Issues with AI file and (3rd party) Print

[imitating]

So I recently requested a sample print of one of my designs on a small bag (approx. 9" x 5") with a 3rd party company, Printify. I work solely with AI (but do not normally print), so file quality has never concerned me until this incident. Please help, I am at a loss as to what I am doing wrong.  

The product I am attempting to print on has these stated dimensions from their site (the small size):

Their website recommends a file size of: "1500px 1950px" for this particular product.

Again, working in AI, I assume this is no problem at all and proceed to upload my file to their site which comes in at "7961px x 5971px."

So everything seems fine until I get the print back.

I feel like it's hard to tell from a photo, but the print appears blurry. I know I am overly critical of work, so I did ask others for their opinion on the print and they agree as well. At any rate, it is unacceptable for me to sell an item at its current state.

I reached out to the company and we went back and forth as follows:

September 26th: "Thank you for reaching out to us and bringing this to our attention. I took a look at the print file you provided for this item and unfortunately if you zoom in you can see that it is slightly blurry:

If printed on flat area, this blurriness might not be noticeable, however, when printed on a textured fabric the print gets fuzzy."

So basically we go back and forth on this as I send her screenshots of the same files I uploaded zoomed into the same level she is on her end and they are crisp on my end.

She eventually gets a few other people involved and I get this response next: “Thank you for sharing the files with us. I can confirm that the quality is indeed superb therefore we will need to investigate this to find out why did it turn out the way it did.”

Later followed up with: "Tech Team is still looking into the case and as soon as we have any update, we will inform you immediately."

A few days later after the tech team looked into, they finally "resolve" the issue and this is their answer:

October 3rd: “Our tech team has gotten back to us and informed that the print file is the same as your file.

However, I can suggest to improve the quality of the small lines in the design: Small design elements such as these will come out blurry, if the print file is also pixelated, which is visible in the original file as well. Please update the quality of the file, to avoid it from being blurry in the replacement order and let us know.”

And they attached this image as proof that my images are blurry to start with:

Now if you zoom into any raster image close enough, you are going to see pixelation. I understand that (not sure if they do), but should my file have been clean enough for their printing requirements? Am I missing something? I am also considering that the medium I had it printed on will just always be "soft," but want to make sure there is something I should be altering first before just giving up on this project entirely.

[lambiloon]

Hi as you are printing on bag its surface has texture it looks same as you have no so it looks fine from far or you can use Ai file for more better quality but all depends on printing surface....Thanks.

[imitating]

That's what I feared. Each time I talked with them, they just insisted it was a poor quality image I was uploading (rather than the material), so I was hoping there was a way I could make it better.

[lambiloon]

Ask them they support Pdf or Ai or Eps file ? send them one of mentioned format then all will be good for sure...Thanks

[imitating]

They only accept jpg or png

[lambiloon]

Hi then ask them to what maximum width and height there printed machine support make artboard of that size and save png and send me them...Thanks

[imitating]

I don't know that that will help, only because their recommended dimensions were 1500 x 1950 and what I gave them was 7961 x 5971 ( I also gave them a 8125 x 6250 among other attempts as well). The artboard at the time was sized at: 4500 x 2700 and I exported at 300ppi.

[lambiloon]

Hi then choose different printing company which supports pdf or vector files for printing....Thanks.

[Monika Gause]

I suppose that this is the cheapest print you could get?

What they told you doesn't sound like they really know their machines. On the other hand it is possible that this issue happens when resolution is too high. Downscaling might cause blurriness as well especially when not done right. You might need to do tests in order to find out the optimal resolution for this print.

Or find a different company that knows their equipment and their material and can tell you what exactly is happening there.

[imitating]

No, not the cheapest actually. It was really the style of bag that I was after. At the time I was only able to track down two companies that offered a t-bottom style direct to customer. And while the other option/company was cheaper, I chose Printify because in their example images it looked higher quality (I was obviously very wrong).

We did bring up to them that perhaps the file we gave them was being downsamlped incorrectly once it was on their end due to its size and offered to upload a smaller file, which we tried and they confirmed it looked the same to them (which means great quality to one of their teammates, but blurry to the rest of them once they “zoom in”).

I am currently on the look out for another company that offers that style. I am trying one in Canada right now with a slightly different style bag, but will probably be waiting at least another two weeks before I can see how theirs measures up.

[Monika Gause]

The zoom level in your screenshots is so high that the slight blur shouldn't matter at all when printing on fabric at that size. The printer rather looks like the color just got soaked in.

But you will need someone to tell you for sure. And this person might need to see the real printed thing and not just a photo.

[imitating]

I completely agree. And the emails with some of the people at this company has been so frustrating.

[Monika Gause]

I wish you a better experience with that other company and good luck for your project!

[imitating]

Thank you so much.

[meganchi]

Just wondering how high their output device prints? For example, if you saved out your file at 1200 dpi, would that work? Your input is only as good as their output device's capability. But saving it out with that higher dpi compared to 300 dpi png is noticeably cleaner.

[imitating]

We are going to try that next. Unfortunately Printify is nothing more than an intermediate party between the printer and the business (myself), so I don't really get too much info on the printer's capabilities. I really get the feeling that they (Printify) do not know too much about the issue at hand given some of their responses but I am trying to go along with their recommendations at each step of the way. They want to try a higher dpi to help the small lines... I told them at this point I am even fine removing the small lines, but am more concerned with the main body of the octopus as well as the big bold text on the opposing side coming out fuzzy. While I have always heard 300dpi should more than fine enough for this type of print (several print companies even take as low as 150dpi), I am personally quite new to the printing game so am willing to entertain the idea of submitting an extremely high dpi (although I've also heard this can cause its own set of issues).

[imitating]

On a side note, I was able to contact a local printer and set up an appointment to go in next week to ask them for their opinion on all this and some tips. I don't know yet that they will be able to offer this type of product for me to purchase from them, but I am hoping they will have the knowledge I need to understand what I need to change (whether that be the file I'm outputting, the material its being printed on, or just the printer I'm dealing with).

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

Go local and source your own bags - go with a silkscreen printer since this appears to only be a two color job. Could potentially end up saving you more than an outsourced digital printer.

[imitating]

I do always prefer local (and Printify is local as far as being the same country I am), but this is only 1 of 6 current designs (with more planned). Most of the designs will require the bag to be assembled after the fact, so unfortunately sourcing a generic bag won't suffice. I'm far too small, and still exploring this market, at the moment to afford hiring a seamstress.

[postrophix]

Hi @imitating

You dont say what printing process you use. Do you know about :

https://www.rolanddga.com/blog/2016/06/02/22/42/3-things-you-should-know-about-dye-sublimation

Pierre

imitating

[imitating]

This is from the company's profile: "Using a wide variety of dye sublimation and direct to fabric print machinery that utilizes the industry's best water based pigment inks."

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

So it's inkjet tech - that would cause anything to look soft when printed on a fabric like that. It will bleed slightly.

[imitating]

Thank you so much, that's sure helpful to know.

[jdanek]

"Dye Sublimation" could also mean heat transfer ( to them ).  You are much better off dealing direct with whoever prints your product bag(s).  As discussed, ink will spread on a textured fabric.  Silkscreen inks are more opaque than inkjet or heat transfer which are more translucent and more interactive with the media ( in your case the fabric ).  You might have to eat this first round of printing.  The vendor is obviously keeping you from finding out what you need to know in order to get a successful print and will never admit blame.

[imitating]

So weird question: I have an old canvas bag from Target (similar size weave to the bag from this failed venture) that has printed stripes on it which are very crisp, clean lines. Any guesses as to what type of printing method they might have used on it. I know that's ridiculous to even ask without you being able to see the bag in person, but I figure any guesses might at least put me in the right direction when seeking out a new printer.