Platform spec
Printful image requirements
Requirements are set per product and per print area — some DTG products use 15″ × 18″, which is 4500 × 5400 at 300 DPI. Density should be at least 150 DPI. Files are capped at 200 MB and 20,000 px on a side. Always check the File Guidelines tab on the specific product.
Full specification
| Dimensions | set by product and print area |
|---|---|
| Some DTG products | 15″ × 18″ = 4500 × 5400 px at 300 DPI |
| Minimum density | 150 DPI |
| Recommended working density | 300 DPI |
| Maximum file size | 200 MB |
| Maximum dimensions | 20,000 × 20,000 px |
| Authoritative source | the File Guidelines tab on each product page |
One file, several physical sizes
Printful scales a design across a garment size run, so the same file prints larger on a 3XL than on a S. A file sitting exactly at 150 DPI across the base print area therefore drops below it on the larger sizes — and nothing warns you, because the file passed when you uploaded it. The scale factors are not published, so the useful number is not a percentage but a width: how wide this file can be printed before it falls under the floor. At 4500 × 5400 that width is 30″, double the 15″ base area, which is one of the reasons to build the master at that size rather than at the minimum that passes.
Why the recommended size matters more than the DPI figure
DPI is a ratio, and a ratio without a physical size tells you nothing. Rather than remembering "it needs 300 DPI", remember this platform's recommended pixel dimensions — get the pixel count right and the DPI follows. The reverse never works: a file tagged 300 DPI with too few pixels fails everywhere.
Batch, auto-fix and exports
Checking one file at a time is free and always will be. Batch checking up to 100 files, one-click exports sized for every platform, and CSV reports are part of Seller.
Exports are padded and centred to each platform's size on a transparent canvas. Nothing is ever upscaled — a file enlarged to pass a dimension check still prints soft, which is the failure this tool exists to prevent.
Frequently asked questions
Does Printful need a transparent background?
Yes. Without an alpha channel the white background is treated as ink, and on a dark garment it prints as a visible white box around the artwork.
How reliable are these numbers?
They come from the platform's published upload requirements. Platforms revise specs, so check the official documentation before an upload that matters.