RFQ and technical guide
Transparent Print Artwork: Brief Alpha Edges Without a White Box
Show whether the space around the design should be transparent, intentionally printed or removed. Deliver the actual artwork with previews on contrasting backgrounds and ask the receiving decorator to confirm its interpretation before making a physical proof.
For brand designers delivering raster decoration artwork.
Separate artwork from the mockup
Identify the production candidate file independently from the image showing it on a garment. A white mockup background does not explain whether white belongs to the design. Label intended negative space and any deliberately white elements. Ask the receiver to inspect the actual supplied file rather than extracting artwork from a screenshot. Keep the file name and revision attached to every preview so the team is not approving an unrelated export.
Inspect the visible edge states
Preview the artwork over a light background and a dark background selected for inspection. Look for a surrounding rectangle, pale fringe or missing edge elements and describe observations rather than silently erasing them. If a soft edge is intentional, state that. These previews help the receiving team understand the brief; they do not establish how ink or transfer material will reproduce the edge on a particular garment or decoration process.
Ask about receiving-workflow interpretation
Confirm the accepted file format and whether partially transparent pixels require a particular treatment in the proposed process. Do not prescribe a universal export setting when the execution is unknown. Separate file transparency from any proposed white ink or underbase decision. A transparent area is an artwork instruction, not proof that every decoration method will interpret it identically. Request an explanation if the receiver proposes flattening or otherwise changing the supplied file.
Approve the actual combination
Retain the received-file identity and request a physical proof using the proposed garment material and decoration route. Check the boundary as well as the interior artwork. If a revision removes an accidental box, confirm it has not also removed an intentional white detail. Keep the accepted proof with the production candidate revision. No wash, adhesion, color or hand-feel result follows from a clean digital preview, so additional outcomes require separate evidence.
Decision and evidence checklist
| Decision | Include in the brief | Review evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Transparent, printed or unresolved regions | Labeled actual-file preview |
| Edge | Soft edge and fringe observations | Light/dark background pair |
| Execution | Receiving interpretation and revision | Physical process-specific proof |
What this brief does and does not establish
Artwork interpretation guidance, not a universal file recipe or confirmed printing capability. Format support, transparency handling and physical reproduction must be confirmed by the proposed decorator.
Send the actual file and contrasting-background previews for artwork feasibility discussion. Open the MyOwnWear RFQ form.
Buyer questions
Is a checkerboard screenshot the production file?
No. Supply the actual file and identify the revision represented by the preview.
Does transparency mean no white ink?
Not necessarily. Clarify artwork regions separately from the proposed decoration process.
Can a digital preview approve print performance?
No. Use a physical proof for appearance and separately agree any performance evaluation.