For screen printers

Files your screens actually like.

We convert raster artwork into screen-ready vector files: spot-color separations, halftone breakdowns, Pantone-named layers, and the underbase already drawn. Manual rebuilds by in-house designers — no auto-traced shortcuts that fail on press.

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Screen printers use VectorWiz to turn customer artwork (PNG, JPG, scanned PDF, lo-res social-media exports) into press-ready vector files with proper spot-color separations, halftone treatment for photographic elements, named Pantone swatches, and a drawn underbase for dark garments. Files ship in AI, EPS, PDF, and SVG with one screen-ready layer per color.

Why production shops standardize on VectorWiz

Spot-color separated

One Illustrator layer per spot color. Each layer is named with the Pantone or ink color you specified — no remapping before you burn screens.

Halftones drawn correctly

Photographic gradients become proper halftones at the LPI you specify, with angle separation between colors so moiré stays out of the print.

Underbase included on dark goods

When the job prints on a dark substrate, we draw the underbase white layer with the right choke and trap settings — saves you a screen and a color check.

Type already outlined

Fonts converted before delivery. No font-substitution surprise on the press computer; no licensing concerns.

Press-ready format export

AI source, EPS for older RIP software, PDF/X-1a press-ready exports if you need them. Every file works in Wasatch, AccuRIP, FilmMaker, or whatever's pinned to your workflow.

Same-day on standard jobs

Simple and Medium complexity files ship within 8 business hours of checkout. Halftone-heavy art typically delivers in 24 hours.

How a job moves through VectorWiz

Submit your art and ink list
Upload the customer file. Tell us the ink colors (Pantone, plastisol, water-based, or named ink), the substrate (light or dark, 100% cotton, blend, polyester), and the LPI for any halftones.
Instant price
Our classifier grades complexity the moment you upload and shows the price instantly — in credits for subscribers or USD for per-job orders. Halftone separations move jobs into Medium or High; spot-color simple-mark jobs stay Simple.
Manual rebuild + separation
Designer rebuilds the artwork as vector, separates into one layer per color, draws underbase if needed, applies halftones at your spec. QC pass before delivery.
Press-ready delivery
AI, EPS, SVG, PDF in one zip. Layered with named Pantone or ink colors. Halftone separations in films or layered AI as you prefer.

What every screen-print deliverable contains

We deliver one zip with the artwork prepped for the inks and substrates you specified at checkout. Layers are screen-numbered. Halftones are at the LPI and angle you asked for. Underbase is drawn where needed. The file drops into your RIP and outputs films.

Standard screen-print deliverable

Format	Best for	What we ship
AI (Adobe Illustrator)	Editing source	Layered file with one layer per ink color, named with Pantone or ink spec, fonts outlined.
EPS	Older RIP software (Wasatch, FilmMaker)	Flattened-color EPS with named spot inks and proper trap/overprint flags.
PDF/X-1a	Press-ready proof and film output	Single-page press-ready PDF with all spot colors named and embedded.
SVG	Web preview, customer proof	Web-clean SVG for quick approvals and online proofing systems.

How we handle halftones, gradients, and photographs

Most production headaches come from photographic source material that the customer expects to print on a 4-color manual press. The conversion isn't tracing — it's translating the photographic effect into spot color seps that actually print.

Soft gradients become 2–4 step blends in spot inks (or proper process simulation) at the LPI you specify.
Photographic elements become halftone screens at the angle separation that avoids moiré with adjacent colors.
Process simulation (CMYK on press) is available for high-color photographic jobs that need to ship in 4 inks total.
Out-of-gamut Pantone calls get flagged during the rebuild so you don't surprise the customer with a substitution.

Pantone, named inks, and color management

Sign every spot color with the customer's spec — Pantone Solid Coated/Uncoated, RAL, custom Plastisol mix names, water-based formulations. Layer names match the ink, not generic numbers. Your color manager sees Pantone 186 C in the file rather than ‘Layer 4’.

Pantone Solid (Coated/Uncoated): Named swatches preserved in the AI file with the customer-specified library. CMYK and RGB equivalents are computed for proofing only — final ink reference stays Pantone.
Custom Plastisol mixes: Pass us your mix name (e.g. ‘Sport Red 220’) and we'll save it as a named spot color. Your RIP and your mixing recipe match.
Water-based and discharge: We can flag colors that won't reproduce well on water-based or discharge prints (typically very dark navy, brown, deep red) so you can negotiate the substitution before printing.
Underbase choke and trap: Standard choke is 0.5pt from the printed color edge. Custom values per your shop's preference are honored if specified on your order.

How complexity drives the screen-print price

Screen-print jobs range from Simple (1-color text logos) to Complex (photographic 8-color jobs with halftones). The complexity rubric drives credit cost and the instant USD price consistently across all jobs — shown the moment you upload.

Screen-print complexity in practice

Aspect	Credits	USD	Typical example
Simple	10	$25–35	1-color text-and-mark logo, no halftone, dark or light substrate
Medium	20	$45–65	2–4 spot colors, simple gradient as 3-step blend, basic underbase
High	35	$75–110	Halftones, distressed effects, 5–6 colors, complex underbase choke
Complex	60	$130–180	Photographic source, full halftone separations, simulated process
Bulk	Email us	Email us	5+ shirts/posters in one batch — email hello@vectorwiz.com for bespoke pricing

What to include with your order

The more you tell us up front, the better the file. Include this when you upload and we'll skip the back-and-forth.

Source artwork (any raster format works — even small thumbnails)
Ink colors: Pantone numbers, custom mix names, or vinyl-color names
Substrate: garment color, fabric blend, or substrate type
Halftone LPI if photographic elements: typical is 45 LPI for plastisol, 55 for water-based
Print method: manual press, automatic, simulated process, water-based, discharge
Underbase requirements: yes/no, choke distance preference
Deadline and rush flag if applicable

Frequently asked questions

Direct answers to what production buyers ask before placing their first order. Question missing? Ask us.

Do you produce films for me?

No — we deliver the AI or EPS file ready to film. Your RIP outputs the films from our file at the LPI and angle you specify. We can flag any technical issues that would cause a film output problem.

What about underbase for dark garments?

We draw the underbase white layer in the AI file with proper choke (default 0.5pt) when the job prints on a dark substrate. Custom choke values are honored if you specify on your order.

Can you simulate 4-color process from a photo?

Yes — process simulation is available for photographic source material. We separate to CMYK process inks at the LPI and angle separation you specify, with optional white and a 5th spot for any out-of-gamut colors.

Do you handle distressed and halftone-effect logos?

Yes. Distressed and halftone effects are common in screen-print work; they grade as High complexity because they require careful angle separation to avoid moiré with the underlying art.

What LPI should I specify for halftones?

Typical industry standards: 45 LPI for plastisol on cotton, 55 LPI for water-based, 65 LPI for soft-hand process. If unsure, tell us the press and substrate and we'll suggest based on your shop's typical output.

Can you match Pantone mixes I already use?

Yes — pass us your mix name (e.g. ‘Sport Red 220’, ‘House Navy’) and we save it as a named spot color. Your RIP and your mixing room reference the same name.

Do you separate art for water-based or discharge prints?

Yes. We'll flag any colors that won't reproduce well on water-based or discharge (typically very dark navy, brown, deep red, or some neon Pantones) so you can negotiate substitution before printing.

What if my customer sent a low-resolution image from social media?

We rebuild from low-res sources regularly. The conversion is manual — we draw the vector from the visual reference, not from pixels. The only thing we can't recover is detail that wasn't visible in the source. Heavy reconstruction grades as Complex.

How fast is rush turnaround?

Turnaround starts at checkout — most Simple/Medium files ordered before 11 AM ET ship same-day. For after-hours or urgent rush work, email hello@vectorwiz.com; we keep an on-call designer for production-buyer rush jobs.

Do you provide film output at a flat fee?

Not currently — we focus on the file. If you need a film-output partner, we can recommend shops we trust. The file we deliver works in any standard film-RIP setup.

Order now

Upload your file. Get an instant estimate. Order in minutes.

Drop an image, see the complexity-based price automatically, and check out — subscribers debit credits, everyone else pays per job.

Order now See pricing

Need something custom? Email hello@vectorwiz.com

Specialised for the way your shop runs

Production buyers don't need a generic vector — they need files that drop straight into the next step in the workflow.

Sign shops

Vinyl-plotter-ready vector files. Production-correct paths, not auto-traced sketch files.

Embroidery digitizers

Stitch-friendly vectors prepped for digitizing. Clean joins, no spurious nodes.

Laser / CNC / DXF

Closed-path DXF and AI files for laser, plasma, water-jet, and CNC cutters.

Vinyl cutters

Single-stroke and cut-ready vectors for vinyl plotters and decal production.

Engravers

Single-line and outline-only vectors for rotary, fiber, and CO₂ engravers.

Signage fabricators

CNC-ready files for channel letters, dimensional letters, monument signs, ADA interior signage.