Launch a custom graphic T-shirt: from original artwork to your first English product page

Follow an ivory crewneck through POD sampling, print-file preparation, garment measurements, English copy and a store draft. Includes a transparent PNG, editable artwork and a sample worksheet.

Start with one original drawing and one English-market product: an ivory crewneck with a front print. Offer only sizes for which you have specifications and supply information. Our example uses an orange disc and five dark green curves. Build a printer handoff file, a sample inspection sheet and an English listing draft ready for review. Fill in fabric, fit, wash performance and lead time after checking the sample and supplier documentation.

Download and unzip tide.svg, tide-print.png and the sample worksheet. Edit the lines and colors in the SVG, position the PNG on the printer’s template, and fill in the CSV when the sample arrives.

01 · Start with one buyer and one reason to choose the design

The initial audience is English-speaking coastal walkers who prefer a restrained graphic. Show the whole garment first, print detail second and size guidance third. This sets the shot list and makes terms such as graphic tee and front print useful in the title.

Write four lines: artwork origin, intended blank, production owner and who handles defects or returns. Keep the editable original and export date. For licensed assets or fonts, retain the license text, receipt and permitted merchandise use together. Clear or replace third-party marks, characters and lyrics. Buyer personalization needs a separate proofing flow. This launch offers a fixed design and a size choice.

02 · Choose the blank before downloading its print template

In the POD catalog, select the crewneck blank, garment color, target market and front print area. Record the supplier style ID. Products called Unisex Tee can have different color names, sizes and printable areas. Save the exact front template, size chart and date checked. For Printful, use the file guidelines on the chosen product. Download them again after changing blank or print method.

Separate fulfillment facts (colors, sizes, fulfillment regions, product and shipping cost) from listing facts (documented composition, neckline, care instructions and measurement units). Leave gaps open. Record production and transit time separately and check shipping for a target address. An estimate for one address applies to that example only.

03 · Export a transparent PNG and calculate the printed width

Open tide.svg, place the artwork inside the supplier’s printable front area and save a working copy. Hide garment color, bleed notes and guides, then export a transparent PNG. Inspect it on light and dark preview backgrounds for halos and low contrast. Export with the color profile requested by the supplier. The teaching PNG is 3000 × 3000 pixels, transparent and tagged sRGB.

Canvas width differs from ink width. If the full 3000-pixel canvas is placed at 25.4 cm or 10 inches wide, effective resolution is 300 pixels per inch. Transparent margins reduce the colored width. The colored area is 2637 pixels wide, so 2637 ÷ 3000 × 25.4 ≈ 22.3 cm. If the uploader trims transparency, use its displayed dimensions instead. Verify the exact placement on the selected blank and physical sample.

Check the supplier’s file-preparation guide for transparency, color profiles and product-specific templates.

04 · Measure the sample before photographing it

Save a draft after uploading. Record style, color, size, placement and file version together. Confirm cost and address before ordering a sample. Lay the delivered shirt flat without stretching. Photograph the whole front, the neckline-to-print distance, flat width with a ruler, and the print edges and fabric. Keep the ivory shade true to life.

Record the sample size. Follow the supplier diagram to measure flat width under the arms and length from the high shoulder point. Separate cm from inches, using 1 inch = 2.54 cm. Keep flat garment width separate from body chest circumference. If you measured one M, record M and identify other data as supplier figures. To discuss wash change, follow the care label, dry as directed and remeasure under the same conditions.

If the design sits low, check whether transparent margins affected centering. For softness, inspect source pixels against print width. Thicken or remove details that fill in. Send the supplier a close-up, style ID, size, file version and a specific question. Replace planning mockups with photographs of the approved sample.

05 · Work back from the order costs

Use one currency. List the blank and print, packaging, shipping, payment fees, platform fees, a returns or reship allowance, and acquisition cost per order. Subtract these from sales revenue to estimate unit contribution. Example: receipts of 30 units less 12 production, 6 shipping, 2 fees, 1 allowance and 5 acquisition leave 4. Raising shipping to 10 brings contribution to zero. Use this to review the shipping region. Recalculate for taxes collected, discounts and refunds using your actual order accounting.

06 · Turn the evidence into an English listing

Draft an English listing for a fixed-print tee. Confirmed artwork: one orange disc and five dark green curves, planned for sampling on an ivory crewneck. My sources may include supplier style specifications, size chart, print template and sample notes. Use only fields actually provided. Return a title, opening, three details, sizing guidance, production and shipping, return information and a separate internal open-items list. Keep unsupported composition, weight, fit, lead times, certifications and wash claims internal. Identify flat width and units, and offer only enabled sizes. Keep internal placeholders out of buyer copy.

A title supported by the artwork is “Tide Lines Graphic Tee — Orange Sun and Green Waves.” An opening: “Five green lines curve around an orange sun in this original front graphic.” After approving the sample and blank, add sizing guidance such as “Compare the flat width and length in the size chart with a tee you already wear.” Put the measured chart alongside it. Check composition, care and shipping line by line against the source documents.

If you later offer name personalization, specify the character limit, supported letters, proof approval, post-approval changes and responsibility for misprints. Keep fixed and personalized versions in separate drafts so buyers understand the available choices before paying.

For buyer-entered text, duplicate the draft as TIDE-NAME-IV-M and place the name below the graphic. Define input rules before opening the field: for example, 1–12 English letters, preserve capitalization, one font and one fixed position. Test a short name and twelve wide letters to check the print boundary. Display the rules and an example, and pass the original text into the order record.

If the buyer enters MAYA, prepare a proof identifying MAYA, ivory, size M and the position below the front artwork. Ask the buyer to confirm spelling and placement. Save the approved version and time, then export the print file for that order. Reproof spelling changes and keep each order’s artwork separate. State which changes you can handle before and after production and how defects or printing errors are resolved.

07 · Trace a test order through the store

Create a draft product and match the title, images, size chart and SKUs. For example, TIDE-IV-M identifies the design, ivory color and M size. Verify supplier or stock mapping for every enabled size. Preview on mobile. Check measurement units, switch sizes and inspect the variant in the cart. Enter a target address to review shipping and estimated timing. Disable variants awaiting supply confirmation.

Before test checkout, ensure a test order cannot trigger a real supplier charge or production. Trace the order back to its print file, blank, size and delivery region. If M maps to L, correct the variant in draft or test mode. Open the confirmation email on a phone and review the contact route, estimated handling time and after-sales information.

Before going live, reconcile usage rights, current template, approved sample, sourced measurements, destination-specific costs and a test record for the right variant. Keep the store listing in draft until its sample is approved. This tutorial provides the artwork, print file and listing example; verify physical samples, orders and fulfillment with your chosen supplier.

Continue with your own sample

Bring your print file, sample photo and English listing draft to the AI Super Player Overseas Marketing Circle. The video lessons and internal courses expand the production steps, and Q&A can address the exact handoff where a problem arose.