Proudly voted Promotional Merchandise Distributor of the Year, December 2024 (Sourcing City Awards).

Artwork Guidelines | Total Merchandise

Your artwork is a crucial part of ordering promotional products - after all, it's what will be branded onto your items! Our fuss-free service means that submitting your artwork couldn't be easier, and we're here to help you every stage should you have any queries along the way.

I'd Like A Quote For Printed Products - What Artwork Should I Submit?

We ask our customers to submit the logo or design that they'd like to see printed on the product(s) they're interested in. We will also ask you to let us know how many 'colours' are in your artwork. This allows us to ensure we are able to give you the correct pricing, and also means we can guarantee that we can customise the items you've chosen to your precise specification – resulting in products that truly reflect your business!

What Format Do I Need To Submit My Artwork In?

We normally ask to receive vector artwork, saved as an .EPS file that has been created in Adobe Illustrator and saved as outlines. We know this isn't always possible and are also happy to accept .JPG, .PDF, .PSD, .TIFF, .AI and .PNG files as well, as we are able to redraw artwork into the appropriate format for you if required.

How Can I Tell How Many Colours Are In My Artwork?

Many of our promotional products can be printed in anything ranging from one-to-four colours (also referred to as 'spot' colours), as well as in full colour.

  • One colour print: your logo/design is one block colour.
  • Two colour print: your logo/design comprises two block colours.
  • Three colour print: your logo/design comprises three block colours.
  • Four colour print: your logo/design comprises four block colours.
  • Full colour print: your logo/design features more than four colours or any shading or gradient.

How many colours are in your logo?

Promotional merchandise logo guidelines Promotional merchandise logo guidelines

Please note that black and white both count as colours, whilst greyscale images will be counted as full colour. You can view the different print options that are available for a specific product on its listing page.

Want to find out more about the other branding methods that we use on products? Visit our Printing Processes page.

What If I Want My Logo Embroidered?

We offer embroidery as a customisation option for a selection of our products, including caps, hoodies and even some T-shirts. For embroidered artwork, our charges vary depending on the number of stitches required to bring your logo to life.

Promotional merchandise logo guidelines

Many of our embroidered products are shown with prices that are based on up to 5,000 stitches. Once we’ve received your artwork, we’ll be able to give you an accurate estimate of how many stitches are in your design; if your design is more intricate and requires more than 5,000 stitches, we’ll let you know and might need to adjust the pricing shown on your quote.

For more information about our embroidery services, simply ask your account handler, who will be able to advise you further.

Can You Help Me With My Artwork?

We're always happy to help our customers and our in-house Art team can redraw your submitted artwork to ensure it's in the correct format and at a suitable quality for precision printing. This service is often free of charge but more complicated designs might incur a small charge.

Will I Get To See How My Artwork Looks On The Product Before I Order?

You will. We're always happy to provide our customers with free visuals, which can help you decide if a product is right for your business and design. Simply enquire when you request pricing and your account manager will be happy to arrange this for you!

Once you've confirmed your order, your account handler will also provide you with a free-of-charge proof, that will show your artwork in the specified position on the product. This is a great opportunity to let us know if there are any amends you'd like made to the design.

We like to ensure all our customers are pleased with the products they order and so will never print your products until we've had confirmation from you that you're happy with the proof.

Can You Match My Precise Colour Requirements?

Yes, we can. Simply provide us with all the relevant Pantone® colour references and we'll do the rest!

I Don't Know Which Exact Colours Are In My Artwork. Can You Help Me?

Promotional merchandise colour guidelines

If you've worked with a designer to create your artwork, they should know the exact colour(s) that have been used within it. The most commonly-used recognition system is the Pantone® Colour System (PCS).

If you're unsure, don't worry: our in-house team are always happy to advise.

View our Pantone® Colour Chart.

Sounds Good. What About Fonts – Can You Help Me With That?

Your company logo and branding will have been created using a specific font. Your design team should be able to advise on this but if they can't, we can attempt to match it on sight.

Additionally, if you've never created a text-based corporate logo or design before, we can offer you a wide range of fonts to choose from – please see below.

Promotional merchandise fonts Promotional merchandise fonts Promotional merchandise fonts

We have access to 100s of the most commonly used font families. If you have a bespoke font requirement, we're always happy to work with the font files you can provide and can also look into obtaining a specific font file (charges may apply) - just ask your account manager for more details.

Can I Choose Whereabouts On A Product My Logo Is Printed?

Promotional merchandise bottle printing template

Each product has its own unique artwork template, which is available to view on request. Templates are helpful for showing the space in which your artwork can be printed.

Please let us know if you have a preferred position where you would like to see your design on your products when you place your order.

For many of our promotional products, you can choose where you'd like your artwork printed; other items have specific print areas available only.

Can't quite picture it? No problem. Simply ask your account manager for a free quick visual and we'll show you how your artwork could look on your chosen product. It's that simple!

Can You Still Provide My Products To The Lead Time Stated If I Don't Have Appropriate Artwork?

We always do our utmost to fulfil the lead times that we state on our website. We work with our customers to ensure we create promotional items that surpass their expectations, meaning that we can require prompt and timely responses to allow us to meet our timeframes.

In short, submitting your artwork couldn't be simpler - and we're here to help you every step of the way!

Written by

Jason O'Connor | Co-Founder and Managing Director

Jason is our Managing Director and co-founded Total Merchandise in 2004. Sitting at the heart of the business, he's one of the most authoritative and trusted figures in the industry. Overseeing a business that's grown from a spare room start-up to an award-winning company that works with huge brands across the UK and employs more than 50 people, he sits at the heart of Total Merchandise. When he's not in the office, Jason likes to relax with music or Netflix boxsets, spend time with his family and walk his dogs.

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Jason O'Connor Managing Director