THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRINT TEMPLATE
The 30 oz tumblers’ template is intended to demonstrate the complete “print” area. Use the print template to help you choose the size and position of your artwork since after it is placed into the program, it cannot be scaled.
THE LASER ETCHING PROCESS
30 oz tumblers vary from our other items in that the patterns are NOT printed on the product itself. Designs on tumblers are really laser engraved. Our tumblers have a selection of powder coat colors.
The design you submit is laser imprinted out of the powder coat to show the tumbler’s metal backing. This indicates that the metal backing of the tumbler itself and the powder coat color are the only colors visible on the finished product. The dynamic impact that is produced by laser etching allows the design to steal the show.
DESIGN TIPS
You must change your mindset. You have to consider more in terms of positive and negative space instead of just colors now.
The powder coat color around the 30 oz tumbler will be scratched out to show the metal backing where ink would typically be put for your image.
Similarly, the powder coat will continue to be present when there is no design. Here are some tips on how to design well and what to avoid.
UTILIZING TRANSPARENCY
You need to include a transparent graphic in your upload. You would immediately notice that your mockup file would display a solid box where your design was intended to be if you uploaded a PNG image with a solid backdrop.
It’s because your design lacks transparency. Because it only detects where there are pixels in a pattern and removes the powder coat that covers those pixels on the tumbler, the laser will etch the whole “print” region if there is no transparency. The best-looking graphics typically combine positive and negative space or design against a transparent area.
Since the powder coat and the metal backing are the only colors that actually matter, making artwork that contrasts the two colors gives the finished product more depth.
CREATE ARTWORK IN ONE SOLID COLOR
You’ll be able to see the desired outcome of your final design more clearly if you create artwork in a single solid color. When the tumbler is etched, gradients, textures, shading, shadows, and other special effects won’t show up.
Opacity-based design components will also not function. If you try to add layers of depth to your design with the laser, the results are not going to be ideal. The laser only etches to one depth. The best method for producing artwork with realistic expectations is to use one single solid color across the whole piece.
HIGH-RESOLUTION GRAPHICS
All designs MUST use high-resolution artwork, but tumbler designs perhaps even more so. Unlike things like blankets, there is no fleece material to cover flaws on a tumbler.
The laser will detect pixelated artwork, etching out a jagged image. The finest options are vector graphics and strong line art.
The simpler, the better: Laser etching suits straightforward, striking designs well. Finely detailed artwork rarely turns out as intended and rarely endures over time.
Simplifying otherwise “busy” aspects is useful if you want your design to have an impact. In addition to helping provide dimension and giving an otherwise “simple” design a more dynamic appearance, as previously said, a solid balance of positive and negative space within your design will also help.
SIZE MATTERS
The size of your artwork significantly impacts the final output because of the 30 oz tumbler’s allocated design area.
The laser process is more often than not improved by getting bigger. It could be difficult to read the small print. Small, thin lines could disappear. Small, intricate details can group and converge. Though they are not necessarily exact replicas of the actual thing, the mockup photos are a reflection of how the finished product will appear.
Making your design wider and more prominent will remove any uncertainty regarding the laser’s ability to etch the correct places, which is the simplest method to prevent errors.