Glossary for textile printing
Textile printing comes with plenty of jargon. Below we explain the most-used terms so you can read a quote better or have a more informed conversation.
General terms
Pantone (PMS)
Pantone Matching System — a worldwide colour standard. Every colour has a unique code (e.g. PMS 021). We mix our inks to Pantone codes for exact colour matching. Read more: /en/techniques/screen-printing/
CMYK
Four-colour print: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (black). Used for full-colour photo prints. Gives less pure colours than Pantone spot colours but suitable for photos and gradients.
DPI
Dots Per Inch — image resolution. For print you need minimum 300 DPI at actual size. Scaling a 72 DPI web image to 300 DPI in Photoshop doesn’t work — the quality doesn’t come back.
GSM (g/m²)
Grams per Square Meter — fabric weight. Higher GSM = thicker, heavier shirt. Standard T-shirt 150-180 gsm, premium 180-220 gsm, heavy workwear 220-300 gsm.
Vector vs raster
Vector (AI/EPS): mathematical lines — scalable without quality loss. Raster (JPG/PNG/PSD): pixels — loses quality when enlarged. Always supply vector for textile where possible.
Outlines (lettercontouren)
Converting text in a vector file to shape — prevents our system from using wrong fonts. Mandatory for supply. Read more: /en/file-and-garment-prep/
Proof print
One sample we print before bulk production starts, so you can assess colours and position in person. Standard digital, physical on request. Bulk only starts after your approval.
Print technique terms
Plastisol
Classic oil-based screen printing ink. Robust, sharp, long lifespan. Standard for T-shirt printing. Phthalate-free in our version. Read more: /en/techniques/screen-printing/
Water-based ink
Water-based ink, penetrates the fabric — feels softer. More sustainable alternative to plastisol. Good on light textile; less covering on dark.
Discharge
Screen printing technique that bleaches the dye out of the textile rather than putting ink on top. Feels 100% like undecorated textile. Only works on 100% cotton with reactive dye.
DTF (Direct-to-Film)
Print made on special film and then heat-pressed onto textile. Works on virtually anything, from 1 piece, full-colour. Read more: /en/techniques/transfers/
Sublimation
Ink vaporises through heat and becomes part of the polyester fibre. Imperceptible, colour-fast, perfect for sportswear. Only works on 100% polyester and light colours. Read more: /en/techniques/sublimation/
Tagless print / neck-label print
Print on the inside of the garment where the wash label normally sits. For brands wanting their own branding without sewn-in labels.
Specialties
Reflective / retroreflective
Ink or transfer that reflects light — invisible during the day, bright at night under headlights. Our own formulation with glass beads of 35-55 µm. Read more: /en/techniques/specialties/
Glow-in-the-dark
Contains phosphorescent pigments that charge during the day and glow at night. Works most beautifully on dark textile.
Glitter
Ink with metallic or shiny particles. For festival merch, kids’ clothing, statement prints.
Puff (3D)
Ink that swells when heated — creates a 3D relief effect. For playful look.
Foil stamping / hot foil
Metallic foil on paper or textile — creates glossy metallic effects (gold, silver, holographic). Read more: /en/techniques/graphic-screen-printing/
Debossing
Relief in paper or leather — design pressed down into the material. No ink, no foil — only shape. Premium look.
Embroidery terms
Embroidery file
Special file (DST, EMB, PXF) containing the exact stitches for the embroidery design. We create this from your vector design. Read more: /en/techniques/embroidery/
Stitch density
Number of stitches per cm². Higher = more robust but more expensive. Standard embroidery 50-60 stitches/cm².
Front / back / sleeve
Standard embroidery positions. Sleeve often for role indicators (“Sales”, “Manager”, “Crew”).
Madeira / Polyneon
Premium embroidery thread brand (Madeira) — our standard. Polyester yarns (Polyneon line) are wash-resistant up to 95°C and chlorine-resistant.
File and supply terms
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
Vector file format for logos and illustrations. Worldwide standard for printing.
AI (Adobe Illustrator)
Native file format of Adobe Illustrator. Our preference for vector designs.
PDF/X
Print-ready PDF with all fonts, images and colours correctly embedded.
TIFF
High-quality raster format for photos. No quality loss through compression (unlike JPG).
WeTransfer
Free service for sending large files. Our preference for files > 10 MB. Read more: /en/file-and-garment-prep/
Didn't find what you were looking for?
If you encounter a term in our quote or in the printing world that’s not listed here: email us. We’re happy to explain.
Ready to start?
We’re happy to think along — from technique to textile to delivery. Send your request and we’ll reply within one working day.