How to Convert a Logo for Screen Printing
Screen printing requires vector artwork with separated color layers. Follow these steps to convert any PNG or JPG logo to a screen print-ready SVG.
Steps
- 1
Upload your logo PNG or JPG to the Logo Vectorizer and convert to SVG.
- 2
Open the SVG in Illustrator or Inkscape and verify that each ink color is a separate path or group.
- 3
Clean up stray paths and set each color to a solid fill (no gradients — screen printing uses spot colors).
- 4
Export as SVG or PDF and send to your screen printer with a color specification sheet.
About How to convert a logo for screen printing
Screen printing uses separate ink screens — one per color. Each screen deposits one ink color onto the garment. For a three-color logo, three screens are made, one for each color layer. The artwork file must define these layers cleanly, with no overlapping colors and precise path boundaries.
Vector SVG files are ideal for screen printing because each color region is a discrete path. The printer's prepress team can isolate each color, apply the correct Pantone or process ink, and create registration marks for precise layer alignment.
Converting your logo to SVG produces clean, separated color paths. If the vectorizer merges adjacent color areas that should be separate colors, open the SVG in a vector editor and manually separate those regions. For logos with trapping requirements (slight path overlap between adjacent colors to prevent gaps), adjust in the vector editor before sending to print.
Most screen print shops accept SVG, AI, or EPS files. If your printer requests EPS, open the SVG in Illustrator and save as EPS with the appropriate compatibility settings.