5 Tips for Figuring Out HTV Decal Placement & Size

By PrimePick USA HTV Basics Comments Off

The first step to pressing your HTV into a garment is adequately sizing and aligning your decal. While sizing and placement are based upon personal preferences, knowing how to size your design for your desired place will help make your garment look great!

If you’re having trouble sizing and placing your decal, here are five tips for figuring out HTV decal placement to help you get the perfect alignment and sizing every time.

What Decal Sizes Should You Use?

Finding the right decal size can be daunting if you’re new to heat pressing your garments. However, it’s always best to measure your garment to see how much space you have. Luckily, we have a list of decal sizing for T-shirts, youth T-shirts, and baby onesies to guide you in the right direction.

The standard sizing for tote bags is around 11 inches, but the sizes for tote bags vary, so you should measure the height and width.

Youth T-Shirts

Toddler: 5″x5″
Youth S: 7″x7″
Youth M: 8″x8″
Youth L: 9″x9″
Youth XL: 10″x10″

Adult T-Shirts

Fitted: 9″x9″
S: 11″x11″
M: 11″x11″
L: 12″x12″
XL: 12″ and up

Baby Onesies

0–3 Months: 3″x3″
3–6 Months: 4″x4″
6–9 Months: 5″x5″
9–12 Months: 6″x6″

Fold Your Garment in Half To Find the Center

You can fold your garment in half to find the center of the garment. You want to ensure that all sides are even to prevent alignment mistakes. Then, press your item with an iron to create a center mark crease to help align your design.

Make Negative Space on Your Garment

While the size of your design is up to you and your artistic integrity, having too big of a decal will increase the chances of wrinkling. You want to have enough negative or blank space to use less vinyl and make your shirt look more professional.

Instead of using one large design, use some space for text or another design.

Use a T-Square Tool To Ensure Your Decal Is Aligned

T-shirt designers often struggle to determine the best way to align their designs. To ensure your design is properly aligned, centered, and not crooked, you should use a T-Square tool. You can find this handy tool at any crafts store, and it aligns perfectly with the necklines of T-shirts.

Remember To Take Your Time

When creating custom HTV shirts, you want to relax and take your time. Making mistakes is okay; keep trying until you get it right! Listen to your gut instinct because moving around your decal 10 times is a waste of time, especially if you end up putting it in the original placement. Trust your gut and only make changes if you see fit.

Let your creativity flow freely and create as many custom T-shirts as your heart desires. Use our five tips for figuring out HTV decal sizing and placement to ensure a more manageable process when creating T-shirts.

From family reunions to trips to concerts, you can make your T-shirts by shopping with PrimePick USA. We have a large selection of HTV decals in any color, texture, pattern, or shape you need!