Custom T-Shirt Design and Printing: A Complete Glossary
Every key term you need to know, from opening a blank canvas to receiving a finished shirt
Whether you are designing your first custom t-shirt or managing merch for a growing brand, the terminology around online design tools and print-on-demand services can feel overwhelming at first. This glossary covers the key terms you are likely to encounter across every stage of the process, from opening a blank canvas to receiving a finished shirt at your door.
Terms are organized by theme so you can move through them in order or jump directly to the section most relevant to where you are in your project.
Design Fundamentals
Blank Canvas
A starting point in an online design tool that presents an empty workspace with no pre-existing layout, text, or imagery. Choosing a blank canvas gives you complete creative control over the placement and proportions of every element in your design from scratch.
Template
A pre-built design layout created by professional designers that you can edit and personalize. T-shirt templates typically include placeholder text, graphics, and color schemes that you can swap out with your own content. Templates are useful for speeding up the design process and ensuring a polished result without starting from zero.
Canvas
The working area within an online design tool where you build and arrange your t-shirt design. The canvas represents the printable surface of the shirt and defines the boundaries within which your design elements should sit.
Design Element
Any individual component placed on the canvas, including text blocks, images, icons, shapes, illustrations, and graphics. Multiple design elements are layered and arranged together to form a complete composition.
Layer
A stacking level within the design canvas. Each element on the canvas exists on its own layer, which can be moved up or down in the stacking order to control which elements appear in front of or behind others. Understanding layers is important when combining text, images, and background shapes in the same design.
Artboard
An alternative term for the canvas used in some design tools, particularly those with more advanced editing environments. An artboard defines the exact dimensions and boundaries of your design space.
Drag and Drop
A method of adding and repositioning design elements by clicking on them and dragging them to a new location on the canvas. Most browser-based t-shirt design tools use drag-and-drop interaction as the primary way to build and arrange layouts.
Undo and Redo
Standard editing controls that allow you to reverse a recent change (undo) or reapply it after undoing (redo). These are essential for experimenting with design choices without permanently losing earlier versions of your work.
Preview
A simulated view that shows how your completed design will appear on an actual t-shirt, typically displayed on a realistic garment mockup. Most online t-shirt design tools include a preview function so you can evaluate placement, scale, and color before placing an order.
Mockup
A realistic visual representation of a finished t-shirt with your design applied to it. Mockups are generated by the design tool to give you a sense of how the final printed product will look when worn. They are not the same as the actual printed shirt but serve as a useful visual check before committing to an order.
Typography and Text
Typography
The practice of arranging and styling text to make it visually effective and readable. In t-shirt design, typography choices including font selection, size, spacing, and color have a significant impact on how the finished design communicates and feels.
Font
A specific typeface in a defined style and weight. Online t-shirt design tools typically provide access to a library of fonts ranging from clean sans-serif styles to bold display faces, scripts, and decorative options. Choosing the right font is one of the most important decisions in a text-based t-shirt design.
Font Weight
A descriptor for how thick or thin the strokes of a font appear. Common font weights include light, regular, medium, bold, and extra bold. Heavier weights tend to read more clearly on printed garments, particularly at smaller sizes.
Font Size
The scale at which text is displayed on the canvas, typically measured in points. For t-shirt designs, font size should be considered in relation to how large the text will appear when printed at the intended shirt dimensions.
Kerning
The adjustment of horizontal spacing between individual letter pairs. Fine-tuning kerning can improve the visual balance of a word or phrase, particularly in logo-style t-shirt designs where letter spacing is noticeable at large sizes.
Leading
The vertical spacing between lines of text within a block of copy. Tighter leading brings lines closer together for a compact stacked effect; looser leading adds breathing room and can improve readability.
Letter Spacing (Tracking)
The uniform horizontal spacing applied across an entire word or block of text, as distinct from kerning which adjusts spacing between specific letter pairs. Increasing letter spacing creates an airy, spread-out effect often used in minimalist t-shirt designs.
Text Effect
A visual treatment applied to text to give it a stylized appearance. Common text effects used in t-shirt design include outlines, shadows, gradients, glows, and generative or illustrated lettering styles. Some design tools offer AI-powered text effect generators that produce elaborate typographic treatments from a simple prompt.
Placeholder Text
Dummy text included in a template to show where editable copy should go. When personalizing a template, placeholder text is replaced with your own words, names, dates, or messaging.
Call-to-Action Text
A short phrase on a t-shirt design that prompts a specific response or communicates a message directly, such as a slogan, a team name, or an event title. The placement and styling of call-to-action text is often the focal point of a t-shirt composition.
Images, Graphics, and Uploads
Stock Image
A photograph or illustration sourced from a licensed library within the design tool. Stock images can be searched by keyword and added directly to a t-shirt design canvas without needing to source or upload imagery from elsewhere.
Upload
The process of adding your own image files from your device to the design canvas. Uploaded files can include photographs, illustrations, logos, and any other visual assets you want to include in your design. Common accepted formats include PNG, JPG, and SVG.
PNG (Portable Network Graphic)
A widely used image format that supports transparent backgrounds, making it the preferred format for uploading logos and graphics intended to sit cleanly over a t-shirt color without a visible bounding box or white rectangle around them.
Transparent Background
An image property in which the area surrounding the main subject contains no color or fill, appearing invisible when placed on the canvas. Transparent backgrounds are essential for graphics that need to sit directly on a colored shirt without a white or colored border interfering with the design.
JPG (or JPEG)
A common image format that uses lossy compression to reduce file size. JPG files do not support transparent backgrounds, making them less suitable than PNG for placing isolated graphics on colored shirt backgrounds. JPGs work well for full-coverage photographic designs.
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphic)
A vector-based image format that can be scaled to any size without any loss of sharpness or quality. SVG files are ideal for logos and graphic elements that need to remain crisp at both small and large print dimensions.
Icon
A small, simplified graphic symbol used to communicate an idea or theme visually. Many online design tools include searchable icon libraries covering categories from sports and holidays to business, food, nature, and abstract shapes.
Illustration
A drawn or digitally created artwork used as a design element. Illustrations can range from simple line drawings to detailed full-color compositions and are often used as centerpieces of graphic t-shirt designs.
Background
The base layer of a canvas design, which can be a solid color, a gradient, a pattern, or an image. On a t-shirt design canvas, the background color or fill often corresponds to the shirt color you plan to order.
Remove Background
A tool feature that automatically isolates the main subject of a photo and removes the surrounding background, leaving a clean cutout suitable for use in a design. This is particularly useful for placing product photos or personal images onto t-shirt designs without manual masking.
Color and Branding
Color Palette
A curated set of colors used consistently across a design. In t-shirt design, maintaining a cohesive color palette ensures that all elements in the design work harmoniously together and align with any existing brand or theme.
Hex Code
A six-character alphanumeric code that precisely identifies a specific color in digital design. Hex codes allow designers to enter exact brand colors into the color picker rather than relying on approximate visual matching.
Brand Colors
The specific set of colors associated with a business, team, or organization's visual identity. Using your exact brand colors in a t-shirt design ensures the finished product is consistent with your other branded materials.
Brand Kit
A saved collection of brand assets within an online design tool, typically including logos, brand colors, and fonts. Applying a brand kit to a t-shirt design project allows all branded elements to be applied consistently and quickly across multiple designs.
Logo
A distinctive graphic mark, wordmark, or combination of both that represents a brand or organization. Logos are commonly added to t-shirt designs either as a central graphic element or as a smaller detail, such as a left-chest placement.
Color Picker
The tool within a design editor that allows you to select or input a specific color for any design element. Color pickers typically include a visual spectrum selector as well as fields for entering hex codes, RGB values, or other color notation systems.
Contrast
The degree of visual difference between two adjacent colors. High contrast between a design and its shirt color background improves legibility and visual impact. Low contrast can cause elements to blend together and become difficult to read.
Gradient
A smooth transition between two or more colors applied to a design element or background. Gradients add depth and dimension to t-shirt graphics and lettering and are available as fill options within most design tool color settings.
Opacity
The level of transparency applied to a design element, ranging from fully visible to completely invisible. Reducing opacity creates a semi-transparent effect that allows layers beneath to show through, useful for subtle texture overlays or watermark-style placements.
Printing and Production
Print-on-Demand
A fulfillment model in which a t-shirt is only printed after an order is placed, rather than being produced in bulk in advance. Print-on-demand eliminates the need to hold inventory and is well suited to individuals, small businesses, and creators who want to offer custom products without upfront production costs.
Direct-to-Garment (DTG) Printing
A printing method in which ink is applied directly onto the fabric of the garment using a specialized inkjet printer. DTG printing produces high-detail, full-color results and is particularly effective for photographic or complex multicolor designs. It works best on 100% cotton fabrics.
Screen Printing
A traditional printing technique in which each color of a design is applied to the fabric through a separate mesh screen. Screen printing produces vibrant, durable results and is cost-effective for high-volume orders, but setup costs make it less practical for single-unit or low-quantity runs.
Heat Transfer
A printing method in which a design is first printed onto a transfer paper or film and then applied to the fabric using heat and pressure. Heat transfer printing is versatile and works on a range of fabric types, though it may have different durability characteristics compared to DTG or screen-printed results.
Print Area
The defined region of a t-shirt where printed content can be placed. Common print areas include the full front, full back, left chest, right chest, and sleeves. Each print area has its own maximum dimensions, and designs should be sized to fit within those boundaries for optimal results.
Placement
The position of a design on the garment. Common placement options include center chest, left chest, center back, and upper back. The choice of placement affects how the design reads when the shirt is worn and should be considered carefully in relation to design size and content.
Resolution
The level of detail in a digital image, typically measured in dots per inch (DPI) or pixels per inch (PPI). For print use, a resolution of at least 300 DPI at the final print size is the standard requirement for producing sharp, clean results. Low-resolution images will appear blurry or pixelated when printed.
DPI (Dots Per Inch)
A measurement of print resolution that describes how many ink dots are placed per inch of printed surface. Higher DPI values indicate greater detail and sharper print quality. 300 DPI is the widely accepted minimum standard for professional t-shirt printing.
Bleed
An area of design that extends slightly beyond the final trim or print boundary to ensure there are no unprinted edges or gaps if the print shifts slightly during production. Bleed is more commonly relevant for paper printing than garment printing but may apply to edge-to-edge garment prints.
Garment Color
The base color of the t-shirt itself, which serves as the backdrop for the printed design. Most online t-shirt design tools allow you to select from a range of garment colors during the design process so you can preview how your design looks against different shirt backgrounds before ordering.
Size Range
The range of garment sizes available for a given t-shirt product, typically spanning from extra small through to triple extra large or beyond. When ordering custom t-shirts, the available size range determines the options you can offer to your recipients or customers.
Unisex Fit
A garment cut designed to be worn by any gender, typically featuring a straight body shape and standard sleeve length. Unisex t-shirts are a common default option in print-on-demand catalogs and tend to offer the broadest size range.
Youth Sizing
A garment size category intended for children and younger wearers, with proportions scaled down from adult sizing. Some online t-shirt printing services offer youth size options alongside standard adult sizes for school, family, or event orders.
File Formats and Downloads
PDF (Portable Document Format)
A file format that preserves the exact layout, fonts, and image quality of a design regardless of the device or software used to open it. PDF is considered the preferred format for professional printing as it maintains full image fidelity at any output size.
Download
The process of saving a completed design file from the online tool to your local device. Most t-shirt design tools allow you to download your work in multiple file formats including PNG, JPG, and PDF.
File Export
The act of generating and saving a design in a specific file format from the design tool. Different export formats serve different purposes, with PDF typically used for print submission, PNG for digital sharing with transparent backgrounds, and JPG for general image use.
High Resolution Export
An export setting that outputs the design file at the maximum available quality and pixel density. Choosing a high-resolution export is important when the file will be used for printing rather than just on-screen viewing.
Ordering and Fulfillment
Order Preview
A step in the online ordering process that shows you a final confirmation of your design, selected garment color, and size before you complete your purchase. Reviewing the order preview carefully helps catch any errors or adjustments needed before the item goes to print.
Print-to-Order
A term used by some online design and printing platforms to describe the process in which your custom item is produced only after your order is placed and confirmed. Print-to-order is the same concept as print-on-demand and is used interchangeably by different services.
Fulfillment Partner
The third-party printing and logistics service that physically produces and ships your t-shirt order. Online design tools that include ordering functionality typically work with an established fulfillment partner to handle the printing, quality checks, packaging, and delivery of finished products.
Shipping Region
The geographic area to which a printing and fulfillment service delivers orders. Many online t-shirt printing tools currently support shipping within the US, UK, Australia, and Canada, with availability in other regions varying by service.
Recyclable Packaging
Environmentally conscious packaging materials used to ship printed orders. Many print-on-demand services use 100% recyclable packaging as part of a commitment to reducing environmental impact across their supply chain.
Return Policy
The conditions under which a customer can return a custom-printed product for a replacement or refund. Because custom t-shirts are produced specifically for each order, return policies typically focus on items that arrive damaged or with a print defect rather than general change-of-mind returns.
Proof
A representation of the final printed product shared for approval before production begins. In many online self-service tools, the interactive design preview functions as the proof, allowing you to confirm your design looks correct before placing the order.
Production Time
The amount of time required to print and prepare a custom t-shirt order before it is handed off to a shipping carrier. Production time is separate from shipping time and should be factored into your overall delivery expectations, particularly for event or deadline-driven orders.
Delivery Estimate
The projected date or timeframe within which your completed order will arrive after the production and shipping process. Delivery estimates depend on the production time, the shipping method selected, and your location relative to the fulfillment facility.
Plans and Access
Free Plan
An account tier that provides access to core design features without a subscription fee. Free plans typically include a selection of templates, basic editing tools, and standard download options. Some advanced features, such as brand kit integration or premium asset libraries, may require an upgraded plan.
Premium Plan
A paid subscription tier that unlocks a broader set of design capabilities, including access to premium templates, advanced customization tools, expanded asset libraries, and features such as automatic brand kit application. Premium plans are suited to regular users and businesses who need a more complete set of tools.
Template Library
The collection of pre-designed layouts available within the design tool, accessible to users depending on their account tier. Free users typically have access to a curated selection of templates, while premium users can access the full library including exclusive professionally designed options.
Asset Library
A searchable collection of images, icons, illustrations, fonts, and other design resources available within the tool. Asset libraries vary in size and quality across platforms and account tiers, and having access to a large, high-quality library can significantly expand your design options without needing to source or upload external files.
Mobile Access
The ability to use the design tool on a smartphone or tablet. Most online t-shirt design tools support mobile browsing and design, though the actual ordering and print submission step may be restricted to the desktop version of the tool depending on the platform.
Desktop-Only Printing
A restriction applied by some online design tools that limits the ability to place print orders to the desktop version of the platform. While you may be able to design on a mobile device, switching to a desktop browser is required to complete the ordering process on these platforms.
From Canvas to Finished Shirt
From canvas and typography to fulfillment and file formats, the language of custom t-shirt design covers a broad range of disciplines. Having a clear understanding of these terms puts you in a stronger position to make informed decisions at every stage of a project, whether you are creating a one-off personal design, producing branded merch for a team, or setting up a custom product offering for a growing business.