FAQ: Design artwork — UAE

Why artwork prep matters more than the mockup looks

Two logos that sit at the same size on a print-ready PDF can behave very differently on the finished product. The gap is in the file structure, the colour mode, the resolution, and the way the artwork has been prepared for the chosen decoration method. In the UAE, where most corporate merch is screen-printed, embroidered, UV-printed, laser-engraved or sublimated, the dominant artwork standards are vector formats for logos, CMYK or Pantone for print, and 300 DPI minimum resolution for raster artwork. This page explains how to read those standards, what they actually check, and where they leave room for adaptation when the brief changes.

Corporate buyers in the UAE work in mixed environments: brand guidelines approved by an in-region marketing team, mockups prepared by a Dubai or Sharjah agency, and artwork files maintained in Cairo, Riyadh or London. The translation from brand guideline to production file is the work that takes the most time and that the supplier is best placed to coordinate. Corp-Merch accepts vector and raster artwork, prepares production files from a brief if the client does not have a designer on hand, and supplies mockups for sign-off before the order goes to decoration.

Bilingual Arabic/English layouts, RTL and LTR review

Corporate merchandise in the UAE is almost always bilingual: an Arabic mark on one side, an English wordmark on the other, or a combined layout where the two languages sit together. The layout review is the single most common place an artwork drops back for rework, because the brand book is often prepared in English only and the Arabic translation is added late. Three issues account for most of the rework.

The first is connected glyphs. Arabic script is cursive; letters within a word connect based on their position. A font that renders the connected form correctly at one size may render disconnected at another, and a brand mark prepared in one weight may not exist in another. Our studio confirms the Arabic weight and font family with the client before the production file is locked, and we provide a proofed PDF that shows the Arabic mark at the production size.

The second is reading direction. Logos that combine Arabic and English need a layout decision: the two marks sit side by side with consistent baseline alignment, the Arabic sits on the right and the English on the left (the reading direction of an Arabic audience), or a single bilingual lockup combines both in one mark. The decision is irreversible for the production run because it sets the digitising, the screen setup and the embroidery direction, so the brief needs to confirm it explicitly.

The third is the die-cut or stitch direction on embroidery. An Arabic mark embroidered right-to-left reads differently from the same mark embroidered left-to-right, and the two are not interchangeable once the production file is digitised. We confirm the embroidery direction at the strike-off stage and we lock it in the proof before serial production starts.

Pantone matching across the decoration methods the UAE buyers ask for

Pantone is the colour reference library most corporate brands work against, and it covers a wide range of surfaces. The Pantone Solid Coated (C) and Solid Uncoated (U) libraries are calibrated for paper and card. The Pantone Textile (TPX / TCX) libraries are calibrated for thread and fabric. For digital print, sublimation and UV printing, the Pantone Coated bridge is the closest reference but the printer may render the colour within an agreed Delta-E tolerance rather than exactly.

When the brief specifies a Pantone reference, we match it on the strike-off and confirm it with the client before serial production. For embroidery we work from the Pantone Textile (TPX / TCX) range; for screen printing, pad printing and digital print we work from the Pantone Coated / Uncoated references. If the brand book does not include a Pantone reference, we pick the closest match from the library against a printed sample provided by the client. The Delta-E tolerance for premium runs (hospitality, finance, VIP) is set tighter than for promotional giveaways and recorded in the brief.

Glow-in-the-dark, metallic, neon and reflective inks sit outside the Pantone library. The closest Pantone reference is included for guidance, but the actual colour is a special-finish swatch that the printer samples in person. These finishes also carry a longer lead time (often ten to fifteen working days for the special ink to be mixed and tested) and a higher unit cost. We quote the upcharge at enquiry stage so the client can decide between a standard finish and a special finish before production is locked.

Mockups, strike-offs and the approval workflow

Every corporate merch order goes through a mockup stage before production. The mockup is a digital representation of the artwork on the chosen product — a T-shirt mockup, a notebook mockup, a thermos mockup — that the client reviews and approves in writing before the order is released to the decoration line. For embroidery and screen printing the mockup is followed by a strike-off: a physical sample produced on the actual product with the actual decoration, sent to the client for final sign-off.

The approval window for a digital mockup is typically one to two working days; the production window for a strike-off is two to five working days depending on the decoration method and the shipping route from the production partner. For a Dubai-based client with a Sharjah or Jebel Ali production partner, a strike-off can be on the client's desk within forty-eight hours; for an Abu Dhabi client with a Türkiye-origin production partner, the same strike-off can take seven to ten working days including the courier leg.

Approval in writing — email confirmation, signed PDF, or a tracked signature on the mockup — is non-negotiable for serial production. Verbal approvals over the phone are accepted for sample-stage work but not for the release of a full production run. We keep the approval record on the project file so the audit trail holds when a client procurement officer asks why a fabric is suitable for the chosen programme.

Intellectual property — who owns the artwork

Artwork supplied by the client remains the client's intellectual property throughout the project and after delivery. Vector files we adapt or redraw on the client's behalf are returned to the client with the final invoice. Artwork created from scratch in our studio — original illustrations, custom packaging design — is licensed to the client for the agreed use; full copyright transfer is available on request as a separate line item.

For corporate programmes where the artwork includes third-party brand marks (a partner logo, a sponsor mark, a venue co-brand), the client is responsible for confirming they have the right to use those marks on merchandise. We do not verify third-party IP rights during the artwork stage; we ask the client to confirm in the brief that the marks have been cleared for the intended use. For programmes that include a registered trade mark or a government symbol, the brief needs to reference the licence or authorisation number.

For trade shows and exhibitions, the artwork often includes the event lockup, the organiser's marks, and the sponsor marks. The event organiser publishes a brand-usage guide that specifies how the marks can be used on merchandise; the guide is the reference we work against. We do not assume permission to use organiser or sponsor marks on merchandise without the organiser's written consent.

Planning timeline for an artwork-led UAE merchandise kit

1. 3–4 weeks before production: confirm the brand book, the logo list, the placement conventions, the Pantone references and any bilingual Arabic/English layout rules.
2. 2–3 weeks before production: digital mockup is reviewed and signed off; physical strike-off is requested for embroidery or premium-print jobs.
3. Production week: embroidery digitising or screen-printing setup; first-off inspection on the actual production run; bulk production under the approved strike-off.
4. Final 48 hours: AQL check on the finished goods, packaging per the buyer's specification, dispatch from the production facility to the UAE destination.