One of the first questions people ask when ordering custom printed pool table felt is:
"What kind of image do I need?"
The answer depends on what you're trying to create.
A simple company logo is different from a family photograph. A repeating logo pattern is different from a full-table graphic. A design made specifically for printing gives you more flexibility than a small image downloaded from social media.
But you don't need to be a graphic designer to get started.
If you have an image and an idea, you're already halfway there.
You can see examples of the type of personalized billiard cloth we offer on our custom pool table felt product page.
Start With the Best Image You Have
When you're printing something across a pool table, image quality matters.
Pool tables are big.
An 8-foot table gives you a lot more surface area than a business card, shirt or computer screen. When a small image gets enlarged, imperfections become easier to see.
That's why we always recommend beginning with the largest original image available.
If somebody designed your logo professionally, ask them for the original file rather than grabbing the logo from Facebook or taking a screenshot of your website.
If you're working with a photograph, try to find the original photo from the camera or phone.
Every little bit of image quality helps.
Logos Usually Give You a Lot of Design Flexibility
Logos can work extremely well on pool table felt because there are several ways to arrange them.
You might choose one oversized logo positioned in the middle of the playing surface.
You could use a smaller centered logo and let the background take up most of the design.
You could place several logos around the table.
Or you could create a repeating pattern similar to branded wallpaper.
There isn't one layout that works for everybody.
The design should fit the logo.
A wide horizontal logo may need a completely different layout than a circular emblem.
Think About What Players Will Actually See
One mistake people make when designing custom felt is looking at it only from one direction.
A pool table doesn't really have a "front."
One player may be standing at the foot of the table while somebody else is shooting from the opposite rail.
That means artwork positioned perfectly for one person may appear upside down to another.
That isn't always a problem. A large centerpiece is often intended to have a main viewing direction.
But it is worth considering before the final layout is chosen.
Repeating designs and symmetrical graphics can work especially well when you want the table to look good from several directions.
Photos Require a Different Approach
Photographs can look incredible on a custom pool table, but they usually require more planning than a simple logo.
Let's say you want to use a picture of your car.
If the vehicle takes up the entire photograph, we need enough space around it to position the image naturally on the table.
If part of the car is already cut off in the original picture, there is much less freedom when resizing it.
The same applies to people.
A photograph with space around the subject gives you more possibilities than a tightly cropped picture.
That's one reason it's worth sending the original photo rather than trying to crop it before submitting it.
What About Backgrounds?
The background can completely change the finished design.
Suppose you have a black and gold logo.
Placing it against a white background creates one look.
Putting the exact same logo over a dark charcoal background creates something completely different.
Adding a subtle texture changes it again.
This is where custom pool table felt starts feeling genuinely custom instead of simply looking like somebody placed a logo on top of fabric.
The background should support the main artwork without overpowering it.
Be Careful With Tiny Text
Small lettering may look perfectly readable on a computer monitor but become less practical when incorporated into a large table design.
If the text isn't important, simplifying it can sometimes create a cleaner result.
If the text matters—such as a business name, military unit, memorial message or organization name—give it enough size and contrast to stand on its own.
The goal is not to fit as much information as possible onto the table.
The goal is to create something that looks good when somebody walks into the room.
Color Is Part of the Design Too
Colors on a custom pool table should work together.
That sounds obvious, but it is easy to overlook.
If the logo contains five bright colors and the background contains another four, the design can become busy quickly.
Sometimes a simpler background lets the main artwork do all the talking.
Other times the customer wants something loud and impossible to miss.
Both can work.
Custom design isn't about following one universal rule. It's about making intentional choices.
What If My Artwork Isn't Perfect?
Send it anyway.
You don't necessarily need to have a finished professional design before starting the conversation.
Sometimes customers have a logo and a rough idea.
Sometimes they have several photographs and want help deciding which one works best.
Sometimes they know exactly what they want but don't know how to build the actual layout.
Our Custom Pool Table Felt page is a good starting point if you already have artwork and want to begin the process.
Think About the Entire Table, Not Just the Image
This is probably the most important advice in this article.
A good image does not automatically create a good pool table design.
The final product needs balance.
There should be enough room around important elements.
Logos should be positioned intentionally.
Faces shouldn't land in awkward areas.
Important text should remain visible.
And the overall design should make sense across the long horizontal shape of a pool table.
That's why a mockup is so useful.
It turns the question from:
"Does this picture look good?"
into:
"Does this pool table look good?"
Those are two very different questions.
Ready to See Your Artwork on a Pool Table?
If you already have your image, logo or artwork, you can start with our custom pool table felt for 7-foot, 8-foot and 9-foot tables.
And if you're still deciding how you want your table to look, visit the Mr Everything Pool Table custom felt page and start from there.
Your artwork doesn't have to begin as a perfect finished design.
It just needs to begin with an idea.
