Printed T-shirts for your event: what to sort out before you order

Printed T-shirts are one of the simplest ways to bring people together for a family reunion, a school event, a campaign, a walk or a new business. Most of the problems with them can be avoided before printing starts. Here is what to sort out first.

How many, and in which sizes

Collect sizes from people before you order. Guessing almost always leaves you with too many mediums and nobody's size in extra large. Make a simple list of names and sizes, then add a few spare shirts for late arrivals.

Collect the sizes first. Guessing leaves you with too many mediums.

Get your design file ready

• Use the original file if you can. A logo copied from WhatsApp or Facebook has usually lost quality and can print blurry.
• Make it big enough. A good rule is 300 dots per inch at the size it will be printed. A picture that looks sharp on a phone can look rough across a chest.
• Check every word. Have someone else read the names, dates and phone numbers. Fixing a spelling mistake after printing means printing again.
• Keep small text readable. Very thin letters can be hard to read from a distance.

Choose the shirt colour with the design in mind

A dark design disappears on a dark shirt, and pale writing can get lost on white. Send the design and the shirt colour to the printer together, and ask how the colours will look on that fabric.

Decide where the print goes

The chest and back are the common places. A small logo on the left of the chest with a larger design on the back looks tidy, and gives you room for sponsors or a message. Tell the printer the size and position you want, rather than leaving them to guess.

Why heat transfer works well for events

Heat transfer printing uses heat and pressure to bond a printed design onto the fabric. It handles designs with several colours and small details, and it works for short runs, so you don't need to order hundreds of shirts to get your design made. It can also put a different name on each shirt, which is handy for teams.

Leave yourself enough time

Don't leave the order until the last days before your event. Allow time for approving a sample, fixing anything that looks wrong and getting the shirts to the people who will wear them. Ask for one printed sample to check before the full order goes ahead.

How to make the print last

• Wash the shirt inside out, in cool water.
• Dry it in the shade, because strong sun fades colours.
• Never iron directly on the print. Iron the shirt inside out, or put a cloth over the design.

Looking for ideas?

The graphic T-shirts in the Fashionate feed are a good place to start. Save the prints and layouts you like to your favorites, and show them to your printer. A picture explains a design faster than any description.