Start with what the shirt is for
- Worn to work, week after week: logo only, or tone on tone. Quiet wins.
- An event, a launch, an offsite: a lockup with the event name and date, front or back.
- A team inside the company: the team name, or each person's name, on the back.
- Merch people choose to wear: treat it like clothing. A good line on the back beats a big logo on the front.
1. Logo only, left chest
The default for good reason. A logo about the width of a palm sits in an A6 print, up to 10.5 by 14.8 cm. It suits any colour and any team, and it is the design people still wear a year later.
Method: DTF for a full colour logo, or embroidery for a mark that should last as long as the shirt. Price: a Classic Crewneck with an A6 print is ₹465 at 1 to 9 pieces, plus GST.
2. Tone on tone
The logo printed or stitched in a shade close to the shirt: grey on charcoal melange, navy on navy, off white on white. It reads as a brand rather than a uniform, and people wear it on weekends. The logo needs to be bold and simple, because fine lines vanish at low contrast.
3. The back line
A small chest logo on the front and one line of text across the upper back: the company's values in four words, a product line, an inside joke the whole team gets. Set it in one font, in capitals or not, and keep it to a single line if you can.
Size: an A4 print, up to 21 by 29.7 cm, sits comfortably across the upper back. ₹145 at 1 to 9 pieces.
4. Sleeve wordmark
The company name small on one sleeve, as the only mark or as a second one with a chest logo. It is the detail people notice second, and it keeps the front clean for a client meeting. Embroidered on a sleeve it goes up to 3 inches.
5. Names or roles on the back
Each person's first name, or their role, across the shoulders. It turns a company shirt into their shirt. With DTF every piece in one order can be different, so there is no setup cost per name. Collect names as a list, spelt the way each person spells them, and read every one on the mockup.
6. The event lockup
For launches, hackathons, offsites and runs: the logo with the event name and the date set as one block. Put it on the front for photos, or on the back with a small logo on the chest. Put the date on it. It is the line people look for when they find the shirt again.
Size: A4 on the front, or A3, up to 29.7 by 42 cm, across the back. A3 is ₹265 at 1 to 9 pieces.
7. Colour block
A body in one colour with the sleeves, or the neck rib and cuffs, in another, and a small logo. No big print needed: the colour does the work. Pick both colours from the company palette and keep the logo in one of them.
Contrast parts move an order from our 4 day tier to 12 days, so plan for that.
8. Big front graphic
For a launch or a campaign, a large illustration or product graphic across the front. It is the loudest option and the one least likely to be worn after the event, so save it for shirts that are meant to be about the day. Keep the print high on the chest; a print that sits on the stomach looks wrong on almost everyone.
The eight directions at a glance
| Design | Where | Print size | Method | Dispatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logo only | Left chest | A6 | DTF or embroidery | 4 days |
| Tone on tone | Left chest | A6 | DTF or embroidery | 4 days |
| Back line | Upper back | A4 | DTF, or screen at volume | 4 or 12 days |
| Sleeve wordmark | One sleeve | Up to 3 inches | Embroidery or DTF | 4 days |
| Names on back | Shoulders | A5 or A4 | DTF | 4 days |
| Event lockup | Front or back | A4 or A3 | DTF, or screen at volume | 4 or 12 days |
| Colour block | Sleeves, neck, cuffs | None needed | Contrast parts | 12 days |
| Big front graphic | Front | A4 or A3 | DTF | 4 days |
The 4 day figure is for up to 50 pieces in a core colour; past 50 pieces, or with screen printing, an order goes to 12 days.
What does each design add to the price?
A print is priced by the size the art prints at, per side, and the price falls with quantity. At 1 to 9 pieces: A6 ₹50, A5 ₹80, A4 ₹145, A3 ₹265. At 100 pieces and more: A6 ₹35, A5 ₹60, A4 ₹105, A3 ₹190. The Classic Crewneck, 180 GSM combed cotton, is ₹415 at 1 to 9 pieces and ₹295 at 100 and more. The Signature Crewneck, a 220 GSM cotton interlock, is ₹570 at 1 to 9. GST is added.
So a chest logo and a back line on a Classic Crewneck is ₹415 + ₹50 + ₹145 = ₹610 a shirt at 1 to 9 pieces.
Three design mistakes we see most
1. The logo too big. A chest logo the size of a dinner plate stops a shirt being worn to work. 2. Too many places. Chest, back, both sleeves and the back neck is five prints and a busy shirt. Two places is usually right. 3. Small text on a busy design. A tagline under a logo needs to be large enough to read from across a room.
For where each position sits, see where to put a logo on a t-shirt. For the lettering, see choosing a font for t-shirts. The steps from idea to approved mockup are in how to design a custom t-shirt.
When you have a direction, send the logo on corporate t-shirts and the mockup shows it on the shirt before anything is printed.
Quick answers
What is a good design for a company t-shirt?
A small logo on the left chest, in a colour that suits the shirt, with at most one bigger idea on the back. It is the design people keep wearing after the day it was handed out.
How big should a logo be on a company t-shirt?
On the left chest, about the width of a palm, which fits an A6 print of up to 10.5 by 14.8 cm. A back line or event name suits A4, and a full back A3.
Can each employee's name go on their t-shirt?
Yes. With DTF every shirt in one order can carry a different name, with no setup per name. Send the names as a list and check each one on the mockup.
How much does a company t-shirt with a logo cost?
A Classic Crewneck with an A6 logo is ₹465 at 1 to 9 pieces and ₹330 at 100 pieces and more, plus GST. Each further print is priced by its size.
Does a colour-block t-shirt take longer?
Yes. Contrast sleeves, neck rib or cuffs move an order from 4 to 12 days after mockup approval.
