Preparing Your Artwork for a Custom T-Shirt Mockup

A shirt mockup helps you see how an idea sits on a tee before you discuss the finished print. The file you start with makes a difference: a clean logo is easier to position than a screenshot with extra borders, buttons, or a background you never intended to include.

Start with the original artwork

Use an exported image from your design file when you can. A screenshot may include unwanted edges and can lose detail. Open the image on its own and check small letters, thin lines, and the outline of the design. Enlarging a blurry image does not restore missing detail.

Decide whether the background belongs in the design

A rectangular background can be intentional, especially for a photo. For a standalone logo or illustration, a transparent background lets the shirt color show around the artwork. A white background in a JPG will still be part of that image; simply renaming the file to PNG will not remove it.

Radiary’s Design Studio accepts PNG, JPG, and WebP files up to 10 MB and recommends a transparent PNG. Keep your original editable file separately so you can make changes later.

Trim extra space around the artwork

Large empty margins make the visible design look small inside its image boundary. Crop unnecessary space while keeping every intended edge of the artwork. Leave a little breathing room rather than cutting into letters or decorative details.

Check the preview against both shirt colors

The studio offers white and black preview colors. Compare how the same artwork reads against each: a dark outline can disappear on a dark shirt, while pale lettering may be difficult to see on white. Choose the preview that helps you assess contrast, without treating it as a confirmation of available shirt options.

Keep your artwork and mockup together

After uploading, use the studio’s size and position controls to explore placement, then download the mockup. Give the original image and preview related filenames, such as reunion-artwork.png and reunion-front-preview.png. The original supplies the artwork; the mockup communicates where you want it.

A mockup is a placement guide. Final print color and scale may vary, and a preview does not confirm that a file is ready for production. The studio currently displays a notice that online ordering will open when shirt options are available. For the next steps, contact Radiary with your idea and any questions about the artwork.