StreetTeam · Merch

Merch design specs

Everything your designer needs to hand back print-ready artwork. Your merch is printed on demand through Printful, so there are no minimums — but the print areas below are fixed, and artwork that ignores them prints smaller than you meant it to.

Sizes that matter

One file per design, at its print area's size

Each design is printed on one area, so the badged size is the one to build the file at — it is the area most designs go on. A design for a different area is a separate design with its own file at that area's size.

Your file is never cropped or stretched to make it fit. Only its shape decides how it lands: it is scaled to the print area at its own proportions and centred. So a square file sent to the 12 × 16 in back print prints 12 × 12 with empty space above and below, and because the poster sizes are not all the same shape, one poster file leaves a small unprinted margin on the sizes it does not match. The table says which, and how much. (The artist can still crop or reposition a design by hand afterwards, in the product's layout editor.)

Its pixel count decides something else entirely — how sharp it is. A file with fewer pixels than the area is enlarged to fill it, never printed smaller, so building under the marked size does not give you a neat small print. It gives you a soft big one.

Poster

Enhanced Matte Paper Poster (cm)

21×30 cm

2480 × 3544 px

21 × 30 cm at 300 DPI

Fills it edge to edge
30×40 cm

3544 × 4724 px

30 × 40 cm at 300 DPI

≈1.0 cm unprinted left and right
A2

4961 × 7016 px

42 × 59.4 cm at 300 DPI

Fills it edge to edge
50×70 cm

5906 × 8268 px

50 × 70 cm at 300 DPI

≈0.5 cm unprinted left and right
A1

7016 × 9933 px

59.4 × 84.1 cm at 300 DPI

Fills it edge to edge
61×91 cm

7200 × 10748 px

61 × 91 cm at 300 DPI

≈2.0 cm unprinted top and bottom
70×100 cm build the file at this size

8268 × 11812 px

70 × 100 cm at 300 DPI

Fills it edge to edge

Print area	Pixels	Physical size	How your file fits
21×30 cm	2480 × 3544 px	21 × 30 cm at 300 DPI	Fills it edge to edge
30×40 cm	3544 × 4724 px	30 × 40 cm at 300 DPI	≈1.0 cm unprinted left and right
A2	4961 × 7016 px	42 × 59.4 cm at 300 DPI	Fills it edge to edge
50×70 cm	5906 × 8268 px	50 × 70 cm at 300 DPI	≈0.5 cm unprinted left and right
A1	7016 × 9933 px	59.4 × 84.1 cm at 300 DPI	Fills it edge to edge
61×91 cm	7200 × 10748 px	61 × 91 cm at 300 DPI	≈2.0 cm unprinted top and bottom
70×100 cm build the file at this size	8268 × 11812 px	70 × 100 cm at 300 DPI	Fills it edge to edge

Open poster template

T-Shirt

Bella + Canvas 3413 Unisex Tri-Blend

Large front print build the file at this size

4500 × 5400 px

15 × 18 in at 300 DPI

Built at this size
Front print

3600 × 4800 px

12 × 16 in at 300 DPI

Built at this size
Back print

3600 × 4800 px

12 × 16 in at 300 DPI

Built at this size

Print area	Pixels	Physical size	How your file fits
Large front print build the file at this size	4500 × 5400 px	15 × 18 in at 300 DPI	Built at this size
Front print	3600 × 4800 px	12 × 16 in at 300 DPI	Built at this size
Back print	3600 × 4800 px	12 × 16 in at 300 DPI	Built at this size

Open t-shirt template

Hoodie

Bella + Canvas 3719 Unisex Fleece Pullover

Front print (above the pocket) build the file at this size

3600 × 3600 px

12 × 12 in at 300 DPI

Built at this size
Back print

3600 × 4800 px

12 × 16 in at 300 DPI

Built at this size

Print area	Pixels	Physical size	How your file fits
Front print (above the pocket) build the file at this size	3600 × 3600 px	12 × 12 in at 300 DPI	Built at this size
Back print	3600 × 4800 px	12 × 16 in at 300 DPI	Built at this size

Open hoodie template

Bomber Jacket

All-Over Print Unisex Bomber Jacket

All-over print

Back panel build the file at this size

4650 × 5400 px

31 × 36 in at 150 DPI

Built at this size
Front panel

4650 × 5400 px

31 × 36 in at 150 DPI

Built at this size
Left sleeve

4650 × 5400 px

31 × 36 in at 150 DPI

Built at this size
Right sleeve

4650 × 5400 px

31 × 36 in at 150 DPI

Built at this size

Print area	Pixels	Physical size	How your file fits
Back panel build the file at this size	4650 × 5400 px	31 × 36 in at 150 DPI	Built at this size
Front panel	4650 × 5400 px	31 × 36 in at 150 DPI	Built at this size
Left sleeve	4650 × 5400 px	31 × 36 in at 150 DPI	Built at this size
Right sleeve	4650 × 5400 px	31 × 36 in at 150 DPI	Built at this size

Open bomber jacket template

Windbreaker

All-Over Print Men's Windbreaker

All-over print

Back panel build the file at this size

5100 × 5700 px

34 × 38 in at 150 DPI

Built at this size
Front panel

5100 × 5700 px

34 × 38 in at 150 DPI

Built at this size
Left sleeve

5100 × 5700 px

34 × 38 in at 150 DPI

Built at this size
Right sleeve

5100 × 5700 px

34 × 38 in at 150 DPI

Built at this size
Hood

5100 × 5700 px

34 × 38 in at 150 DPI

Built at this size

Print area	Pixels	Physical size	How your file fits
Back panel build the file at this size	5100 × 5700 px	34 × 38 in at 150 DPI	Built at this size
Front panel	5100 × 5700 px	34 × 38 in at 150 DPI	Built at this size
Left sleeve	5100 × 5700 px	34 × 38 in at 150 DPI	Built at this size
Right sleeve	5100 × 5700 px	34 × 38 in at 150 DPI	Built at this size
Hood	5100 × 5700 px	34 × 38 in at 150 DPI	Built at this size

Open windbreaker template

File requirements

PNG with a transparent background for apparel; PNG or JPG for posters, with the artwork filling the whole file — a border you leave in the file is printed
PNG or JPG only — a WebP will upload but cannot be sent to the printer, and a PDF, TIFF or layered source file cannot be uploaded at all
sRGB (IEC61966-2.1) color profile — CMYK files come back dull
150 DPI minimum, 300 DPI recommended at the print size
20 MB maximum per design file — Printful itself takes up to 200 MB, so ask the artist to raise their upload limit if a print-resolution file lands over it
Avoid soft glows, faint drop shadows and partly transparent pixels on apparel — they print patchy on fabric

Printful's full print file guide

Before you brief a designer

Name the garment colors. A design drawn for a black tee rarely works on white. Pick the colors you will actually sell, and have the artwork checked against the darkest and lightest of them.

Keep the background transparent on apparel. Anything that is not transparent gets printed, so a white box behind the artwork prints as a white box on the shirt. Posters are the opposite — they want the artwork filling the whole file, and transparency there prints white.

Design the poster for more than one shape. The seven poster sizes are not all the same proportions, and nothing crops the artwork to match — the sizes it does not match print with a small unprinted margin. Keep text and faces a centimetre or two inside the edge, and avoid a design that only reads at one exact aspect ratio.

Ask for the layered source file (AI, PSD or similar) along with the exported artwork. Resizing for a new product later is minutes of work with it and a redraw without it.

The brief, as plain text

Paste this into an email or a brief. It is the same information as the tables above.

MERCH DESIGN SPECS — printed on demand through Printful

Each design prints on ONE area. Build its file at the area marked
BUILD THE FILE AT THIS SIZE — that is the area most designs go on. A design for
another area is a separate design with its own file at that area size.

Your file is never cropped or stretched to make it fit. Only its SHAPE decides
how it lands: it is scaled to the print area at its own proportions and centred,
so a file whose shape differs from the size ordered leaves the unprinted margin
noted against that size below. Its PIXEL COUNT decides only how sharp it is —
a file smaller than the area is enlarged to fill it, not printed small, so an
undersized file prints soft rather than neat. Build at the marked size.

POSTER — Enhanced Matte Paper Poster (cm)
  21×30 cm: 2480 x 3544 px (21 × 30 cm at 300 DPI) — fills it edge to edge
  30×40 cm: 3544 x 4724 px (30 × 40 cm at 300 DPI) — ≈1.0 cm unprinted left and right
  A2: 4961 x 7016 px (42 × 59.4 cm at 300 DPI) — fills it edge to edge
  50×70 cm: 5906 x 8268 px (50 × 70 cm at 300 DPI) — ≈0.5 cm unprinted left and right
  A1: 7016 x 9933 px (59.4 × 84.1 cm at 300 DPI) — fills it edge to edge
  61×91 cm: 7200 x 10748 px (61 × 91 cm at 300 DPI) — ≈2.0 cm unprinted top and bottom
  70×100 cm: 8268 x 11812 px (70 × 100 cm at 300 DPI) — fills it edge to edge — BUILD THE FILE AT THIS SIZE
  Template: https://www.printful.com/custom/wall-art/posters/enhanced-matte-paper-poster-cm

T-SHIRT — Bella + Canvas 3413 Unisex Tri-Blend
  Large front print: 4500 x 5400 px (15 × 18 in at 300 DPI) — BUILD THE FILE AT THIS SIZE
  Front print: 3600 x 4800 px (12 × 16 in at 300 DPI)
  Back print: 3600 x 4800 px (12 × 16 in at 300 DPI)
  Template: https://www.printful.com/custom/mens/t-shirts/unisex-tri-blend-t-shirt-bella-canvas-3413

HOODIE — Bella + Canvas 3719 Unisex Fleece Pullover
  Front print (above the pocket): 3600 x 3600 px (12 × 12 in at 300 DPI) — BUILD THE FILE AT THIS SIZE
  Back print: 3600 x 4800 px (12 × 16 in at 300 DPI)
  Template: https://www.printful.com/custom/mens/hoodies-sweatshirts/unisex-pullover-hoodie-bella-canvas-3719

BOMBER JACKET — All-Over Print Unisex Bomber Jacket
  Back panel: 4650 x 5400 px (31 × 36 in at 150 DPI) — BUILD THE FILE AT THIS SIZE
  Front panel: 4650 x 5400 px (31 × 36 in at 150 DPI)
  Left sleeve: 4650 x 5400 px (31 × 36 in at 150 DPI)
  Right sleeve: 4650 x 5400 px (31 × 36 in at 150 DPI)
  Template: https://www.printful.com/custom/mens/jackets/all-over-print-unisex-bomber-jacket

WINDBREAKER — All-Over Print Men's Windbreaker
  Back panel: 5100 x 5700 px (34 × 38 in at 150 DPI) — BUILD THE FILE AT THIS SIZE
  Front panel: 5100 x 5700 px (34 × 38 in at 150 DPI)
  Left sleeve: 5100 x 5700 px (34 × 38 in at 150 DPI)
  Right sleeve: 5100 x 5700 px (34 × 38 in at 150 DPI)
  Hood: 5100 x 5700 px (34 × 38 in at 150 DPI)
  Template: https://www.printful.com/custom/mens/jackets/all-over-print-mens-windbreaker

FILE REQUIREMENTS
  - PNG with a transparent background for apparel; PNG or JPG for posters, with the artwork filling the whole file — a border you leave in the file is printed
  - PNG or JPG only — a WebP will upload but cannot be sent to the printer, and a PDF, TIFF or layered source file cannot be uploaded at all
  - sRGB (IEC61966-2.1) color profile — CMYK files come back dull
  - 150 DPI minimum, 300 DPI recommended at the print size
  - 20 MB maximum per design file — Printful itself takes up to 200 MB, so ask the artist to raise their upload limit if a print-resolution file lands over it
  - Avoid soft glows, faint drop shadows and partly transparent pixels on apparel — they print patchy on fabric

Printful's print file guide: https://www.printful.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-to-prepare-the-perfect-printfile