T-Shirt Design Placement: Sizes for Chest, Back and Sleeves

Use the print size and DPI checker to see how your artwork’s pixel dimensions relate to the physical print size.

Good T-shirt design placement starts about 3 inches below the collar for a left chest logo and 3 to 4 inches below it for a full front print. On a Bella+Canvas 3001, Printful prints up to 12 by 16 inches on the front or back and 4 by 3.5 inches on a sleeve. Every size below comes from Printful's live print files and Clothify's own editor limits.

• 12 by 16 infull front or back print area
• 3.5 inwidest left chest print in Clothify
• 3 inbelow the neckline for a left chest
• +$5.95adds a back print to an $11.92 tee

T-shirt print sizes at a glance

The print area is the most a supplier can print, not the size your design should be. Most designs sit well inside it.

Design widths are the ranges Clothify's layouts use. Costs are for a Bella+Canvas 3001, size M in black, with the first print included in the $11.92 price. Collar distances come from Printful's placement guide and, for the back, ScreenPrinting.com's.

Left chest: where a logo goes

Put the top of a left chest print about 3 inches below the neckline and 2 inches in from the armpit, on the wearer's left, which is the right side as you look at the shirt. That spot is Printful's own recommendation.

Clothify caps a left chest print at 3.5 inches. Its layouts run from 1.6 inches for a quiet monogram to 3.5 inches for a crest, and about half of them sit at 2.5 to 3 inches. If lettering is part of the logo, check it against the clothing brand logo guide, which measures how tall letters print at each width.

Center chest and full front: the statement spots

A center chest print sits 3 to 3.5 inches below the collar and lines up with the middle of the collar. A full front print starts 3 to 4 inches below it. In Clothify a center chest print stays at 4.5 inches or under; for anything bigger, choose Full front.

Full front in Clothify sets your artwork at 92% of the print area's width, about 11 inches on this shirt, so art stays clear of the print area's edge. Printful also lists a 15 by 18 inch large front for this tee.

Back and sleeves: the second print

The back is the only other big print area, and it adds more to the cost than a sleeve: $5.95 against $2.49.

An upper back print sits high between the shoulder blades, about 4 inches below the collar. Clothify limits it to 11 inches wide. A full back starts 3 to 4 inches below the collar and fills up to 12 by 16 inches.

A sleeve holds 4 by 3.5 inches. Keep it inside the seams and use it for one small mark, a date or a short word.

Check your print on every size

Printful's print file for this tee stays at 12 by 16 inches from XS to 5XL, while the shirt itself grows from 16.5 to 26 inches wide between XS and 2XL. The same artwork takes up 73% of an XS and 46% of a 2XL, so it looks larger on small shirts and smaller on big ones.

1. 1

   Check the smallest size

   A print that nearly reaches the seams on XS looks cramped

2. 2

   Check the largest size

   A small center chest print can look lost on a 2XL

3. 3

   Start at the collar

   Measure down from the collar, never up from the hem

4. 4

   Make the file at print size

   150 DPI is Printful's apparel standard

Hoodies change the numbers

A hoodie's front print is shorter than a tee's, with a pocket below it. Check the piece before you reuse a tee layout.

Source: Printful print files and prices, DTG, size M in black, Nov 8, 2026.

Hats are smaller still. See the sizes in the logo guide. The print method also changes what fits: embroidery on a tee tops out at 4 by 4 inches on the chest, as DTG vs screen printing vs embroidery explains. Placement is part of step 5 of how to start a clothing brand.

Once the placement looks right on screen, use the clothing sample checklist to check the actual print before you publish the listing.

If the blank itself is your biggest decision, compare Clothify and Tapstitch and test the same print across two cuts.

Questions about T-shirt design placement

How far below the collar should a design go?

About 3 inches for a left chest logo, 3 to 3.5 inches for a center chest print and 3 to 4 inches for a full front, measured from the bottom of the collar.

What size should a logo be on a shirt?

Between 1.6 and 3.5 inches wide on the left chest. Clothify caps it at 3.5 inches; Printful's guide lists up to 5 inches.

Which side is the left chest?

The wearer's left, which is the right side as you face the shirt.

Should every shirt size use the same print?

Printful's print file stays the same across sizes. If the art feels tight on XS or lost on 2XL, change the design size, not the position.

What is the standard T-shirt print size?

12 by 16 inches is the standard full front on most Printful tees. Printful's guide calls 8 by 8 inches the most common center chest size.

Does a back print cost more?

Yes. On this tee the back adds $5.95 to the $11.92 base; on a Gildan 18500 hoodie it also adds $5.95.

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