Custom Printing Guide

Custom T-Shirt Printing: The Complete 2026 Guide

By The TMK Tees Team · 23 October 2026

Most people have a clear idea of what they want on their tee. Choosing the right method to get it there is where the confusion starts.

What Is Custom T-Shirt Printing?

Custom t-shirt printing is the process of reproducing a design, text, or graphic onto a blank garment using one of four main techniques. Screen printing forces ink through a mesh stencil. DTG works like an inkjet printer applied directly to fabric. HTV bonds cut vinyl under heat and pressure. Dye sublimation converts ink to gas that fuses into polyester fibres.

The right choice depends on order quantity, the number of colours in the design, and the fabric content of the garment. Screen printing wins on durability and unit cost at scale. DTG handles photographic detail and small runs. HTV suits names and numbers on sportswear. Sublimation is the only method that produces a fully all-over print, but it is limited to polyester or polyester-blend fabrics.

What Is Custom Apparel Printing?

Custom apparel printing applies the same four techniques beyond t-shirts to hoodies, polo shirts, caps, tote bags, and joggers. The word "apparel" simply signals that the decoration is applied to the finished garment rather than woven into the fabric during manufacture.

For streetwear and event merch, heavyweight cotton blanks at 220 gsm or above are the standard base because they hold their shape after multiple washes and take ink cleanly. The Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton T-Shirt is one of the most widely used blanks for both screen printing and DTG runs in the UK. It is available in multi-packs, making it practical for bulk orders.

What Is Custom Screen Printing?

Custom screen printing is the method of forcing ink through a fine mesh stencil stretched over a frame and onto the surface of the garment. Each colour in the design requires its own dedicated screen and registration step. A four-colour logo needs four screens.

Set-up costs are front-loaded: each screen costs the printer time and materials to produce. That makes very small orders expensive per unit, but above a certain quantity the per-shirt cost drops sharply. Screen printing also produces the most durable finish of any garment decoration method. A well-cured plastisol print typically outlasts the fabric itself.

How to Make a Custom T-Shirt Design

Making a custom t-shirt design starts in a vector application. Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer (a cheaper alternative at a one-time purchase price), and the browser-based Canva Pro all work. Vector artwork scales to any size without losing sharpness, which is a technical requirement for print output.

Keep colours to four or fewer if you plan to screen print, as each colour adds a screen and raises the set-up cost. DTG has no practical colour limit, though detailed gradients can lose definition on dark garments. Export as a PDF or SVG for screen printing. For DTG, export a PNG at a minimum of 300 DPI at the intended print dimensions, not scaled down.

How to Customise a T-Shirt Design

Customising a t-shirt design means adapting an existing graphic: swapping colours, adding a name or number, repositioning elements, or placing new artwork onto a base template. Most online print platforms include a browser-based builder with drag-and-drop tools and live previews rendered on garment mockups.

If you are sending files to a trade printer, supply a layered source file in AI or PSD format. A flattened JPEG merges all layers and removes the ability to isolate individual colours, which slows colour separation and increases the risk of registration errors on press.

How to Make Your Own T-Shirt Prints

The most accessible home method for making your own t-shirt prints is iron-on heat transfer paper. Print a mirrored design onto transfer paper using a standard inkjet printer, then bond it to the garment using a heat source. The quality of the adhesion determines how long the print lasts.

A household iron works as a basic option but produces inconsistent temperature and pressure across the design area. A Cricut EasyPress 2 applies even, consistent heat at a set temperature across the full plate, which produces a cleaner bond and sharper edges. Home iron-on transfers will eventually crack or peel after repeated washing. Commercial heat transfer vinyl, applied at higher temperatures on a proper press, lasts considerably longer.

How to Make a Custom T-Shirt Print

Making a custom t-shirt print follows a fixed sequence: finalise the design file, pre-press the blank garment on a heat platen for a few seconds to drive out moisture, apply the print, then cure the ink. Curing is the step most beginners skip. Without it, the ink has not bonded fully and will wash out after a handful of cycles.

For DTG, curing means running the garment through a conveyor dryer or holding it under a heat platen for the time and temperature specified in the ink manufacturer's data sheet. For screen printing, a flash dryer or conveyor unit does the same job. Check the spec sheet for your specific ink: curing requirements vary between plastisol and water-based formulations.

How to Get a Custom T-Shirt Printed

To get a custom t-shirt printed, upload your artwork to an online print-on-demand service or take a file directly to a local print shop. Services such as Printful and Gelato handle production and dispatch themselves, with typical turnaround times of 3 to 5 working days. A local shop can often turn around a single one-off piece within 24 hours and lets you inspect the print before leaving.

For orders above 50 units, contact a trade printer directly and ask for quotes both with and without your own supplied blanks. Supplying your own garments gives you full control over the fabric weight and cut. If you want custom hoodies with drop-shipping built in, Printful integrates directly with Shopify and Etsy stores and ships to your customers without you holding stock.

How to Make Your Own T-Shirt Printing Machine

You do not need to build a t-shirt printing machine from scratch. A clamshell heat press with a 38 x 38 cm platen handles heat transfer vinyl application and DTG curing. New units are available from around £100 to £200, and several well-reviewed models are listed on Amazon UK in that price band.

A DIY screen printing setup requires a mesh screen (110 or 160 mesh count suits most garment designs), photo emulsion, a UV exposure unit or bright direct sunlight, ink, and a squeegee. Speedball and Ryonet both sell UK-compatible starter kits at under £100 that include written instructions and enough consumables for several test prints. Neither brand requires you to build any hardware yourself.

How to Start a Custom T-Shirt Printing Business

Starting a custom t-shirt printing business means choosing one print method to master first, registering with HMRC as a sole trader or forming a limited company before taking any payment, and sourcing blanks from a wholesale distributor. Doing all three at once is manageable. Trying to do all three while also experimenting with every print method is not.

DTG or HTV carries the lower barrier to entry: HTV requires only a heat press and a cutting machine, available for a few hundred pounds in total. DTG equipment represents a significantly higher investment. Source blanks from wholesale distributors: Continental Clothing, AS Colour, and Bella+Canvas all supply UK trade accounts. Build 10 to 20 designs, photograph them on real people, and list on Etsy or a Shopify store. Paid Meta ads targeting a tight, specific interest group (a particular sport, music genre, or hobby) produce a stronger return for a new apparel brand than broad audience targeting.