Creating a custom graduation t-shirt is exciting, but a few mistakes can turn a great idea into a printing disaster. From blurry graphics to unreadable text, some common design errors can ruin your shirt. To help you avoid that, here are the dos and don’ts of designing the perfect grad shirt.
✅ DO: Keep It Simple & Bold
Your shirt should be easy to read and recognize from a distance. A clean, bold design looks way better than something cluttered with too many elements.
Best Practices:
✔ Stick to one or two main colors for text and graphics
✔ Use large, bold fonts that are easy to read
✔ Choose a simple layout—don’t overload it with details
❌ DON’T: Overcomplicate the Design
Trying to add too many elements—tiny details, intricate patterns, or too much text—can make your shirt look messy. Remember, less is more when it comes to custom graduation t-shirts.
✅ DO: Make Sure the Text is Readable
Your message should be clear, even from a distance. Fancy script fonts might look cool on a computer screen, but they can be hard to read when printed.
Best Practices:
✔ Use bold, high-contrast colors (dark text on light shirts, or vice versa)
✔ Avoid thin, overly decorative fonts
✔ Make sure the text size is large enough to read at a glance
❌ DON’T: Choose Hard-to-Read Fonts
- Light yellow text on a white shirt? No one will see it.
- A fancy cursive font with lots of swirls? Looks cool, but hard to read.
- Text that’s too small? People will have to squint.
✅ DO: Use High-Quality Graphics
Blurry or pixelated designs look bad on a printed shirt. Your artwork needs to be high resolution so it prints clean and sharp.
Best Practices:
✔ Use vector graphics (SVG, AI, EPS) instead of pixel-based images
✔ If using photos or raster images (PNG, JPG), make sure they’re at least 300 DPI
✔ Keep important details inside the print-safe margin
❌ DON’T: Upload Low-Resolution Images
If your design looks blurry on-screen, it will look even worse on fabric. Always check your file quality before printing.
✅ DO: Pick the Right Shirt Color & Fabric
Your design might look great digitally, but will it work on the shirt color you picked? Think about contrast and fabric type before finalizing.
Best Practices:
✔ Choose shirt colors that make your design stand out
✔ Consider fabric type—cotton absorbs ink differently than polyester
✔ Order a sample if possible to see how the colors print
❌ DON’T: Ignore Fabric & Ink Compatibility
- Light ink on a light-colored shirt? Won’t show up well.
- Dark ink on a dark shirt? Same problem.
- Wrong fabric? Could affect print quality and durability.
✅ DO: Double-Check Everything Before Printing
A simple typo or misaligned design can ruin your whole order. Always review your design carefully before hitting print.
Best Practices:
✔ Check for spelling mistakes
✔ Make sure the design is centered and aligned
✔ Review the final print preview before ordering
❌ DON’T: Skip the Final Check
Printing hundreds of custom graduation t-shirts only to realize there’s a typo? Not fun. Always get a second pair of eyes to review your design.
Your graduation t-shirt is a keepsake, so make sure it’s something you’ll actually want to wear. Stick to a simple, bold, and readable design, choose the right colors and fabric, and double-check everything before printing.
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