How Do I Save Artwork from Paint or Publisher for Custom T-Shirts?

Created a logo or custom T-shirt design using Microsoft Paint or Publisher? Before uploading your artwork to Bolt Printing, it's important to save it in the right format. A properly prepared file helps prevent blurry images, pixelated lettering, and other printing issues.

This step-by-step guide explains how to save artwork from Microsoft Paint as a PNG or export Microsoft Publisher designs as high-quality PDF files for custom T-shirt printing.

Why Does Artwork Quality Matter for Custom T-Shirt Printing?

Microsoft Paint and Publisher are convenient tools for creating simple logos, artwork, and custom designs. However, artwork that looks good on your computer screen might not look as sharp when printed on a T-shirt.

One of the biggest challenges with custom apparel printing is enlarging artwork to fit the intended printing area. A small logo may need to be significantly increased in size before printing.

If your original image is blurry, pixelated, or contains rough edges, enlarging it can make those imperfections more noticeable.

How Do I Save Artwork from Microsoft Paint for T-Shirt Printing?

Microsoft Paint is useful for simple logos, text-based graphics, and basic designs. Follow these steps to prepare your artwork before uploading it for custom T-shirt printing.

Step 1: Open Your Artwork in Microsoft Paint

Open your design in Microsoft Paint. Review the artwork carefully, paying attention to lettering, edges, shapes, and any details that may appear blurry.

Locate the Resize button in the Paint toolbar. This tool allows you to view or adjust the pixel dimensions of your artwork.

Step 2: Check Your Artwork's Pixel Dimensions

Click Resize to open the Resize and Skew window.

1. Select Pixels instead of Percentage.
2. Keep Maintain aspect ratio selected so your design doesn't become stretched or distorted.
3. Review the Horizontal and Vertical pixel dimensions.
4. If necessary, adjust your artwork dimensions while preserving the original proportions.

The example below demonstrates increasing a 500-pixel-wide image to 7,480 pixels while maintaining its proportions.

Step 3: Compare the Artwork Quality

The following example compares a design displayed at two different pixel dimensions.

Although the larger image contains more pixels after resizing, the original artwork's quality determines how much genuine detail is available for printing.

Step 4: Save Your Artwork as a PNG File

Once you're satisfied with your design, save it in a format suitable for custom apparel printing.

1. Click File in Microsoft Paint.
2. Select Save As.
3. Choose PNG Picture.
4. Enter a simple filename, such as company-logo.png.
5. Save the artwork somewhere you can easily locate it.

PNG is a good choice for logos and custom graphics because it preserves image quality without the additional compression artifacts associated with JPEG files.

Before uploading your design, open the saved file and check that the lettering and image edges look clean at approximately the intended print size.

How Do I Save High-Quality Artwork from Microsoft Publisher?

Microsoft Publisher provides additional export settings that can help preserve text, graphics, and other design elements when preparing artwork for custom T-shirt printing.

For many Publisher designs, exporting a high-quality PDF is the best option.

Step 1: Review Your Artwork in Microsoft Publisher

Open your completed design in Microsoft Publisher and inspect the text, graphics, and layout.

Pay particular attention to the edges of lettering and shapes. Sharp, well-defined artwork produces better results when printed on custom apparel.

Step 2: Open the Commercial Printing Export Settings

In Microsoft Publisher, you can prepare your artwork for professional printing using its commercial printing export options.

1. Click File in the upper-left corner.
2. Select Export.
3. Under Pack and Go, click Save for a Commercial Printer.
4. Open the file type dropdown menu.
5. Select Both PDF and Publisher .pub files, as shown in the example below.

This export option can package your files for a commercial printer. For uploading artwork into Bolt Printing's Design Studio, you'll use the resulting PDF rather than the Publisher .pub file.

Step 3: Select Commercial Press Quality

Next, locate the quality settings dropdown menu.

Select Commercial Press to export your artwork using Publisher's highest-quality commercial printing preset.

This setting is designed to preserve artwork quality for professional printing and may result in a larger file than the Standard or Minimum Size options.

Step 4: Save and Locate Your PDF Artwork

Complete the export process and select a location on your computer where you can easily find the files.

When using Publisher's Pack and Go feature, your files may be saved in a compressed ZIP folder. If this happens, open or extract the folder to locate the PDF file.

You can also use File > Export > Create PDF/XPS and select Commercial Press in the available export options to create a PDF directly.

Once saved, review your PDF to make sure the design, lettering, and images appear correctly.

What File Requirements Should I Check Before Uploading?

Before uploading artwork from Microsoft Paint or Publisher into Bolt Printing's Design Studio, review these important file requirements:

• Accepted formats: PNG and PDF are both supported.
• Maximum upload size: 5MB per file.
• Maximum image dimensions: 20 inches in width or height.
• Recommended resolution: At least 150 DPI at the intended print size.
• Artwork cropping: Remove excessive empty space surrounding the actual design.

If your exported artwork exceeds the Design Studio's upload limits, email our team at hello@boltprinting.com for assistance.

How Do I Upload My Paint or Publisher Artwork to Bolt Printing?

Once you've saved your artwork as a PNG or PDF, you're ready to upload it into Bolt Printing's online Design Studio.

1. Select your product: Choose the T-shirt, sweatshirt, polo, or other item you want to customize.
2. Click Design Now: Open our online Design Studio.
3. Select My Art: Upload your saved PNG or PDF file.
4. Position your design: Adjust the size and placement within the available design areas.
5. Review your artwork: Check the preview before placing your order.

Our production artists review submitted designs before printing. If anything needs adjustment, we'll contact you.

What If My Artwork Still Looks Blurry or Pixelated?

If your artwork still looks blurry after saving it correctly, the original file may not contain enough detail for high-quality printing.

You may need to recreate portions of the design at a higher resolution, replace blurry graphics, or obtain a vector version of your logo.

Not sure whether your artwork is print-ready? Upload the best version you have. Our production artists will review it and contact you if adjustments are needed.

For additional information, review our Artwork and File Guidelines to learn about accepted formats, image resolution, background removal, and other artwork requirements.