Updated Feb 21,2025

How to Print T-shirts Professionally: Everything You Need to Know

how to print t shirts professionally

Have a solid passion for the t-shirt business? So, looking to learn how to print t-shirts from the first? Probably — you are here to educate yourself on how to print t-shirts professionally for beginners! If so, you’ll be glad to know that we’re going to share with you a complete guide on how to print designs on t-shirts step by step that’ll make money. 

Undoubtedly, the popularity of custom t-shirt printing has soaked up! 

Not only it's about creativity, but it's become a necessity for everyone, too! Wearing custom-designed t-shirts has become a fashion and it means your choice. Of course, you can give priority to your choice while choosing the custom t-shirts. Evolution of time, the t-shirt industry has become much more updated!

At present, people rush to customize t-shirts. Do you know why? The main reason can be that everyone wants to express their inner feeling or creativity, and wearing printed custom designs on t-shirts has become a symbol of your choice. In the meantime, printing designs on t-shirts has also become an excellent business opportunity to generate extra income for the t-shirt business!  

Usage of custom t-shirts has become different for various purposes like - events, personal use, business opportunities, or business promotion! And where not? Everywhere. The custom design of printing t-shirts continues to grow. Custom design print on t-shirts has become an ever-growing and evergreen trend in the fashion industry! According to our market research, there is no sign of slowing down the trend of custom print on t-shirts. 

That’s why if you’ve already made up your mind to start a print on t-shirt as a career, we say you’re on the right track! As a beginner, facing trouble moving forward on how to print t-shirts professionally? This blog will help find a way!

A Brief History of the T-shirt Printing Industry

If you want to dive into printing history, you'll need to go back many years. The history of the textile printing industry was inaugurated in China in the 900s. The printing history came out with using silk screens. Actually, the t-shirt was popular in the United States after the war between the Spanish and Americans. 

At that time, the US Navy thought about how it would be if the sailors wore crew-neck short-sleeve white cotton undershirts under their uniforms! Yes, Mainly, due to warm climates, the US Navy thought about prints like these t-shirts to get a bit of comfort. Indeed, such types of t-shirts really worked to consume heat. Rapidly, the popularity of those t-shirts spread out to the common people. It was booming!  

The US Navy thought about the t-shirt as a necessity! But, over time, the idea of those t-shirts has become much more popular and shifted into a fashion view. It's the root tide of today's t-shirt printing overflow! It's said that servicemen returned home from World War II, and they continued to wear their tees. They looked different from others. 

Common people were inspired by these tees. It was the most credible stage to grow up in today's t-shirt universe and still, it's going on. We're sharing a short note according to the years (from the birth of t-shirts to youth) below so you can get a better idea of t-shirt printing history!

YearsEvolution of T-Shirt Industry
1950sDifferent companies started decorating t-shirts with their company names and logos.
1960sGraphic t-shirts became popular. The screen printing process just came out.
1970sMajor brands started to market t-shirts. The T-shirt trend was just being introduced.
1980s – 1990sLogo tees really started to shine.
2000s and beyondEarly in the 2000s, political and humorous t-shirts became popular. Then, the T-shirt trend has been constantly changing over time till now.

What Is T-shirt Printing?

Yes, t-shirt printing is a procedure for applying designs, text, or logos on fabric! There are different methods for t-shirt printing. Each technique of printing t-shirts comes with unique pros and cons. In today's world, we tend to use a custom t-shirt design to create an impression of creativity. Indeed, the variation of custom t-shirts makes a wide range of customers. 

T-shirt printing is as familiar as screen printing, too! It's an inexpensive and simple method of printing custom designs, logos, or text onto a t-shirt. Hm, if you once learned the basics of t-shirt printing, it can help you to develop high-quality designs. And when you print the designs onto t-shirts that will make you stand up and stand out from the crowd! 

Why T-Shirt Printing Is Popular Today

why t-shirt printing is popular

T-shirts are popular items that do not require any trend or season. Over time, t-shirts have become very common apparel for all ages. Any type of t-shirt, like - plain, oversized, or close-fitting, whatever the type is, t-shirts always have a familiar but unique taste for all classes of people. You can say t-shirts are such an item in the apparel industry that'll never fade fashion. Here are a few considerations that make t-shirt printing popular today:

Personalized Designs

Not only you but also everyone loves to express their creativity. Definitely, customized t-shirts offer you a perfect place to show your creativity. You can use your custom-designed t-shirts for different purposes, like personal use, special occasions, or cultural events. Indeed, custom-designed t-shirts can be the most proficient way to prove who you are or how you think. Wearing personalized t-shirts can express your unique personality and your inner creativity! 

However, when you think about marketing your business, custom t-shirts can be a fantastic way to promote your brand and recognize what you're with. Undoubtedly, it's an effective strategy! Many companies print their message, slogans, or logos onto t-shirts to promote their brand. Like this walking marketing can build your brand identity and spread your brand's message to more people. 

Customized t-shirts are always at the top of the rage! The t-shirts are used in diverse types of events such as concerts, political campaigns, fundraising, or festivals. Also, the event organizers share amazing words with custom prints on t-shirts to share certain messages with the people.

Affordable and Convenient

It may seem that custom-designed t-shirts are expensive, right? Not at all. The production costs of custom-designed t-shirts are affordable with the benefit of digital printing technology and print-on-demand services. That's why you can get engaging custom t-shirts at an affordable budget. Also, you'll get discount offers on T-shirts on certain occasions. Many business owners offer bulk discounts on t-shirts to promote their brands.  

In the meantime, in print-on-demand service, you don't need to spend an extra amount for inventory! So, as a t-shirt business, you can make your t-shirts more affordable for your customers. It makes a difference in your potential customer funnel to find you for the next time!

Trendy and Fashionable

Mainly, t-shirts come up with fashion! Many people wear T-shirts for an impressive appearance. Maybe you're one of them! Yeah, creative designs, slogans, or different types of artwork make your t-shirts trendy and stylish! Everywhere — custom-made t-shirts have an attraction to draw attention. The t-shirts are related to culture, music, pop, or social campaigns. 

Trends come and go like time flies. People love to wear trendy and custom t-shirts according to their interests, values, and beliefs. By wearing a nice design t-shirt, you can make a difference in your presence!

Eco-friendly Considerations

Nowadays, most people are well aware of an eco-friendly environment! By remembering customers' awareness, many t-shirt printing companies have managed their customer’s interest by maintaining eco-friendly materials in their production process. With the evolution, eco-friendly t-shirts are at the top of sales.

Wonderful Gift Item 

Undoubtedly, custom t-shirts are impressive gift items for your loved ones! At present, people prefer creative gift items for special occasions. Custom t-shirts are the finest gift items for family reunions, birthdays, holidays, or anniversaries! The custom t-shirts are more meaningful and wonderful gift items with a personal touch! Nowadays, people highly prefer personalized t-shirts as unique gift items for the dearest someone at present!

Preparing Your Design for the Printing Process

preparing your design for printing

Creating an exceptional design reaches you halfway. 

If your design is done, you'll need to learn how to convert your design from your computer screen to the physical world, right? Yeah, it's time to make your design ready for print. It seems daunting, but we're going to help you with the best tips to prepare your design ready for printing. Look — if you can set up your documents properly, then it can reduce your brain sweat later. Let’s dive into some essential steps to make your design print-ready! 

Dive into the Right Resolution

Remember, size and resolution are not the same things. Suppose you may have a file of 1000 x 1500 px. But, the resolution of the file is only 72 dpi. So, it can print out large. Also, after printing, it can be unexpected! On the other hand, if you have the same file with 300 dpi, the print will be smaller as well as you'll find good-quality prints. 

That's why you'll need to think about the right balance between the file size and resolution for print. If you're thinking about printing your design, keep your design at 300 dpi.

Focus on Image Quality

Sure, it's mandatory! T-shirt Images work like a first impression for your customers! You may think everything is alright when you have the perfect resolution of your file. No, it's wrong. After setting up the resolution, focus on your image quality. If possible, you can get professional t-shirt design services to make your t-shirt images stand out. 

When you scale up your image, you can use graphic design software (like Adobe Illustrator) to keep your image in the proper form for printing. Don't forget to check the file size for each image. Keep in mind that PNGs are better in quality than. JPG. Also. Adobe Illustrator AI files are better in quality than PNG. If you select a JPG image for print, you may lose the overall quality of the image. A larger. 

Adobe Illustrator AI files than JPGs and PNGs will be perfect for print. Sure, your image will not lose quality after printing. Another thing you should keep in mind is that the Adobe Illustrator AI file can consume more memory in your computer! You can try to use an Adobe Illustrator AI file instead of PNG. And, if not, PNG will do better work instead of an AI. But, AI is the priority!

Save Your Document as the Right File Type

It's significant to save your document as an accurate file type. Yes, if you're preparing the file yourself for print, we recommend saving the file as a PDF. Definitely, a PDF file is more manageable than any other. The PDF file will be opened in the same type on any screen. Except for PDF, other files like .doc files will not always open in the same form.  

Also, you can do another thing — to keep your file type more manageable! You can save your files to 'save a package' in InDesign, which can keep your files both the .idd file and .pdf file. If you follow this process, your printer will get more flexibility to work directly with the pdf. Also, with InDesign, you can edit your final document till it is ready for print. 

Yeah! Start working with your printer to specify which type of file it would prefer most for t-shirt printing!

Use CMYK, Leave RGB

Yes. Every screen can display your color differently, even if you set your file to RGB. It is not related to your printer. Make sure that your print will be in the same color. Use a CMYK color scheme instead of RGB when you set up a document for printing. Indeed, CMYK symbolizes four colors - Cyan, Magenta, Yello, and Key (it means Black). 

The colors are the most stable colors for printing. They come with the most common ink Cartridges that provide the true color for printing. However, if your designs require the appropriate colors, sure, go with Pantone® colors to make sure you get what you’re printing for!

Make Your Design Based on the Size of Print

You can not do anything like zoom in or out after your project is printed! Before you go to the final step, make sure you have done the right things with your file type. Suppose you're creating a design for a large poster. It will not be a good thing for the design if you can not read the design from far away!  

So, think twice about your design till it's print-ready. The ultimate purpose of printing your design is to keep the design in true shape with the printed file. Keep in mind that you can read the design from far away while you're printing something big.

Get Print a Proof

You can test your design with a test print. It's called a proof. The proof you get will give you an idea of how the final product is coming. It doesn’t need to be of the same quality as the ultimate product. It'll give you a sense of how the design will look on paper. Indeed, printing a proof copy can help you catch any mistakes you've made in text or something else. 

Finally, if you catch any errors in the proof, you should send the error to the printer to fix it! Getting a proof print is a helpful way to get your print how you desire.

T-shirt Print FAQs

What printing method is effective for small businesses?

— Vinyl printing and DTG printing methods can be a good choice for small businesses as they offer sound flexibility with their order size and low-cost setup. Vinyl printing can be good for simple graphics. On the other hand, DTG will be a good fit for its multiple colors and detailed designs. These two printing methods can be effective for small businesses to hunt quality prints that will stand out from the crowd.

How much time does t-shirt printing take?

— In fact, it depends on the complexity of the order, the number of colors you use in the designs, and the printer's workload. Normally, the printing production time ranges from 2 to 5 days to deliver the final product. It's a rough estimate, but most of the time it’s true!

Which printing method is the best for bulk orders?

— Undoubtedly, it’s screen printing! For a large number of orders, screen printing is the best option due to longer set-up times. Compared to other printing methods, screen printing is ideal for large-scale orders!

Which printing method is better for you?

— It depends on your needs! Most importantly, the quantity you need to print, your budget, and the desired quality you expect. Different printing methods come with different benefits and unique features. From screen printing to dye sublimation printing, one of them will be a better choice according to your demands and budget!

Which file will be the best for large prints?

— If you're thinking about large prints, the Adobe Illustrator AI format can be a good choice! If you go with the Adobe Illustrator AI format, you’ll find good-quality designs. Obviously, the print will be outstanding. So, the Adobe Illustrator AI file will be best for larger prints.

What are the top 3 printing methods for apparel?

— Well, it's a bit tough to filter out the top 3 t-shirt printing methods among many! But, for the apparel business, the below 3 printing methods are at the top position according to printing effectiveness and people's choice:

  1. Screen printing
  2. Direct-to-garment (DTG)
  3. Direct-to-film (DTF)

Endnote

Finally, we're at the end of today's discussion! 

How was the above article for you? Helpful? Presumably, you've learned lots of things about printing t-shirts. If yes, we're highly happy to know it! In the meantime, you will appreciate our team efforts as we've spent 72 hours on mega research to stand out this blog as a complete guide on how to print t-shirts professionally for beginners! We’ve run a long race on the internet during our research and discovered tons of t-shirt design ideas (we'll talk about it another day)! Probably, you can feel our efforts to help you with authentic and well-researched information!

You already know t-shirt is a big industry like the ocean! Standing up and keeping you set apart among many is not so easy for anyone! Becoming one among millions requires lots of hard work, a quick but vast research mindset, and learning new things in your domain daily! 

We highly appreciate the time and fuel you've given to the above guide to uncover untold stories about printing t-shirts for beginners! If the above guide helps you to move ahead, it’ll keep us smiling to continue with more efforts in the next! 

However, still, if you’ve anything to know or are confused about t-shirt print methods, contact us right now! Our team is waiting for your ping! Hurry up. 

No more words, today! Soon, we’ll come up with another delicious topic to gear up your t-shirt business! Till then, keep implementing your strategy to care as much as possible for your brainchild! 

Good luck with your venture! 🙂 

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