Good decisions.
Better merchandise.
Before uploading artwork for custom merch, send the clearest original file you have and explain what it will become. Product, finished size, colour, placement and quantity give that file a useful context. A crisp logo on your laptop is a starting point; the next step is checking how its details will work on the actual sticker, keyring or embroidered garment.
This checklist helps you prepare that handover. It covers the files and decisions needed before proofing, with a folder example and a brief you can copy. You do not need to solve every production question yourself. Make the agreed details clear, identify anything still undecided and ask for the artwork to be reviewed against the product you want to order.
Start with the product and finished result
Give the design a job before preparing the upload. A sticker going into customer parcels, a keyring sold as merchandise and a logo embroidered onto staff beanies may share the same identity, but each needs its own specification. Describe who will receive the item, where it will be used and what they should notice first. That helps separate essential information from details added simply because there is space in the original design.
Write the product name beside the artwork, then add the intended dimensions or placement. “Logo for a shaped sticker, approximately 80 mm wide, with a visible border” is a clearer starting point than “print this”. For headwear, identify the beanie or cap and the area you want embroidered. If the size needs advice, say so instead of treating the dimensions of a mockup as an agreed production size.
Choose the material and finish separately from the outline. The sticker range includes different finishes; “die cut” describes the shaped cut rather than identifying a holographic surface. Put the product choice in the brief so the artwork review addresses the effect you actually want. Our gloss vinyl and holographic sticker comparison explains that finish choice in more detail.
Find the best original source
Look for the file supplied by your designer or saved by the person who created the logo. The original may retain editable shapes, individual elements and useful colour information. A preview copied from a message, a website or a social account can be compressed, resized or cropped. It may be useful for recognition, but it should not replace a better source file that already exists.
Keep three roles distinct: the original design, the artwork being proposed for this product and a reference showing the result you like. A photograph of a beanie can explain placement. A picture of another sticker can explain a border. Neither tells the team to reproduce every part of the pictured item. Label references and add a sentence saying which feature matters.
If another designer has adapted the logo, include the original and the proposed adaptation, with the current version identified. Explain whether a small strapline has been intentionally removed or a symbol has been separated from the full lockup. That avoids treating an incomplete export as the brand master.
Do not abandon the enquiry if you cannot find the original. Send the clearest file available, describe where it came from and explain the intended product. The team can assess what is usable and what needs further work. An honest account of the source is more useful than repeatedly enlarging the same low-detail image.
Understand what the file contains
A filename does not guarantee how the design was built. A PDF may contain editable vector shapes, a flattened image or a mixture of both. Putting a screenshot into a PDF does not turn the screenshot into vector artwork. Equally, changing a file extension does not recreate missing detail. Keep the original files rather than converting them several times in the hope that a different label will make them production-ready.
Vector designs describe shapes with paths, which can help when preparing a clean logo or outline. Raster images contain pixels, so their useful detail depends on the actual image and its intended finished dimensions. Both may have a role. The important question is whether the supplied content is suitable for the chosen product, rather than whether the extension sounds professional.
Check the background as well as the mark. If you want the surrounding area removed, say that. A white rectangle may be intentional artwork or just a preview background. Include a reference if transparency is difficult to show in your design software, and avoid letting a preview decide the printed background accidentally.
Our custom die cut sticker options explain the artwork route for that product. Use the formats the product’s upload control permits and keep the original design available alongside any preview. If you cannot upload the source you have, ask the team for the appropriate handover route rather than repeatedly converting the file.
Check the smallest wording at finished size
View the design at the width and height you intend to order. A paper printout can make this check easier because you can hold it at a realistic distance rather than examining a zoomed screen. It is a check of layout and readability, not a simulation of vinyl, moulded material or stitches. The production review still needs to consider the actual process.
Start with the most important wording. Can you read the brand name quickly? Then review secondary details: a website, a date, a strapline or an outline around the lettering. Look at the spaces inside letters and between nearby shapes. If a detail is already hard to recognise on the paper preview, it needs attention before you expect a smaller physical item to carry it.
Decide what can be simplified without losing the identity. Removing a tiny secondary line may give the main name room to breathe. A compact emblem may work better than a full horizontal logo on a cuff. Make any proposed adaptation deliberate and keep it separate from the original master. Do not stretch the logo to fit or delete important text without recording the change.
There is no universal lettering size or resolution setting that guarantees every design will work on every product. Send the proposed dimensions and explain which details must remain. That lets the team review the real brief instead of guessing the size from the image displayed in an email.
Review the design for the chosen process
For stickers, consider the visible artwork and the intended cut edge together. Explain whether the cut should follow the main shape, use a surrounding border or include a simpler outline around several elements. Tiny isolated shapes and closely spaced details may need a revised cut path. Keep important wording away from an edge you have not yet agreed, and ask for the cut line to be reviewed rather than applying a guessed bleed to every file.
For soft PVC keyring options, give the proposed overall shape and identify the elements that matter most. A flat logo shown at full-screen size does not explain every decision about a moulded accessory. If you are still choosing the material, read the PVC, metal and embroidered keyring guide before finalising the brief. The product-specific proof is where layout, colour and shape can be reviewed together. If you like a reference, identify its relevant feature without assuming that its construction is included in your chosen option.
For custom logo embroidery, the artwork needs to become stitch information through digitisation. An editable vector logo is a useful source, but it is not automatically an embroidery file. Fine lettering, narrow gaps and photographic effects need review at the intended size on the chosen garment. State the fabric or garment reference and the desired placement alongside the design.
A tonal mark also needs a clear explanation. “Subtle” might mean similar thread and garment colours, a smaller logo or fewer elements. Those choices do different jobs. Describe the result you want the wearer to see, then ask for advice on the actual combination. The objective is to adapt the artwork thoughtfully, with each product’s limitations considered.
State colour, finish and placement separately
List the base product colour, the intended decoration colours and any brand references in separate lines. If you have a brand colour code, include it as a reference and name the system it comes from. A screen preview is not a physical sample of ink, thread or material. Ask how the reference should be interpreted for the selected process, especially if colour matching is central to the order.
Give the placement a name as well as a proposed size. For garments, “left chest” and “centre back” describe different positions and should each have their own artwork entry. For a beanie, identify the cuff and the preferred orientation. A mockup can support those notes, but it should not silently replace them.
Separate fixed requirements from ideas you are happy to discuss. “Black garment is fixed; please advise on a readable tonal thread” is useful. It tells the team which decision to preserve and where a recommendation is welcome. Do the same for a border, fitting, print position or product dimension.
Give each file a clear position and revision
Name files so another person can understand them without opening everything. Include the brand or project, the product or placement and the revision. A date can help if you routinely send updates, but it does not replace an explicit statement about which version should be used. Avoid leaving several files called “final”, “final-new” and “final-really” in the same handover.
| Filename | Purpose | Note for the team |
|---|---|---|
| Northside_Logo_Master_v03.ai | Original editable logo | Keep as the identity reference |
| Northside_Sticker_80mm_v02.pdf | Proposed sticker artwork | Review the outline and border |
| Northside_Beanie_Cuff_v01.pdf | Compact cuff mark | Advise on embroidery size |
| Northside_Placement_Reference.jpg | Visual reference only | Shows placement, not production artwork |
If you revise the lettering, outline or placement after sending the folder, say exactly what changed and identify the replacement file. Ask the team to confirm which revision is being reviewed. Keep the superseded file for your own records, but do not leave the production choice ambiguous.
Build a simple handover folder
Keep related files together in a small, clearly organised folder. A useful structure separates sources, proposed product artwork, references and the written brief. You do not need a complicated system; the aim is to make the correct file easy to locate and to show which images are examples rather than instructions to reproduce.
Northside_First_Merch_Order/
01_Source_Artwork/
Northside_Logo_Master_v03.ai
02_Product_Artwork/
Northside_Sticker_80mm_v02.pdf
Northside_Beanie_Cuff_v01.pdf
03_References/
Northside_Placement_Reference.jpg
04_Brief/
Northside_Order_Notes.txt
This is a fictional folder example, not a downloadable product template or a production specification. The sticker page currently asks you to send the design and intended size for layout help where a template is not available. Do not build an assumed cut line or garment boundary from this example.
Before sending, open the files from the folder you intend to share. Check that the lettering and images appear as expected and that the brief refers to those exact filenames. If an editable project relies on separately linked images or fonts, explain that to the team and ask which supporting files are needed. A successful export on your own computer does not tell someone else which project dependencies exist.
Explain what still needs advice
Mark unresolved decisions openly. You may need help choosing a sticker border, assessing a small piece of lettering, finding a suitable garment or deciding whether a logo should be simplified for embroidery. Put these questions beside the agreed specification so they can be answered in context.
Useful notes describe a problem: “We only have this image file; can you assess it at 70 mm wide?” or “The strapline is important, but we are unsure if it suits a cuff.” Broad requests such as “make it premium” leave too much to interpretation. Explain what you want people to notice and which parts of the identity must stay.
Include the date you need the finished items, even if artwork is still being prepared. That date is a requirement to review, not a production promise. Distinguish the intended arrival date from an artwork handover date and avoid assuming that sending a file starts production immediately. The product and proof still need to be agreed.
Use this final artwork handover checklist
Copy the checklist below into your order notes. Fill in the decisions you have made and write “please advise” for the ones still open. For a mixed order, repeat the product-specific lines for each item instead of expecting one size or file to describe the whole set.
Brand or project:
Product or service:
Intended use:
Physical quantity and any colour or size split:
Finished artwork dimensions:
Placement or proposed cut outline:
Base product colour:
Decoration colour or finish:
Artwork filename and revision:
Original source file included:
Reference images and what they illustrate:
Required arrival date:
Details fixed by the brand:
Questions that need advice:
For example: “Northside launch; 50 gloss vinyl stickers; parcel inserts; proposed width 80 mm; shaped outline with a visible border; use Sticker_v02, with Master_v03 as the source; please review the smallest lettering; required arrival date to be confirmed.” This is a fictional handover example. The selected product page and the agreed proof define the actual order.
Check spelling, filenames and totals once more before sending. Keep the brief and the version being reviewed together. When the proof arrives, review its complete specification separately; sending a well-organised folder is useful preparation, but it is not final production approval.
Send the artwork and the context together
Choose the route shown on the product you are ordering. Configurable pages can include an artwork upload; complete-pack listings may ask you to email the artwork with your order number after checkout. For example, the pack of 50 die cut stickers offers an artwork upload and an email handover with your order number. Follow the instructions for the listing rather than assuming every product uses the same upload control.
Ready to prepare your order? Review the relevant product options, then send your artwork and product brief if anything needs advice. A clear original, a realistic finished size and a concise set of notes give the team a much stronger starting point for turning your identity into custom merchandise.
