Designing your own t-shirt is easier than most people expect. You do not need design software or a print shop appointment. You need a clear idea, a decent image or a few words, and ten minutes to check the preview properly. This guide walks through each choice in the order you will make it, so the tee that turns up looks the way you pictured it.
Step 1: Pick the garment, size and colour first
Start with the shirt, not the artwork. The garment decides how everything else will look. A design that pops on a white tee can disappear on grey, and fine detail that reads well on a fitted tee may feel lost on an oversized one.
- Garment: a classic tee suits most prints. If you want a warmer layer, a hoodie works the same way. For summer, sport or gym gear, look at singlets.
- Size: order the size you actually wear. The print area is sized to the garment, so a small tee has less room than an XL.
- Colour: think about contrast. Dark ink on a light tee and light ink on a dark tee is the simple rule.
At Mocked Up you choose garment, size and colour on the product page, then hit Customise it. The designer opens with the print area already marked, so you can see exactly how much space you have.
Step 2: Decide where the print goes
Placement changes the whole feel of a shirt. A small chest logo looks tidy and understated. A big full-front print makes a statement. A back print leaves the front clean and works well for events and teams.
Each side of the garment counts as one print, so you can do a front and a back on the same tee. Prints go up to A3 size (29.7 x 42cm), which covers a generous full front or back on most adult sizes. If you are unsure what size to go with, our print size and placement guide has common measurements for chest, full front, back and sleeve.
Step 3: Choose text, an image, or embroidery
There are three ways to add a design, and each suits a different job.
| Option | Good for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Names, numbers, short slogans, dates | +$20 |
| Image or logo | Artwork, photos, business logos, full colour designs | +$25 |
| Embroidery | Small logos with a premium, stitched finish | +$30 (plus a one-off $30 setup) |
Text is the quickest. Type your word, name or number and pick a colour. Keep it short. Two to five words reads well from a distance, and a full sentence rarely does.
Images give you full colour. Use the largest, clearest file you have. A logo with a transparent background looks cleaner than one sitting in a white box. If your file is blurry or small, it will print blurry and small, so it is worth fixing before you order.
Embroidery suits simple logos up to about 10cm on the chest or sleeve. The setup fee covers turning your logo into a stitch file, which is then kept on file for future orders.
Most print problems come from the file, not the printer. A few quick checks save a lot of disappointment:
- Zoom in on your image. If edges look fuzzy or blocky on screen, they will look that way on the shirt.
- Avoid very thin lines and tiny text. Anything thinner than about 1mm can get lost.
- Remove backgrounds you do not want printed. A photo of a logo on paper will print the paper too.
- Check spelling twice. Then ask someone else to check it.
If you only have a rough sketch, a screenshot or an old low-res logo, the design service can turn it into a clean print-ready file. If you have no artwork at all, the free can give you a starting point in styles like bold streetwear, clean line art or retro badge.
Step 4: Check the preview properly
The live preview is true to size, so use it. Before you add to cart, run through this list:
- Is the design centred, or placed where you meant it to be?
- Is it the right size for the garment? Very small prints can look lost on a large tee.
- Does the colour contrast with the shirt?
- Is all the text spelled correctly, including names and dates?
- If you have a front and back, have you checked both sides?
Take a screenshot of the preview and look at it on your phone. Seeing it small, the way people see a shirt across a room, is a good test.
What happens after you order
There is no minimum, so one shirt is fine. Mocked Up prints on AS Colour garments using hot-peel DTF at 300 DPI, wash-tested to 50+ cycles. Printing takes 3 to 5 business days, then it goes by tracked courier anywhere in New Zealand. Urban addresses usually take 1 to 2 business days and rural 2 to 5. Shipping is free on orders over $200.
Because every shirt is made to order, there are no change-of-mind returns. That is why the preview check matters. If something arrives faulty, let us know within 7 days and it will be put right.
Ready to start?
Pick your tee on the custom t-shirts page and hit Customise it, or browse every garment on the design your own apparel page.