Print your design on a T-shirt
Last updated October 15, 2026
You need your artwork (PNG, ideally 300 dpi at print size) and a free Layersmith account to download.
- Open your design. Drop the image on the canvas or click Open image (top right), then open Colours.
- Pick the shirt colour first. Click the swatch you are printing on (Black, White, Natural, Sport grey, Navy, Royal, Red, Cardinal, Forest) or Custom. Set Print width beside it — about 12 inches for an adult front. The shirt colour decides which colour is bare shirt (no screen) and whether white goes underneath.
- Choose a separation type. The panel suggests one from the shirt and the art. You can pick another.
- Spot (free): logos, text and flat artwork with a few solid colours. Most first jobs.
- Simulated process (10 cr): photos or shaded art on a dark shirt.
- CMYK (10 cr): photos on a white or light shirt.
- Index: photos as solid dots, with no halftone angles. For experienced printers.
- Preview the inks. Under Ink set, set how many colours (each colour is one screen). Click 1. Preview inks · free and check the palette: rename, merge or delete screens. The colour matching the shirt is marked Shirt colour (no screen).
- Dark shirt? Leave White underbase on. It turns on for a dark shirt of every type. Leave Underbase choke at 1–2 px so the white hides under the colours. If you see “This will print muddy”, click Turn on the underbase.
- Halftones, for shading and photos. Tick Halftone the plates. Start with screen ruling 45–55 lpi, 600 dpi, round dots, angles on Auto. Solid spot logos can leave this off.
- Registration marks start on, so you can line the screens up on the press.
- Make the films. Click 2. Make films · 10 cr. A zip downloads with one film per screen in print order, plus a proof. Re-renders of the same image are free for 24h. The free export has no underbase, halftones or registration marks.
- Print the films and burn screens. Print each plate at 100% scale (no “fit to page”). Black means ink. Print the underbase first, flash it, then the colours in the listed order, and Highlight White last. The README in the zip lists the order, angles and lpi.
Tips
- Do one test print on a scrap shirt before the run. The on-screen proof is an approximation, not a press test.
- Use a 156–230 mesh for halftones and 110–156 for the underbase or big solid areas.
- Light design on a dark shirt (cream text on black): Spot, a white underbase and two colours is usually enough.
- Low-resolution art prints badly. Use the biggest original file you have.