At Custom Express we offer a full range of art and design services. We have an in-house graphic designer as well as a number of stock designs that you can choose from. If you would like help creating or refining your design just let us know. If you already have your own artwork we're fully capable of implementing your design and, if necessary, adjusting it to work as an embroidered or printed design.
If you would like us to create a logo or design for you the charge is $24 an hour. If you are using existing artwork there is no charge (in most cases.) Please note that for screen printing most designs require vector artwork. Raster artwork (such as a jpeg or bitmap) is not considered print ready art. For screen print orders we will send a proof for your approval before we get started. If multiple proofs are required or changes are made to the design additional charges may apply.

For screen print orders we prefer vector artwork, such as AI, CDR, SVG, EPS, and PDF files. For more information about vector artwork please read the paragraphs below. Non-vector artwork (also called raster art) may be subject to art fees. While we prefer vector art, we can accept nearly any file type, including JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, and GIF. Depending on your design we may be able to use these file types in place of vector artwork. As a general rule the more complex your design is the greater the need for vector art. If you're not sure about your artwork just let us know and we'll help you determine what kind of art you have. For embroidery orders vector art is not required. All we need is a crisp, clean image of the design. One of the most common issues we run into is confusion regarding the difference between vector and raster graphics. In short, vector graphics are made up of points or paths whereas raster graphics are made up of pixels or dots. Because vectors are made up of points, their quality does not change as the graphic is resized. Raster graphics can be made smaller without losing quality, however when their size is increased they typically lose quality. There are numerous programs which can be used to create raster images, including Microsoft Paint, Corel Photo Paint, and Adobe Photoshop. Vector graphics can typically only be created using specialized software such as Corel Draw or Adobe Illustrator. One way to tell whether a graphic is vector or raster is to look at the file type. In order to reduce their file size, web based graphics are raster images that are relatively low quality, especially when compared to printed graphics. Therefore any graphic that is viewed on a website is going to be a raster. This would include files types such as JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG, and GIF. These formats are typically not print ready art for screen print orders. However, these file types are usable if your design is being digitized for embroidery. Layered or color separated files, such as Photoshop PSD files, are not vector however they can sometimes be used for screen printing. It just depends on the design. Vector file types include CDR, AI, EPS, SVG, and PDF. The tricky part is that a file of this type is not necessarily a vector graphic. It is possible to take a raster image (such as a JPEG or GIF), import it into a vector art program and simply save the file as a CDR, AI, or PDF. This does not make it a vector. In order to convert a raster into a vector it must be redrawn or converted. We offer raster to vector conversion services. Prices vary depending on the complexity of the design. If we are designing your logo or design this is typically included in the art charge. For more information about the difference between raster and vector artwork take a look at this tutorial.