Print files
How to Prepare Files for Printful, Gooten, or a Local Print Shop
POD templates want a specific pixel box. Local shops want 300 DPI and a ratio that matches the paper. Prep once with a focal-point crop, then export per SKU.
Direct answer
To prep a POD file, download the product template and place a 300 DPI crop inside its exact pixel box, including bleed or wrap if the template shows any. For a local print shop, export width-inches × 300 by height-inches × 300 as an sRGB JPG or whatever format they name. Never upload a 1080p mockup as the production file — use one focal point, and export a separate file for each SKU size.
Printful, Gooten, Printify, Prodigi, and your neighborhood inkjet shop all say "300 DPI," then disagree about everything else: canvas wrap, poster bleed, fabric PPI, max file weight. The workflow that works across all of them is the same, though — read the template, crop to that exact rectangle, export clean pixels, and keep mockups out of the production folder entirely.
Skip the template and send a pretty 8×10 instead, and canvas SKUs lose their sides while posters gain white edges. That's a file problem, not a press problem.
- 1
Download the current template
Pixel size, bleed, wrap, and file type change by SKU.
- 2
Crop the original to that rectangle
Use a focal point so the subject stays out of the wrap.
- 3
Export at the template's DPI
Usually 300 for paper, sometimes 150 for fabric.
- 4
Upload the production file, not the mockup
Keep Etsy listing images in a separate folder.
Read the template first, then crop to it
Printful and Gooten publish exact pixel dimensions for every product, and those numbers already bake in 300 DPI — or 150 for some fabrics, so check. Never upload a 1080p mockup into a poster SKU and hope it scales.
A local shop quoting 11×14 on paper wants 3300×4200 px at 300 DPI. Add that as a custom ratio, pin the subject, and Export Artwork. Sending five paintings? The ZIP should come out as five named folders, each containing the ratios you selected.
| Destination | What to send | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| POD poster / fine art paper | Trim pixels at 300 DPI, sRGB JPG | Some SKUs add a small bleed |
| POD canvas | Larger file including wrap | Do not put faces in the wrap zone |
| All-over print / fabric | Often 150 DPI, huge pixel boxes | Do not use a paper 8×10 |
| Local paper shop | Inches × 300, format they named | CMYK vs sRGB, bleed, crop marks |
Color, type, and file weight
POD work is almost always sRGB JPEG — convert before you upload. See PNG vs. JPG if you're selling type-heavy illustrations, and only reach for WebP when a partner explicitly lists it.
Huge PNG canvases tend to hit upload caps, so flatten them or switch to a high-quality JPG for photographs. If a local shop asks for TIFF or PDF, that's usually for offset printing, not a standard 13×19 inkjet job — worth confirming before you spend an hour converting files for nothing.
Safe zones matter more than clever composition
Templates shade in the wrap and trim areas for a reason. Put your focal point inside the safe zone, never in the wrap — a gallery-wrap canvas will hide roughly an inch on every edge.
For posters, keep signatures well inside the trim line. Full-bleed signatures get guillotined off. If the signature is part of the art itself, add a margin SKU or bump up to a larger paper size.
One export session, many partners
You can still use Reopic as your crop engine — custom millimetres or inches matching each template, a 300 DPI stamp, and a ZIP per artwork. From there, drop the files straight into Printful's uploader, or onto a USB drive for the local shop.
Keep Etsy's listing rules separate from all of this — don't let the marketplace JPEG double as the Printful asset.
Printful and Gooten in plain terms
Open the product page, download the PNG or PDF template, and read the pixel size written in the current guide — not a blog post from last year. Place your crop so the subject sits inside the safe zone, then export to those exact pixels. If the template calls for 4500×6300, don't send 2400×3000 and let their upscaler guess the rest.
Push products like framed posters and canvas often include extra pixels for the rail or wrap. A face positioned at the far left of a landscape will fold around the stretcher bar. Pin toward the safe zone, not the wrap — an edge-to-edge pattern handles wrap easily, while a portrait needs real margin around the face.
What to bring a local shop
Ask for a one-line spec upfront: "11×14 on luster, 3300×4200, sRGB JPG, no bleed." Put that same spec right in the filename — lake_11x14_3300x4200_srgb.jpg. Shops running older RIPs may still want uncompressed TIF; they'll tell you if so. Bring a proof print or a calibrated laptop if color matters, since no amount of correct DPI will save a Display P3 file dumped straight into an sRGB workflow.
Printing several sizes? Bring a folder per size, not one TIFF and an expectation that they'll crop it for you. You've already made the focal point decision — don't hand that off to whoever happens to be on shift.
FAQ: Printful file prep 300 DPI
What size file does Printful need?+
Whatever that specific product's template shows. Posters are usually 300 DPI at the poster's inches; canvas includes wrap pixels. Always open the live guide before exporting.
Does Gooten want 300 DPI?+
For most paper products, yes. Some garments and all-over prints differ — check Gooten's file requirements for the exact product ID you're using.
What should I bring to a local print shop?+
Ask them directly: size, DPI, JPG/TIFF/PDF, sRGB or CMYK, and bleed. Then export that exact box — a generic 8×10 may not match their sheet.
Can I use the same file for Printful and Etsy?+
Only if the pixel box matches exactly. Etsy listing photos can be smaller, but production files can't — it's worth keeping two separate folders.
