T-Shirt Design Size in Photoshop & Illustrator — Artboard Setup for Print

Photoshop and Illustrator handle print resolution differently — and knowing which settings to use before you start designing saves you from resizing later. Here's the exact setup for both programs for every common t-shirt placement.

Photoshop Setup for T-Shirt Design

When creating a new document in Photoshop for a t-shirt design:

1. Go to File → New
2. Set Width: 12 inches, Height: 16 inches (for full front/back)
3. Set Resolution: 300 pixels/inch
4. Color mode: RGB for DTG/POD, CMYK for traditional screen printing
5. Background: Transparent if your design has no background fill

Photoshop will automatically create a 3600 × 4800 pixel canvas. You can also enter pixels directly: Width: 3600 px, Height: 4800 px, Resolution: 300 px/in.

Placement	Photoshop Document Size	Resolution
Full front / back (M/L)	12 × 16 in	300 ppi
Chest logo	4 × 4 in	300 ppi
Sleeve	3 × 5 in	300 ppi
Youth shirt	9 × 11 in	300 ppi

Illustrator Setup for T-Shirt Design

Illustrator is vector-based, so resolution is less critical — vector elements scale without quality loss. However, if you include raster elements (photos, textures), those still need to be at 300 DPI when exported.

1. Go to File → New
2. Set units to Inches
3. Set Width: 12 in, Height: 16 in
4. Color mode: RGB for digital printing, CMYK for screen printing
5. Raster effects: set to High (300 ppi) — this affects effects like drop shadows

When exporting, use File → Export As → PNG with resolution set to 300 ppi. Or Save As PDF — PDF preserves vector quality and is accepted by most print shops and POD platforms.

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How to Change Pixels to Inches in Photoshop

If you opened an existing file in pixels and need to verify its print size:

1. Go to Image → Image Size
2. Change the unit dropdown from "Pixels" to "Inches"
3. Make sure Resample is unchecked — you want to see the actual print size at the current resolution, not resize the image
4. Read the Width/Height values — that's how large the file will print at its current DPI

Alternatively, use the Print Size Calculator — upload your file and it tells you instantly what physical size it prints at 300 DPI and 150 DPI.

How to Change Pixels to Inches in Illustrator

In Illustrator, the document units are set separately from the artboard dimensions. To switch:

1. Go to Edit → Preferences → Units (Windows) or Illustrator → Settings → Units (Mac)
2. Change "General" to Inches
3. Your artboard dimensions now display in inches

For individual objects, select the object and check the W/H fields in the Properties panel — switch the unit there too if needed.

Exporting Print-Ready Files from Both Programs

From Photoshop: File → Export → Export As → PNG (transparent background) or JPEG (solid background). Check "Largest Compatible" and set quality to 100%.

From Illustrator: File → Export As → PNG, set resolution to 300 ppi. Or use File → Save As → PDF for a print-quality vector file.

After exporting, run it through the Print Size Calculator to confirm the pixel dimensions match your target print area before uploading to Printify, Redbubble, Gelato, or your print shop.

Frequently Asked Questions

What resolution should I use in Photoshop for t-shirt printing?

300 pixels/inch (ppi) is the standard for sharp print quality. Set this in File → New before you start designing. At 300 ppi, a 12 × 16 inch artboard = 3600 × 4800 pixels.

Can I use Illustrator for DTG printing?

Yes. Illustrator is excellent for DTG designs because vector graphics scale without quality loss. Export as PNG at 300 ppi or as a PDF. Avoid raster-heavy effects at low resolution.

My design is in pixels — how do I know if it's big enough to print?

Upload it to the Print Size Calculator and select your product and placement. The tool shows you exactly what physical size it will print at 300 DPI and whether it passes the quality threshold.