The gap nobody talks about
The moment a customizer exports a print file, the rules change. A colour that looked right on a laptop lands differently on a poly-blend tee. Type that was crisp in a browser is a smudge at final print size. Screen design forgives; print does not.
So here is what the pipeline actually guarantees, and why each line is worded the way it is.
Resolution is measured at final print size
300 DPI at the size the thing is actually printed, not 300 DPI at some nominal canvas size. Above 100cm the spec drops to 150 DPI, because at that viewing distance the extra pixels buy nothing and cost render time. Atelier lifts the ceiling to 600 DPI.
Colour is preserved, not converted early
sRGB in, the original colour space preserved through the pipeline, and the substrate profile applied at production, where the press and the material are known. CMYK export is available on Atelier. Converting any earlier means guessing at a profile the printer would have handed us.
Fonts are embedded or outlined, never substituted silently
Silent substitution is the failure mode that produces a correct-looking proof and a wrong product. Embed where the format supports it, outline where it does not, and never quietly fall back to a default face.
Geometry is per product type, not a global number
Bleed, safe area and cut paths are generated per product, because "3mm bleed on everything" is wrong on most things:
| Product | What the file gets |
|---|---|
| Phone cases | 3mm wrap bleed, per-model dimensions, cut-out masks |
| Apparel | Per-panel print areas, underbase flagged on darks |
| Mugs & drinkware | Flat wrap dimensions, handle zone excluded |
| Home & decor | 10mm bleed, wrap depth on canvas, 150 DPI above 100cm |
And the file says what it is
Order number, line item, panel and product type in the filename, with the option values delivered alongside it, so whoever prints the job can verify it without opening the design.
Print forgives nothing. That is the whole job.
