ratios.

Width to Height ratio
1.00 Button
1.00 Wall Clock
1.00 Premium Shop Shirts
1.19 Mousepad
1.25 Small Poster
1.28 Calendar Print
1.33 Framed Panel Print
1.36 Greeting Cards - outside
1.40 Large Framed Print
1.44 Postcards
1.50 Mini Poster Print
1.52 Large Poster
1.55 Journal
1.57 Stickers Rectangle
1.57 Stickers Oval
1.80 Black Cap (Oval)
2.00 Jr. Hoodie shoulder
2.33 Small Framed Print
2.50 Baseball Cap
2.50 Shoulders
2.77 Large Mug
3.00 Bumper Sticker
8.33 License Frame Top
10.25 License Frame Bottom (License plate frames have changed - the above is the old calculation but there is nothing close anyway.)

Height to Width
Shoulders 0.40
Small Framed Print 0.43
Stickers Rectangle 0.64
Stickers Oval 0.64
Journal 0.65
Large Poster 0.66
Mini Poster Print 0.67
Postcards 0.69
Large Framed Print 0.71
Greeting Cards - outside 0.73
Framed Panel Print 0.75
Shirts 0.80
Small Poster 0.80
Mousepad 0.84
Button 1.00
Wall Clock 1.00
Ornament Oval 1.40

Some, like the journal, can't be displayed in another orientation in the shop but are fine as products with both orientations. Others, like the Oval ornament, can really function only in one direction.

(courtesy Tanith, AKA Diane Blackman of dogplay)


Mugs

The mug preview in my shop looks all funny, but the image I uploaded was fine. What is wrong.
Don't worry! Your mug will come out looking great when printed for real. The product thumbnails in your shop are just that... thumbnails, mocked up to give an idea of what the resulting product will look like. Because the thumbnails are just digital mock-ups, and because your image is flat, and the photo of the mug is angled & curved mug, the thumbnails don't always look right. BUT, when they are printed, the image is actually, physically wrapped around the mug by the person making it, and will come out fine.

Will the printing cover the entire mug?
Not entirely. You can make a wrap-around image, but due to the printing method, there will be a white margin on the top, bottom & next to the handle.

How do I put images on the front and back of the mug? It only lets me upload one image
The mug uses a single image that wraps around the entire mug. Many people wish to have two images placed on the mug instead, one on the front and one on the back. This can be done easily with a single image, by placing two copies of one graphic side-by-side on the single wrap-around image.

Simply download the mug template, and the template will be a skinny rectangle, and there will be two + marks, one near the left, one near the right. These + marks represent the center front and center back of your mug. Paste your image into the template twice (once on each +)

If you want to be more mathmatic, here are all the numbers anyone could possibly ever need for a front/back image

placement on the mugs:

small mug--
front area= 3.23" wide (1.62" is center mark)
center area oposite the handle= 1.845" wide (from 3.23" to 5.08")
back area= 3.23" wide (from 5.08" to 8.31", 6.7" is center mark)

large mug--
front area= 3" wide (1.5" is center mark)
center area oposite the handle= 2.32" wide (from 3" to 5.32")
back area= 3" wide (from 5.32" to 8.31", 6.82" is center mark)

Thanks to Fricka, Nick, Cindy vonSpant for the math, and for all of the people

who have created this FAQ & added information.

(Just updating a few urls - Teesed)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Teesed,

What Graphics Software Should I use?

If you are just starting out, check your computer to see what you have: you might have a pretty good program and not even know it. Many computers come installed with software, or software might come with equipment like scanners, digital cameras, drawing tablets, etc.

Cafepress's system is based on images, not on text. You need to use a graphics program, even if your t-shirt idea is just text. Text editors (like notepad or wordpad) can NOT be used. Whatever you use, check to see if it can save in the ".jpg" or ".png" format. It doesn't necessarily have to be a fancy program with bells and whistles, as long as you can save as a .jpg or .png you can use it.

Of course, the simpler the program you use, the simpler your results will be. You can get away with a very basic program if all you want is plain one color text, but if you are looking to to make more complicated images you want to get a program with more features...

Graphics Software To Buy or Download

Here is a partial list of graphics applications that are available, their web addresses, and their general price levels- "professional", "inexpensive", and "free". (feel free to contact the mods if you have one to add)

All of the Professional level ones are available on both Macintosh and Windows- others may be limited to one platform or another.

The Free Graphics Software are all listed here:
http://forums.cafepress.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/983104/m/979105481


BITMAP EDITING (painting and image processing programs)
============================================
Professional:
------------
Adobe Photoshop - www.adobe.com
Procreate Painter - www.procreate.com

Inexpensive:
------------
JASC Paint Shop Pro - www.jasc.com
Adobe Elements - www.adobe.com
PhotoPlus - www.serif.com


VECTOR DRAWING (Object-oriented programs)
=====================================
Professional:
------------
Adobe Illustrator - www.adobe.com
Corel Draw - www.corel.com
Macromedia Freehand - www.macromedia.com

Inexpensive:
------------
DrawPlus - www.serif.com

3D GRAPHICS:
=================================
Professional:
--------------------
MAYA - www.aliaswavefront.com
3D Studio MAX - www.discreet.com
SoftImage|XSI - www.softimage.com


Inexpensive:
-----------------
Caligari - www.caligari.com
Poser - www.curiouslabs.com
Amorphium Pro - www.electricimage.com

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ophelia,

Where can I get free fonts?

Here is a growing list of websites that provide free fonts that can be used on products for-profit. If you find one, post eMail me the URL or post it in this group and I will add it.

FONTS
===============================
Nick's Fonts www.nicksfonts.com/

Larabie Fonts: www.larabiefonts.com/

The Lab: www.hardcovermedia.com/lab/Index.html (click grab in the left side menu)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ophelia,

Where can I get clipart or stock photography?

Note: When buying art for use on CafePress you will have to make sure you purchase a commercial license. Look for Royalty Free images for cheaper images.

Clipart/Stock Photo Houses:

Professional Quality Use (and prices)
-----------------------

Getty Images (also covers Photodisc): www.gettyimages.com/

Corbis www.corbis.com

Personal Use to Commercial Quality Use (low to free cost)
-------------------------------------

Free Images: www.freeimages.co.uk/ (requires a credit where the image is used & additional stipulations read terms carefully)

Budgetstockphoto.com: www.budgetstockphoto.com
(images from above without a credit, fee involved)



http://www.openclipart.org/[/url]

http://www.commoncontent.org/catalog/images
For commoncontents.org you need to check for each site, that the license is not non-commercial.

Another handy feature which (not specifically for images though): Yahoo Creative Commons search for images you can use commercially:
http://search.yahoo.com/cc

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ophelia,

QUOTE:
FULL BLEED

There are a number of products that specify full-bleed and are printed on an opaque material. Notable ones that spring to mind include stickers and clocks. We have others coming along (calendars, greeting cards) that fall into the category of which I will offer a bit of advice on:

Rather than using a template to draw close to the edge, FULL BLEED YOUR IMAGES.

Why? Because of the mass production of these products, registration and die-cuts will often not be EXACTLY PERFECT. So what does this mean? It means that if your border is right up close to the edge of the cut, even if it is off by a millimeter or two, it will look unprofessional. By full-bleeding your images, you are guaranteeing that you won't have a border that looks "just a bit off." With full-bleed products printed on transparent material (i.e. discs and lunchboxes), this is less of a problem as the edge is not really detectable.

I'll try to post some pictures of what I mean, and you'll agree with me the tremendous value of full-bleeding these images!

Thanks,

--jeddings

--
Jeffery Eddings
jeddings@cafepress.com
/QUOTE

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ophelia,

Full bleed is where the image runs all the way off the edge so that you do not get a white border. You make the image slightly larger than the finished product. For example for 5x7 greeting cards you make the image 5.5 x 7.5, so that when they trim the card to size, your image covers from edge to edge. (If you made the image at 5x7 exactly, there is no way they can line things up perfectly, so you would get a tiny white strip showing on one or more edges)

quote:

f I'm setting the size to 10000x10000 what should I set the dpi to in order to get a single image that can be used on all merchandise of all sizes?

It doesn't matter, as long as you have the pixels set to 10000, that is the important part as far as cafepress is concerned. CP's system only reads the number of pixels, not the DPI. (And actually, unless you are doing posters, 3000 x 3000 pixels is plenty.)

Filtered Images

Uploaded an image and it does not show up when you try to put it on a product, the basket says it has been "filtered"?

To ensure a good printing quality on your products, your image must be an appropriate size. The system will not allow you to select an image that is too small to print well.

For example a large poster is 23" by 35" in size-- you need a very big image to print well that large, and the average image you upload for a t-shirt will not generally work. So when you are designing a poster, the image basket will filter out any images that are too small.

Any image that is under 200 pixels (either in height width or both) is too small to use on any product, and will always be filtered out.

(TRANSPARENCY: Previously, CafePress' system could only accept transparent images for "dark" t-shirts and they would get filtered. However it was updated so it now accepts transparent images for all items, although the transparency info is ignored and treated the same as a white background is for those items)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ophelia,

Serif.com has been around for about a thousand years and offer some older versions of their progs free. Just download them.

Essentially photoshop and illustrator clones, among others (3d program, desktop publishing etc). I used them eons ago and they are really quality programs, albeit the versions offered may be a bit dated. But you can't beat the price! I believe they are windows only tho.

http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/

Make your GIMP interface more like Photoshop.

PlasticBugs.com

"Gimpshop" by PlasticBugs does a good job of tweaking the GIMP interface to be more like Photoshop.

As a CS2 user I can honestly say it looks quite good.

GIMP Transparency tutorial from BZ:

http://cafesuccess.blogspot.com/2006/09/making-images-with-transparent.html

Types of Transparencies

From Diane:
There are two different kinds of transparency. Alpha transparency and indexed transparency. Indexed transparency is kind of a fake - it basically picks out a color and says "don't show this color" That is what a transparent gif is, and it doesn't work for the CafePress printing process. PNG can be either PNG8 (indexed) or PNG24 (alpha) transparency. Only the PNG24 works with CafePress process (or at least in general - I'm not going to confuse by discussing the exceptions).