THE SIXPLANETS BLOG
Prepare transparent artwork for a custom T-shirt
Check transparent backgrounds, pixel dimensions and final print size before uploading your T-shirt design. Includes a simple resolution calculation.
By sixplanets · Published About 3 min read
In this guide
A design can look sharp on your phone and still be too small for a shirt. Before you upload it, check two separate things: how many pixels the file contains, and whether its background is meant to print. These checks take a few minutes and can prevent a white rectangle, soft lettering or an unexpectedly small design.
Start with the original artwork
Use the file exported from your design application, rather than a screenshot of the design or an image saved from a messaging preview. Screenshots include the display resolution, interface and background visible at the moment they are taken. They cannot recover detail that was missing from the original.
If you only have a small logo, ask its creator for a higher-resolution original or an SVG. Enlarging a small raster image creates more pixels, but it does not restore the detail those pixels never contained. Our design studio also lets you recreate straightforward lettering as editable text.
Calculate pixels at the intended print size
For a 300 pixels-per-inch target, multiply the intended width in inches by 300. A 10-inch-wide print needs 3,000 pixels across. The height needs the same calculation. This is a useful preparation target, rather than a promise that every file will print identically.
| Printed width | Artwork width |
|---|---|
| 4 inches | 1,200 pixels |
| 8 inches | 2,400 pixels |
| 10 inches | 3,000 pixels |
Changing a file's resolution label from 72 to 300 without adding usable source detail does not make the image sharper. Check its actual pixel dimensions. Also inspect the artwork at a realistic physical size: tiny letters and narrow gaps can remain hard to read even in a large file.
Decide whether the background should print
A PNG can contain transparency; a JPEG cannot. If you want a logo to sit directly on the garment color, export a transparent PNG or suitable SVG. If a rectangular photograph is part of the design, keeping its background may be the right choice.
Place your exported file over both a dark and a light background before uploading. Look for unwanted borders and stray pixels. A checkerboard visible in the image itself is not transparency: the checkerboard must come from your application's transparency preview.
Check the file in the selected garment preview
Choose your T-shirt and color first, then upload your artwork and position it in a supported print location. White lettering can disappear against a pale blank; a dark edge can disappear on black. Inspect the whole file, rather than only its center.
The studio accepts supported image originals up to 10 MB each. If your artwork exceeds the limit, export an appropriately sized copy and retain your original elsewhere. PDF, AI, EPS or files that need preparation should go through studio assistance instead of being converted through repeated screenshots.
Use a short preflight checklist
- The file is the original export, with enough pixels for its intended size.
- The background is either genuinely transparent or intentionally part of the print.
- Lettering remains readable against the selected garment color.
- The design fits the selected print area without clipping.
- You have permission to reproduce every image and logo in the design.
The online preview checks placement; the studio prepares the final artwork proof for approval before printing. If you are unsure about the file, send it with your intended print size through Contact before placing the order.