Canva export settings for DTF: the number that decides the print width
Most files that arrive from a browser design tool are exported at the size that looked right on the screen. That size is a pixel count, and a pixel count converts directly into the widest print the file supports. Choosing the export before the design is finished is far cheaper than rescuing the export afterwards, and the choice comes down to one number.
The width your image editor reports — not the file size in MB
Common placements
Enter a pixel width to see the numbers.
| 1,200 px export | 10.2 cm at 300 DPI · 15.2 cm at 200 DPI |
|---|---|
| 1,600 px export | 13.5 cm at 300 DPI · 20.3 cm at 200 DPI |
| 2,000 px export | 16.9 cm at 300 DPI · 25.4 cm at 200 DPI |
| 2,400 px export | 20.3 cm at 300 DPI · 30.5 cm at 200 DPI |
| A 25 cm chest print needs | 2,953 px at 300 DPI, or 1,969 px at 200 DPI |
| A 30 cm chest print needs | 3,543 px at 300 DPI, or 2,362 px at 200 DPI |
Export for the print, not for the canvas
The document size in the editor is a convenience; it does not travel with the file in any way the press can use. What travels is the pixel dimensions of the export, so the useful habit is to decide the print width first and pick the export that covers it with room to spare.
PNG or JPEG from the same dialog
The format choice matters more than the quality slider for this kind of artwork.
- PNG if the design has any transparency it needs to keep
- PNG if the design has hard edges, flat colour or type
- JPEG only for photographic artwork with no cut-out
- Either way, export once — re-exporting an export compounds the loss
Why the transparent background box matters here
Browser tools default to a filled background because that is what a social post needs. On a dark garment that fill is printed, and the design arrives inside a rectangle nobody ordered. The box is easy to miss and the consequence is not visible until the film is made.
FAQ
- Does exporting at a larger size add detail?
- It adds pixels. If the design is built from vector shapes and type inside the editor, those pixels carry real detail; if a low-resolution photo was placed into it, they do not.
- What if the customer has already sent a small export?
- Ask for a re-export rather than an upscale. Re-exporting is free and recovers real detail; upscaling is a guess at detail that was never there.
- Is there a size that is always safe?
- No, because safety is relative to the ordered width. The table above converts the export into centimetres so the comparison can be made directly.