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Print size guide for custom T-Shirt printing
Getting your print size right can be tricky if you haven't printed the design on anything before. Too small and the design gets lost. Too large and it can creep onto seams, wrap awkwardly around the body or just look overpowering on the garment. This guide covers standard print sizes and placement for the most popular print positions on a t-shirt: front chest, full front, back, sleeve and inside neck.
Common print widths by position
Drawn to scale against our 40cm maximum print width.
Left or right chest 6–8 cm Centre chest 10–15 cm Full front 25–36 cm Sleeve up to 10 cm Inside neck 6–8 cmHow to use this guide
The photos in this guide will help you brief your artwork correctly and get great looking results on your custom t-shirt printing.
They're not templates you have to stick to, but they'll give you a really good idea of how different print sizes will look. We've used real garment measurements and photos of our most popular t-shirt, the Stanley/Stella Creator 2.0 Organic T-shirt, in sizes medium, large and x-large.
If you're setting up your artwork files, you can also download our T-Shirt Print Size Template to get started with the correct dimensions already set.
T-shirt front print sizes
The front of a t-shirt has two distinct zones. The chest print usually sits in the upper left chest area for the wearer (or right if you're looking at the shirt). The full front is a larger print that can take up most of the front panel.
Chest print
A chest print commonly sits in the upper left or sometimes upper right of the front panel, but it can also be centred across the chest. Wherever it sits, this is where you'll find smaller logos, brand marks and smaller graphic prints.
If it's a left or right chest print, the middle of the design is usually centred on the point where the neck hem meets the shoulder.
- Placement
- Top of the print 5–8 cm below the collar seam when centred, or 7–10 cm below when positioned left or right chest
- Most common size
- 6–8 cm wide for a left or right chest print. 10–15 cm wide for a centred chest print
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What works well at these print sizes
Single colour logo marks, wordmarks, small illustrative graphics and monograms.
Garment note
On standard fit garments like the Stanley/Stella Creator 2.0, chest prints may need to be slightly smaller than on a relaxed fit tee, so the print doesn't extend too close to the armhole seam. Check the garment's chest measurement across your size range before finalising artwork, especially for a larger, oversized chest print.
Full front print
A full front print uses most of the front panel below the collar. It's typical for band tees, event merchandise, statement graphics and larger illustrative designs.
The most common full front print is around 30 cm wide. For a more oversized feel, prints are usually 34–36 cm wide. For a more understated look, around 25 cm is your sweet spot.
- Placement
- Centred horizontally on the front panel. The top of the print sits about 5–8 cm below the collar seam and the print runs down toward the waist
- Most common size
- Around 30 cm wide. 34–36 cm for oversized, around 25 cm for understated
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What works well at this size
Bold typographic designs, full illustrative prints, oversized graphics and photography based DTG artwork.
Print method note
Full front prints are well suited to screen printing and DTG. You can see from the photos that larger prints get very close to the seams. If your design is near the maximum dimensions and your order includes smaller sizes, check with us before you submit.
T-shirt back print sizes
The back panel gives you the biggest print area of any position on a t-shirt. It's the usual place for large event graphics, tour dates, full panel illustrations and oversized branding.
Upper back print
A smaller back print positioned between the shoulder blades. It's often used as a secondary print to complement a front chest design, or to add a small logo to the back of the garment.
- Placement
- Centred horizontally, with the top of the print about 3–5 cm below the back collar seam
- Most common size
- 6–8 cm wide for a circle, 10–12 cm wide for a rectangle or text
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Full back print
A full back print can cover most of the back panel. It's the go-to placement for large event designs, band merchandise and designs that need maximum visual impact. Sizes follow the full front, at around 25–35 cm wide depending on the look you want.
- Placement
- Centred horizontally, with the top of the print starting about 5–8 cm below the collar seam
- Most common size
- Around 25–35 cm wide, as for full front prints
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What works well at this size
Full illustrations, text heavy designs with supporting graphics, tour or event date listings, and all over style graphics within the panel.
Sizing across garment sizes
Back print proportions can feel very different across a size range. A full back print at maximum dimensions looks right on a 2XL but just won't fit on an XS. If your order covers a wide size range, scale your artwork by garment size, or choose a print size that works across the whole run. We're happy to advise before you commit your artwork, so get in touch.
T-shirt sleeve print sizes
Sleeve printing has grown fast as a placement option, especially for streetwear, workwear and premium branded pieces. It works well on both short and long sleeves.
Short sleeve print
Maximum width 10 cmShort sleeve prints are usually small, compact designs such as a word, a logo mark or a simple icon. The available area is limited by the sleeve length and the taper of the fabric.
Placement: Centred or aligned along the sleeve, positioned in the middle or towards the hem of the sleeve panel. The print usually runs horizontally across the sleeve, in line with the hem.
What works well here: Small logo stamps, single character marks and simple geometric shapes.
Practical note: Short sleeve area varies a lot between garment fits. A wide shoulder unisex tee like the Stanley/Stella Creator 2.0 fits more than a slim fit women's tee. Always check the sleeve width of your garment before finalising sleeve artwork.
Long sleeve print
Maximum 10 cm wide × 40 cm highLong sleeve tees offer far more flexibility, as the sleeve can carry a print along its length, across the forearm or around the cuff. See our long sleeve t-shirts range for suitable garments.
Placement: The most common long sleeve placement runs along the outer sleeve from the shoulder seam toward the cuff, or across the upper arm or forearm.
What works well here: Repeated text, single line wordmarks, stripe graphics and vertical graphics.
Inside neck print sizes
Inside neck printing replaces or supplements the manufacturer's neck label with a printed brand label. It's one of the most effective finishing details for giving your garments a retail quality feel, and it's also an option with our print on demand fulfilment service.
Inside neck prints are small by nature, because the print area is limited by the curve of the neck seam and the visible space. Keep it simple. Most blank garments now have unbranded size labels placed off centre, so you can use the same inside neck print across all sizes.
What works well here: A brand name in a single typeface, a small logo mark with the brand name beneath, garment care icons and country of origin text.
Artwork requirements: Inside neck artwork should be clean, vector based where possible and designed for the small scale. Overly detailed logos or fine line type won't read well at this size. Use a minimum font size of 6pt in your artwork file at actual print size.
- Placement
- Centred on the inside back neck panel, just below the collar seam. Keep it clear of the seam stitching and don't let it extend too far down the neck
- Most common size
- 6–8 cm wide
- Print method
- Screen print, DTF or DTG. We'll advise which is best for your order
Why print sizing matters
Print size can take some getting used to, especially when you want the same look across your merch range in different garment sizes.
A design that fills a large chest correctly on an XL can look too dominant on a size S, and proportions that work in flat artwork don't always translate when the garment is worn. That's why we use a set of popular placement zones as a guide, so you can work out the best print size before placing an order.
The other factor is print method. Screen printing, DTG and DTF each have their own practical maximums, set by platen size and print area. At Live Ink, our standard maximum print areas are very similar across all three methods, but your artwork should always be sized to suit the garment before it reaches the press. For embroidery, also think about how heavy the garment will feel, depending on the size and weight of the embroidered design.
General rules for all print positions
Keep artwork 3–5 mm clear of any seam
This applies to shoulder seams, side seams, collar seams and cuffs. Printing too close to a seam causes distortion as the fabric pulls over the edge.
Scale artwork to the smallest size in your run
If your order covers sizes XS to 2XL, check how the print reads on the smallest garment before committing to dimensions. What looks balanced on a large garment can look oversized on a small one.
Use our print templates
Our T-Shirt Print Size Template gives you a full grid in cm, so you can scale accurately and see how your design will look. Setting up your artwork in the template saves time and makes it less likely we'll need to ask you to adjust your file before production.
Think about print method
Screen printing is ideal for bold designs with a few colours at most placements. DTG is better for photographic or full colour artwork, and DTF is great for inside neck prints. Our screen printing and DTG printing pages explain both in detail, and our guide to DTG vs screen printing compares them side by side. Or get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.
Quick reference: t-shirt print sizes by position
Every print position in this guide, with the common widths and where the print sits.
| Position | Common print width | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Chest print | 6–8 cm left or right10–12 cm for oversized, 10–15 cm centred | 5–8 cm below the collar seam when centred, 7–10 cm when left or right |
| Full front | Around 30 cm33 cm and above for oversized, 25 cm for smaller prints | Centred, 5–8 cm below the collar seam |
| Upper back | 6–8 cm for a circle10–12 cm for a rectangle or text | Centred, 3–5 cm below the back collar seam |
| Full back | Around 25–35 cmUse the full front sizes as a reference and scale across your size range | Centred, 5–8 cm below the collar seam |
| Short sleeve | Up to 10 cmVery limited area, simple marks only | Centred or towards the hem, running across the sleeve |
| Long sleeve | Up to 10 cm wideMaximum 40 cm high | Along the outer sleeve from the shoulder seam toward the cuff |
| Inside neck | 6–8 cmKeep it simple | Centred just below the inside back collar seam |
Browse our t-shirts
All the placement guidelines above were developed around the garments in our range. If you're choosing a t-shirt for your next print run, you can browse the full selection on our t-shirts page, including organic and GOTS certified options from Stanley/Stella, Earth Positive and AS Colour.
Our best selling starting point is the Stanley/Stella Creator 2.0 Organic T-shirt, an excellent garment for both screen printing and DTG.
T-shirt print size FAQs
For a left or right chest print, the most common width is 6–8 cm. Centred chest prints are usually 10–15 cm wide. For an oversized chest print, 10–12 cm wide works well. The top of the print usually sits 5–8 cm below the collar seam when centred, or 7–10 cm below when positioned left or right.
The most common full front print width is around 30 cm. For an oversized look, 34–36 cm wide gives maximum impact. For a more understated design, around 25 cm wide is the sweet spot. The print is centred horizontally, with the top about 5–8 cm below the collar seam.
A small upper back or neck print is usually 6–8 cm wide for a circle, or 10–12 cm for a rectangle or text. Full back prints follow similar sizing to full front prints, at around 25–35 cm wide depending on the look you want. The back panel gives you the largest print area on a t-shirt.
Yes. Short sleeve prints work best as small, compact designs like a logo mark or simple icon, with a maximum width of around 10 cm. Long sleeve tees offer more flexibility, with prints running along the outer sleeve from shoulder to cuff, up to 10 cm wide and 40 cm high.
An inside neck print replaces or supplements the manufacturer's neck label with a printed brand label, using screen print, DTF or DTG. It's one of the most effective finishing details for giving garments a retail quality feel. Inside neck prints are usually 6–8 cm wide and should be kept simple, with clean, vector based artwork and a minimum font size of 6pt.
Keep artwork 3–5 mm clear of any seam, including shoulder seams, side seams, collar seams and cuffs. Printing too close to a seam causes distortion as the fabric pulls over the edge. If your design is near the maximum dimensions, check with us before submitting your artwork.
Not always. A design that fills the chest correctly on an XL can look too dominant on a size S. If your order covers a wide size range, scale your artwork by garment size, or choose a print size that works across the whole run. Always check how the print reads on the smallest size before committing to dimensions.
Screen printing is ideal for bold designs with a few colours at most positions. DTG is better for photographic or full colour artwork, including large front and back prints. DTF works well for inside neck prints. Sleeve prints work with all three methods, but the small area suits simpler designs best.
Need help with print placement?
Ask us about print placement, artwork setup or which garments work best for a print position. We're here to help.