As a part of our SpoonChallenge: Creating a Fabric Collection, we'll be gearing our Bootcamp posts over the next few weeks towards creating designs and uploading to the Spoonflower site. First up, a few tips on understanding fabric size and the Spoonflower fabric preview.
Making sure your image is just the right size can be a little daunting when using Spoonflower. Between DPI, pixels, inches, lengths, widths and that mysterious number, “150”, there’s a lot to keep track of!
Today’s Bootcamp post will show you how to determine how many pixels are in your image, and how big we can print it at Spoonflower. You can always make your image smaller once you’ve uploaded it, but there’s a quick trick for figuring out the largest size we can print any digital file. Don’t worry! It seems like a lot of math, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to figure out.
So if your image is 2000 pixels wide, that means the biggest it can print is 13.3 inches, since 2000 ÷ 150 is 13.3. If it’s only 150 pixels square, we can print a little tiny image–just one inch by one inch. If your image is 5400 pixels, it will fill all 36 inches of a yard.
But before you can divide by 150, you’ll need to know how many pixels you have. Here’s how to find that information on both a Macintosh and a PC. If you’re using a tablet or phone, we recommend emailing your image to yourself and using Spoonflower on a computer, if possible.
On a Mac:
First, make sure your image is selected. Then, click “File”, then select “Get Info”, about half-way down the page. You can also click “Command”, then “I” to access this menu.
A window will appear with all the important information about your design. Look for “dimensions” to find the size of your image in pixels. The width is listed first, then the height. This design is 1200 pixels wide and 600 pixels tall. When those two numbers are divided by 150 you are left with an image that will print 8 inches by 4 inches.
On a PC:
Some computers will show you the dimensions of an image in a handy-dandy window if you hover your mouse over the file.
If your computer doesn’t do that, don’t fret! Just right-click on your file (or hold down “Control” and click) and select “Properties” at the very bottom of the menu.
In the “Details” tab of that window, you’ll see the dimensions listed!
From there, you can divide each side by 150 to determine how big you can print that file at Spoonflower. For this image, 1200 ÷ 150 = 8 and 600 ÷ 150 = 4, so we can print this file as an 8 x 4 inch image.
Using the Spoonflower Design Preview:
To double-check this, you can upload your image to Spoonflower. Here’s my image, once uploaded. The size is shown on the right side of the preview, and I can measure the image using the yellow rulers as well. What I see in this preview is what I’ll get, so the size I see there is what to expect when my fabric arrives.
If I want to make it smaller, I can just click the “smaller” button to the right of the preview. This makes a design smaller in increments. For instance, one click of the “smaller” button makes my design 5.33 x 2.67 inches, since it’s now displaying at 225 pixels per inch, instead of 150 pixels per inch.
If the design is too small, I can enter my own custom DPI. I want my design somewhere between the large size and the one-step-smaller size, so I entered my own dpi. 200 pixels per inch will give me a size between the two. Perfect for my Goldilocks project, this size is just right!
Now you're ready to upload and order with confidence knowing your fabric will arrive with your design printed as expected! Interested in other Spoonflower Bootcamp posts? Check them out here and share ideas or questions you'd like to see addressed in the comments below!
I was new to designing patterns and saved my swatches 300px by 300 px .
Can I still get swatches made of them in spoonflower.
Hi Rosemary,
Thanks for your interest in Spoonflower! You can get swatches made of your pattern. If you have any further questions, please contact our amazing customer service team here and they will be happy to assist.
Best,
Amy
Spoonflower
Yes, good point, Kathy! When ordering your design, you will want to set it to the repeat that works best with your file.
Best,
Allie
In case someone needs to know, the Spoonflower preview in the example is set to centered repeat. Before ordering a sample, you may want to set it to a different repeat to completely fill the sample.