For a standard full-front print on a print on demand t-shirt, export a transparent PNG at 3600 x 4800 pixels, which is 12 x 16 inches at 300 DPI. Printful accepts at least 150 DPI on most products (1800 x 2400 pixels at the same size), and Printify recommends 300 DPI.
For logo placement, Printful puts a full-front print 3 to 4 inches below the collar and a left chest logo about 3 inches below the neckline, covered in the placement section below.
Last verified: 2026-10-18 against the provider pages linked at the end. Print areas change per product and per size, so treat the table as a starting point and confirm in the product's own File guidelines tab before you upload.
What pixel size should each print area be?
The print areas come from Printful's t-shirt placement guide. The pixel columns are arithmetic (inches x DPI), shown at 300 DPI and at 150 DPI.
| Placement | Print area (in) | Pixels at 300 DPI | Pixels at 150 DPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full front, most products | 12 x 16 | 3600 x 4800 | 1800 x 2400 |
| Full front, select upgraded DTG products | 15 x 18 | 4500 x 5400 | 2250 x 2700 |
| Back (DTG) | 10 x 12 up to 12 x 16, depending on product | 3000 x 3600 up to 3600 x 4800 | 1500 x 1800 up to 1800 x 2400 |
| Center chest | typically 6 x 6 up to 10 x 8 (8 x 8 most common) | 1800 x 1800 up to 3000 x 2400 | 900 x 900 up to 1500 x 1200 |
| Left chest | 2.5 x 2.5 up to 5 x 5 | 750 x 750 up to 1500 x 1500 | 375 x 375 up to 750 x 750 |
| Sleeve | most often up to 4 x 3.5 | 1200 x 1050 | 600 x 525 |
Two caveats. Printful says it is upgrading the full front area from 12 x 16 to 15 x 18 inches for select DTG products and sizes, so check which one your product uses. Printify's knowledge hub uses a 4500 x 5400 px canvas (15 x 18 inches at 300 DPI) and asks for a minimum of 300 DPI at physical scale, but that is blog guidance, and Printify says the Product Creator shows the actual requirement for each print area.
Embroidery is different: it uses stitch-ready artwork, and Printful lists a 4 x 4 inch maximum for left chest and center chest embroidery. The rest of this article is about printed (DTG) files.
How do inches and DPI turn into pixels?
Pixels = print width in inches x DPI. DPI is the number of pixels laid across each printed inch, so the same file gets less detailed as it is printed bigger. To check any file, divide its pixel width by the print width in inches.
Example (illustrative artwork, not provider data): a 1500 x 1500 pixel illustration.
| Printed width | Effective DPI | Against Printful's 150 minimum |
|---|---|---|
| 5 in (left chest) | 1500 / 5 = 300 | Above it |
| 10 in (center chest) | 1500 / 10 = 150 | At the minimum |
| 12 in (full front width) | 1500 / 12 = 125 | Below it |
The same artwork works on the chest and fails across the whole front. Printful's own example makes the same point: a 5 x 5 inch design at 100 DPI doubled to 10 x 10 inches is cut to 50 DPI.
Is 150 DPI or 300 DPI the right target?
Printful states the 150 DPI minimum applies to most products, and that phone cases and stickers need 300. Printify recommends 300 DPI for PNG and JPEG, and says a lower resolution may be enough depending on the product (its help center article, which blocked direct access when we checked, so this wording comes from the search-result text of that page). For a shirt, 150 DPI is usually enough for bold shapes and large lettering. Thin lines and small type are where extra pixels show. Printful advises not exceeding 300 DPI.
What does a provider do with a file that is too small?
Neither provider's pages we could read promise a rescue. Changing the DPI tag in an editor adds no detail, it only relabels the same pixels. Printful warns that enlarging lowers DPI, and Printify's knowledge hub says to avoid upscaling low-resolution web images. Rebuild or regenerate the art at the target pixel size instead.
Where does a logo go on a t-shirt?
Placement is measured from the collar. From Printful's placement guide:
- Full front: 3 to 4 inches below the collar.
- Center chest: 3 to 3.5 inches below the collar.
- Left chest: about 3 inches below the neckline and 2 inches from the armpit.
- Back (DTG): upper back, between the shoulder blades.
Printful calls these general guidelines and says exact positions vary by shirt size. Printify's design size article gives other numbers (for example, left chest roughly 4 to 6 inches below the collar in one place and 3 inches in another), so rely on the mockup for the product you actually use.
What size is a standard, oversized or pocket-position print?
Standard is the table above. An oversized look is a full-front file at the maximum area, which is why the 15 x 18 inch products matter if you want more than 12 x 16. A pocket-position design is a left chest print of 2.5 x 2.5 to 5 x 5 inches, so the file can be small: 1500 x 1500 pixels covers the largest case at 300 DPI. Printful's guide does not mention pockets, so for shirts with a real pocket, use the mockup generator.
How does the design scale on youth, small and 3XL shirts?
Printful says larger sizes need slightly more spacing below the collar but gives no measurement. Printify's design size article says its designs are sized on a size L garment, that anything smaller is automatically scaled down, and that sizes above L are not scaled up (this is a Printify blog statement, not a Printful rule). Check the smallest and largest size you sell, not only the medium.
What file type and color profile should I use?
- Format: PNG. JPG cannot store transparency and may print with a white background (Printful).
- Transparency: use a transparent background and check it in your editor before uploading. Printify's guidance asks for pixels that are either fully solid or fully transparent, because soft glows and feathered shadows can leave a chalky white ring.
- Color profile: sRGB (Printful names sRGB IEC61966-2.1). Printful converts to CMYK for printing.
- Ribbed garments: Printful prints them unstretched, so ink sits on the ribs and gaps can show when the shirt stretches. Avoid fine detail there.
What should I check before uploading?
- Pixel width divided by print width in inches: at least 150 on Printful, 300 where you can.
- Canvas matches the product's current print area for the size you sell.
- PNG with a transparent background, no leftover white box.
- No soft semi-transparent edges if the provider asks for it (Printify).
- sRGB profile.
- Thin lines are thick enough to survive on fabric.
- Full-front offset is 3 to 4 inches from the collar, checked in the mockup.
- Looked at the smallest and largest size, not only the middle one.
The free print size checker runs the pixel check on the Printful 12 x 16 inch front area from your image dimensions, no account needed. In Slop City, the design-to-listing agent runs this same check before a design goes to a provider. The file should also match the mockup in the listing, which matters for the rules around Etsy listings. If you are still choosing what to print, see how to validate a niche, and the cost of each shirt is a separate question. More at /pricing.
FAQ
What size should a t-shirt design be for print on demand?
Export a transparent PNG at 3600 x 4800 pixels for a standard 12 x 16 inch front. Printful accepts 150 DPI on most products (1800 x 2400 pixels), so the product's File guidelines tab is the final word.
Is 150 DPI enough for a print on demand t-shirt?
On Printful, yes, it is the stated minimum for most products. Printify recommends 300 DPI.
Should a print on demand design be a PNG with a transparent background?
Yes. Printful says JPG cannot hold transparency and may print with a white background.
What happens if my file is too small?
Enlarging lowers effective DPI. Printful's example: 100 DPI at 5 x 5 inches becomes 50 DPI at 10 x 10 inches, which prints soft.