What size should a left chest logo be?

3–4 inches wide. Position it about 3 inches below the collar seam and roughly 3–4 inches in from the centre of the chest, on the wearer's left. Scale down to 2.5–3 inches on youth garments.

How big is a standard front print?

10–12 inches wide for adult S–XL, sitting about 3 inches below the collar seam. 12" × 16" is the usual "full front" and is about as large as most designs go before running into hems and side seams.

How far below the collar should a print start?

About 3 inches below the collar seam for an adult tee, 2–2.5 inches for youth. The common mistake is placing it too low, which makes the design disappear under the wearer's arms when they stand normally.

Should I scale the print up for 2XL and 3XL?

Yes. A 10-inch print that looks right on a medium looks lost on a 3XL. Going to 12–14 inches keeps the visual proportion. Many shops run two sizes of the same transfer for this reason.

What size print for a youth shirt?

7–8 inches wide for a youth full front. Past about 9 inches you start running into the sleeve seams, which will not press flat.

Where does a sleeve print go?

2–3.5 inches wide, centred on the upper arm roughly 1–2 inches below the shoulder seam. You need a small platen — a full-size platen will crease the body of the garment.

Guide · Artwork

T-Shirt Print Placement and Size Guide

Every standard placement with real measurements, including how far below the collar each one sits. The two mistakes that account for most badly-placed prints are going too low and not scaling up for larger garments — both are covered below.

Order transfers →Sizes and pricing

The standard placements

Where everything sits.

The three placements that cover the large majority of apparel orders. Measurements are for an adult S–XL tee; scale accordingly for youth and plus sizes.

Standard t-shirt print placements with measurements
Placement	Width	Distance from collar seam	Notes
Left chest	3–4"	~3" down, 3–4" in from centre	On the wearer's left. The most common corporate placement.
Full front	10–12"	~3" down, centred	The default for graphic tees.
Oversize front	12–14"	2.5–3" down	Watch the side seams and the hem.
Centre chest	8–10"	4–5" down	Sits lower than a full front. Good for wordmarks.
Full back	11–14"	3–4" below the back collar	The most usable area on the garment.
Upper back / yoke	10–12"	1–2" below the collar	Common for team names above numbers.
Sleeve	2–3.5"	1–2" below the shoulder seam	Needs a small platen.
Nape / neck label	2–3"	Just below the collar	Replaces a printed tag. Keep it small.
Bottom hem	3–5"	2–3" above the hem	Increasingly popular. Avoid the hem stitching.

Mistake one

Placing the print too low.

This is the most common placement error and it happens for an understandable reason: laid flat on a table, a print about 3 inches below the collar looks high. It looks like it should sit nearer the middle of the shirt.

But a t-shirt is not flat when it is worn. The chest is the widest, flattest, most visible part of the garment; below that, the fabric drapes and the design curves away from the viewer. A print placed “centred” on the flat garment ends up sitting around the stomach on a person, partly hidden by their arms.

Measure from the collar seam, not from the middle of the shirt. Three inches down for an adult tee, and trust it even though it looks high on the table.

Mistake two

Not scaling for garment size.

A single print size across a size run from small to 3XL means the design looks proportionally correct on maybe two of those sizes. On a small it crowds the seams; on a 3XL it looks marooned in the middle of a large blank field.

Two print sizes across a full size run is usually enough — one for youth through large, one for XL and up. Three is better if the order is big enough to justify it.

Because there is no minimum and no setup fee, running two sizes of the same design costs nothing extra beyond the difference in printed area. Create a version at each size and each becomes its own line on the order. How sizing and pricing works →

Other garments

Placement beyond t-shirts.

Print placement by garment type
Garment	Front print	Constraint
Hoodie	10–12" wide, above the pocket	The pouch pocket seam — never press across it.
Crewneck sweatshirt	10–12" wide	More vertical room than a hoodie. Watch the ribbed hem.
Polo	3–4" left chest only	The placket rules out a centred front print.
Tank top	7–9" wide	Narrower body — scale down from a tee.
Long sleeve tee	10–12" front, 2–3" sleeve	Sleeve prints are more visible than on a short sleeve.
Tote bag	8–12" centred	Firm pressure matters more than dwell on canvas.
Apron	6–9" chest panel	Keep clear of pocket seams and tie attachments.
Cap	2–4" front panel	Needs a cap press. See the hats guide.

Hoodies and fleece → · Hats and caps →

Getting it straight

Three habits that prevent crooked prints.

Fold to find the centre

Fold the shirt in half vertically and press a light crease down the middle. Line the design up to that crease rather than eyeballing it. Takes two seconds and it is more reliable than any amount of squinting.

Measure from the collar seam every time

Not from the top of the collar, and not from the shoulder. The seam is the consistent reference point across garment sizes and brands.

Tape it down

Heat-resistant tape holds the transfer in place while you close the press. On a clamshell in particular, the top platen coming down can shift an unsecured transfer — and a print that lands crooked is unrecoverable.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What size should a left chest logo be?: 3–4 inches wide. Position it about 3 inches below the collar seam and roughly 3–4 inches in from the centre of the chest, on the wearer's left. Scale down to 2.5–3 inches on youth garments.
How big is a standard front print?: 10–12 inches wide for adult S–XL, sitting about 3 inches below the collar seam. 12" × 16" is the usual "full front" and is about as large as most designs go before running into hems and side seams.
How far below the collar should a print start?: About 3 inches below the collar seam for an adult tee, 2–2.5 inches for youth. The common mistake is placing it too low, which makes the design disappear under the wearer's arms when they stand normally.
Should I scale the print up for 2XL and 3XL?: Yes. A 10-inch print that looks right on a medium looks lost on a 3XL. Going to 12–14 inches keeps the visual proportion. Many shops run two sizes of the same transfer for this reason.
What size print for a youth shirt?: 7–8 inches wide for a youth full front. Past about 9 inches you start running into the sleeve seams, which will not press flat.
Where does a sleeve print go?: 2–3.5 inches wide, centred on the upper arm roughly 1–2 inches below the shoulder seam. You need a small platen — a full-size platen will crease the body of the garment.

Keep reading

What direct-to-film actually is, how the process works step by step, what it prints well on, and what it costs in Canada.

How to Press DTF Transfers (Settings That Actually Work)

Exact temperatures, times and pressures by fabric, why the second press is not optional, and the four mistakes behind most failed prints.

Best File Format for DTF Printing: PNG, PDF or JPG

Why PNG is the safe default, when a PDF is genuinely better, and the reason a JPG prints a white box on a black shirt.

DTF Artwork Requirements — The Complete Checklist

Resolution, transparency, edges, colour mode and sizing, with the pixel maths and a pre-flight checklist you can run in a minute.

Order two sizes of the same design.

No setup fee means running a smaller version for youth and a larger one for 2XL and up costs only the difference in printed area.

Upload and set your sizes →Sizes and pricing

No minimums · No setup fees · Printed in Ontario