A good custom tee starts with a file that is ready to print. Before you upload, a few small checks can catch the things that are easy to miss on a phone: a fuzzy edge, an unwanted white box, or lettering that gets lost against the shirt.
Here is a straightforward way to prepare your artwork and review it in the Threadmates builder, whether you are making one tee for yourself or a few for a project.
1. Choose your tee color and size first
Think of the garment color as part of the design. Black lettering may look strong on white and disappear against black. A pale illustration can need more contrast than it did on your laptop's white canvas.
Select your available color and size before adding artwork. Then check the design against that garment color, especially small text and fine details. If you change colors later, take another look at the whole design before ordering.
2. Start with the original, not a screenshot
Use the original export from your design app or the highest-quality original photo you have. Screenshots and images saved from social feeds can contain less detail than the source file. If someone made the artwork for you, ask for a high-resolution export instead of saving the small preview from a message.
Pixel dimensions matter more than a filename that says “print-ready.” For example, an image that is 3,000 pixels wide at a 10-inch print width works out to 300 pixels per inch. That same file spread across a wider area has fewer pixels per inch.
Around 300 ppi is a useful preparation guideline, not a Threadmates upload requirement or a guarantee of print quality. Adobe explains how pixel dimensions relate to printed resolution. Simply changing a file's resolution setting does not recover missing detail.
The 10-inch example is for understanding the math, not a promised print area. Keep your design within the builder's available area, and ask us before ordering if exact physical dimensions are essential.
3. Decide whether the background belongs in the print
For a logo, lettering, or an illustration that should sit directly on the tee, export a PNG with a transparent background. For a rectangular photograph or artwork with an intentional background, a high-quality JPEG can work.
PNG supports transparency; JPEG does not. Adobe's PNG and JPEG comparison explains that difference. Saving a white-background image as PNG will not automatically remove the white. Remove the unwanted background in your design app first, then export with transparency enabled.
Open the exported file on a contrasting background to spot white edges, stray marks, or a checkerboard accidentally saved as part of the image. The Threadmates builder accepts PNG or JPEG files, up to 20 MB each. Large files are automatically resized to print resolution when you upload them, so send the biggest, cleanest original you have — there’s no need to shrink it first. Printing on both sides? The front and back files upload together, so if both are very large and still too big after resizing, the builder will tell you right away — just complete your order and email us the originals, and we’ll match them to it.
4. Give the front and back their own attention
Use the Front or Back tab to add artwork to the side you want printed. For a back-only design, leave the front blank. Keep the files clearly named—something like “design-front.png” and “design-back.png”—so you do not mix them up.
Use the Size control to adjust the artwork and Center to help with placement. Check the result after each change. A graphic that fills the available space is not automatically the best-looking option; leaving some breathing room can make the design easier to read.
One print side is included: choose the front or the back. Printing on both sides adds $5 per item. Review both sides and the total before moving to checkout.
5. Treat the preview as a placement check
The on-screen preview helps you judge the design's position and proportions. It is not a physical sample or a promise that every screen color will match the finished print exactly.
Look at the original artwork as well as the small garment preview. Check spelling, edges, and tiny details. If fine lettering is difficult to read in your original file, making the preview larger will not necessarily solve it. Resolve any uncertainty about a critical color, exact dimensions, or a deadline before ordering.
Your final check before ordering
- The tee color, garment size, and quantity are correct.
- The artwork is a PNG or JPEG, 20 MB or smaller per file — large files are resized to print resolution automatically.
- Any background in the file is intentional.
- Text is spelled correctly and the source artwork looks clear.
- The correct artwork is on each side, with placement reviewed.
- The order total includes the $5-per-item charge only if you selected printing on both sides.
You do not need an online store or a fulfillment partnership to place this order. One item is welcome.
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