Design, customize, and print your own T-shirt

To make a T-shirt design, your first need to install specific graphic design software. Once you’ve done that, start your creation and make sure that your final design is at least 220 PPI so it won’t be pixelated when printed. Before you finish and download, enhance your design for CMYK printing so that your artwork will look vibrant on fabric.

We’ve tried to simplify that whole process with our drag-and-drop design screen, where making your own design is as easy as finding the right template or simply starting with a graphic and adding your own photos and text.

At Canva, we take pride in being a sustainable, eco-conscious manufacturer. It’s why we use Direct-to-Garment or DTG printing with certified Safe-for-Children inks to print all of our custom shirt orders.

Compared to other printing processes, DTG printing is more cost-effective even for small on-demand orders. This means we don’t need to print in bulk and generate less garment waste and overruns. Even better, you can order the exact number of garments you need, with no minimum quantity required.

Other than its cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness, DTG printing also allows for more vibrant and higher-quality full-color printing. This makes it the ideal printing process for designs, images, or logos that are colorful and highly detailed.

Cotton is the ideal material or fabric for T-shirts. It’s a natural fiber that’s comfortable, soft and breathable—everything you want a T-shirt to be. Cotton blends and tri-blends are the next best materials. They’re just as comfortable as 100% cotton shirts, but tend to shrink less so are a little more lightweight. Cotton blends can match 100% cotton in it’s affordability, but tri-blends tend to be pricier.

At Canva, our adult T-shirts are made with 100% combed cotton, meaning they’re a little softer than regular cotton. A total win if you’re looking for an ultra-comfortable, weekend staple. Our youth T-shirts are made from 100% combed ringspun cotton fine jersey, which means your brand-new tee will have greater durability—everything you want with active kids or busy teens.

The best way to find your size is by measuring using a tape and writing down each measurement so you can check against the sizing chart. You can do all these on your own body, or by measuring a shirt that you currently own and love on a flat surface.

To begin, start by measuring your shoulder width. Take your measuring tape in between the two seams where the sleeves would normally begin.

Next, measure your chest width. Relax your shoulders then take your tape around the broadest part of your chest area. Make sure the tape is not too tight, as you want to ensure the fit will allow you to move freely and comfortably throughout the day. For those who wear a bra, it’s best to wear it while measuring your chest, so you can take that added layer into account.

After that, measure the waist at the narrowest point. Make sure you’re not holding your breath in while measuring—again, you’ll want to stand the way you normally do so your shirt won’t be tight around the stomach area and comfortable for daily movement.

Next, if you’re particular about sleeve length, then you can measure that by holding one end of the tape from the shoulder seam to the end of the sleeve. For the overall length of the shirt, start by holding one end of the tape from the shoulder seam or just right beside the neckline and pull down to the bottom of the hem.

With cotton T-shirts, try to wash them in warm water with similar colors or hues. It’s best to avoid bleach, but if you absolutely have to, then use non-chlorine bleach. Our top tip to make your print last longer is to turn your shirt inside out before washing. And as always, it’s best to read the fabric care instructions on your shirts before washing them.

You can indeed! You can design something similar on both sides of your T-shirt, or something different. When ordering a print, just make sure you specify if you want to get both sides printed, just the front or just the back.

There is a range of colors available to order, but it does depend on where you are in the world. Check the following list to ensure the color you want is available:

US/CA: White, Black, Navy, Gray, Royal Blue, Red, Charcoal

AU/NZ: White, Black, Navy, Gray

You can order T-shirts in bulk through Canva. You can order multiple shirts at once with no minimum quantity needed to place your order.

We’re planting a tree for every order placed so you can get creative but stay sustainable. We grow these mangrove and forest trees in restoration sites across Kenya, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Haiti.

For mangroves, we will be planting native species of Rhizhopora, Ceriops, and Bruguiera. For forest tree species, we are planting Afromontane species. Each mangrove tree will offset 3.4 kg (7.4 lbs) per year or 84 kg (185.2 lbs) of carbon over 25 years. The Afromontane species vary, depending on size.