Preview of GANG G2.0 outside DecoNetwork (no store header). Pages: Gang sheet guide ยท Canva guide ยท Illustrator guide ยท Photoshop guide ยท Upload
Create your gang sheet in Illustrator
Keep your artwork sharp, sized correctly and ready to print. Vector artwork is ideal for DTF, so this is the best tool for logos and text.
Back to the gang sheet guide- 5 steps
- About 15 minutes
- Vectors stay sharp
Open the template or make the artboard
The artboard is the sheet. Keep its size exactly as it is; only the artwork on it should change.
- Open our template
Download the template for your sheet size from the size picker on this page. It has two layers: ARTWORK and GUIDES (the safe area). Save a working copy.
- Or make a new document
File โ New โ Print tab. Units mm. Width 580, height 500 (half metre) or 1000 (1 metre). A4 is 210 ร 297, A3 is 297 ร 420.
- Colour mode and effects
Advanced options: Color Mode RGB, Raster Effects High (300 ppi). RGB keeps bright colours; CMYK dulls them.
- Keep the artboard as it is
Donโt resize it to fit your designs. If your designs need a longer sheet, add 100 mm to the height for every extra 10 cm.
- Unitsmm
- Half metre580 ร 500 mm
- A4210 ร 297 mm
- A3297 ร 420 mm
- 1 metre580 ร 1000 mm
- Colour modeRGB
- Raster effectsHigh (300 ppi)
File โ New โ Print
Place and prepare your artwork
Vectors are ideal. If youโre placing photos or raster logos, check theyโre big enough at the size youโll print.
- Place, and embed
File โ Place, untick Link (or click Embed in the control bar afterwards) so the file travels with the document.
- Check raster images
Select a placed image and read the PPI in the Properties or Links panel. At print size it should be 300 ppi or more. 150 ppi is soft; under 100 will look blurry.
- Remove backgrounds
Delete any white or coloured rectangle behind a logo. For photos, clip them with a shape or supply a transparent PNG.
- Keep effects solid
Drop shadows, glows and feathered edges donโt print well. Use solid fills and strokes.
Artwork on the ARTWORK layer, safe area on GUIDES
Set print sizes and arrange
Size each design with the Transform panel, then duplicate and space them out with room to cut.
- Set the width
Window โ Transform. Lock the proportions and type the width, for example 250 mm for a front print or 90 mm for a left chest.
- Duplicate after sizing
Alt / Option + drag or Ctrl / Cmd + C, Ctrl / Cmd + F. Object โ Transform โ Transform Again repeats a move.
- 10 mm gaps, 5 mm from the edge
Use Align โ Distribute Spacing with 10 mm to keep the gaps even. Stay inside the GUIDES rectangle.
- Outline the text
Save an editable copy first, then Type โ Create Outlines so fonts canโt change on export.
Good layout1 cm between designs, inside the safe area, transparent everywhere else
Common mistakesOverlapping, off the edge, and a white box behind the sun
Export a transparent PNG
Hide the guides, export the whole artboard at 300 ppi with a transparent background.
- Hide the GUIDES layer
Click its eye icon in the Layers panel. Anything visible exports, so hide notes and mock-ups too.
- File โ Export โ Export As
Choose PNG as the format and tick Use Artboards so the whole sheet exports, not just the artworkโs bounding box.
- PNG options
Resolution High (300 ppi). Background Color Transparent. Anti-aliasing Art Optimized.
- Save the AI file too
Keep your layered .ai file so you can edit it next time. We only need the PNG.
- MenuFile โ Export โ Export As
- FormatPNG
- Use ArtboardsTicked
- ResolutionHigh (300 ppi)
- BackgroundTransparent
- Anti-aliasingArt Optimized
Export As โ PNG options
Check the exported file
Open the PNG outside Illustrator and confirm itโs the whole sheet, transparent and sharp.
- Open the PNG
A checkerboard or dark grey behind the artwork means itโs transparent. A white field means a background slipped through.
- Check the pixel size
Half metre: about 6850 ร 5906 px. 1 metre: 6850 ร 11811 px. A4: 2480 ร 3508 px. If the file is much smaller, Use Artboards or the resolution was wrong.
- Zoom to 100%
Vector edges should be crisp. Placed images should look as sharp as their source.
- Read it once more
Spelling, quantities, nothing mirrored, guides hidden.
- Checkerboard behind the artwork (transparent)
- Full sheet size, nothing trimmed
- Sharp when zoomed to 100%
- Spelling and quantities checked
Preflight checklist
Tick these off before you upload. It takes a minute and catches the usual problems.
Tick them off as you go
Nothing is saved or sent. Itโs just a checklist to help you.
Upload finished gang sheet Artwork rules and the sharpness check