Choosing the right DTF transfer size determines how professional your finished apparel will look. A print that’s just an inch too large can overwhelm a shirt, while one that’s too small can disappear in plain sight. Whether you’re designing for adult, youth, or mixed-size garments, getting the proportions right from the start keeps your order efficient and your results polished.
At Sumotransfers, every design is printed to scale, so the inches you order are exactly the inches you press. This guide breaks down each placement—full front, left-chest, pocket, and sleeve—to help you choose the perfect DTF size before you order.
Full-Front: Choosing the Right Scale
A full-front print is the centerpiece of most shirts, so it’s where sizing matters most.
For adult tees and hoodies, the standard full-front width ranges from 10 to 12 inches, depending on the look you’re going for. A fitted retail-style tee might look balanced at 10–11", while oversized or box-fit garments can comfortably support 12–13".
For youth sizes, scale your width down to 7–9 inches, keeping proportions centered to the garment’s width. If your design has text or horizontal graphics, stay closer to 8–9" to maintain readability without overpowering smaller shirts.
Before uploading, check that your file canvas reflects your chosen width in inches. This ensures that the print appears exactly as designed once it’s pressed.
Left-Chest & Pocket: Subtle but Essential Branding
The left-chest DTF print is a timeless placement used for brand marks, event logos, and minimalist designs. The ideal width sits between 3 and 4 inches, with 3.5 inches being the most balanced choice for logos or small illustrations.
If you’re printing directly above a pocket, keep it slightly smaller—3 to 3.75 inches wide—to align naturally with the pocket’s proportions. Maintaining consistent margins between the collar and pocket edge helps achieve a clean, professional placement.
These small-scale prints might seem simple, but sizing precision is what separates a clean logo mark from a misplaced patch.
Sleeve Prints: For Text Strips & Graphic Layouts
Sleeve placements are trending again—especially for streetwear, athletic apparel, and spirit wear. The right sleeve DTF print size depends on your design’s shape.
For vertical text strips, a compact 2×11-inch format works perfectly along the outer sleeve, starting below the shoulder seam. For graphic layouts or icons, extending slightly wider—up to 3×14 inches—creates better visibility and balance.
Keep in mind that the sleeve’s contour affects perception: a narrow sleeve may visually compress your print, so testing scale on a template can prevent crowding.
Quick Picker: Simplified Sizing Reference
Use these quick notes to confirm your placement sizes before you finalize your file:
-
Adult Full-Front: 11–12" wide (12–13" for oversized fits)
-
Youth Full-Front: 7–9" wide (7–8" for smaller sizes)
-
Left-Chest / Pocket: 3–3.75" wide (3.5" common for logos)
-
Sleeve (Long Sleeve): 2×11" for text, 2.5–3×14" for graphic elements
These dimensions are industry standards for DTF transfers and are pre-aligned with Sumotransfers’ By-Size ordering options.
Pixels Cheat Sheet: Convert Inches to Pixels (300 DPI)
For the best print clarity, design at 300 DPI (dots per inch)—this keeps your artwork sharp and to scale.
Use this quick conversion to set up your file accurately:
-
3" → 900 px
-
3.5" → 1050 px
-
4" → 1200 px
-
10" → 3000 px
-
12" → 3600 px
-
22×24 gang sheet → 6600×7200 px
-
22×60 gang sheet → 6600×18000 px
When you export your design at these dimensions, what you see on-screen is what you’ll receive on the film.
Choosing the Best Order Format
At Sumotransfers, you can order DTF transfers in two main ways:
-
By Size: Perfect for single prints—like a single front logo or left-chest mark. You simply choose the transfer width (for example, 10", 12", or 3.5"), upload your design, and it prints at that exact scale.
-
Gang Sheet: Best for batching multiple designs. You can fill a 22x24 or 22x60-inch sheet with different placements—mixing full-fronts, pockets, and sleeves in one upload.
Gang sheets help you reduce material waste and prep multiple items from one press session. You can visually position each design true-to-size before checkout, ensuring every print fits perfectly.
Customize Your Garment on Sumotransfers: Real-Size Preview Before You Order
If you want to see exactly how your DTF transfer will look on an actual garment before ordering, Sumotransfers makes that incredibly simple. Our built-in customization workspace lets you preview your design at true physical size directly on products like tees, hoodies, crewnecks, and more. This eliminates guesswork and helps you confirm that your chosen transfer size matches the mockup perfectly.
When you select any customizable product—such as the Gildan Heavy Blend Crewneck—you can upload your artwork directly from your device. The system places your design on the garment at real scale, based on the pixel dimensions and the inch size of your file. You’ll immediately see how large a left-chest, full-front, or sleeve print will appear on the actual item.
Here’s what you can do inside the tool:
-
Upload your art instantly (PNG recommended). The system maintains your file’s proportions automatically.
-
Position your design anywhere — full front, left chest, pocket top, or back.
-
Resize on-screen with inch accuracy, so a 10–12 inch adult front print or a 3–4 inch left-chest mark displays at true scale.
-
Preview color contrast across different garment shades to ensure visibility and design clarity.
-
Save and approve your layout within the same workspace. No exporting between apps.
-
Add multiple variations if you’re planning matching sets or size changes between garments.
Because the preview reflects actual print dimensions, what you approve inside the builder is exactly what we print and ship. This makes it ideal for customers who want confidence in their sizing choices—especially when ordering left-chest logos, sleeve designs, pocket prints, or multi-placement layouts.
Using the customization tool also streamlines your order workflow: once you finalize placement and size, simply add the item to cart and check out. Your artwork is sent to production exactly as approved, eliminating mistakes and guaranteeing that the transfer you receive matches the mockup you created.
Whether you're designing a single piece or planning multiple matching garments, this live preview gives you full control over sizing and presentation—making your final results consistent, accurate, and press-ready.
Exporting & Uploading with Confidence
When preparing your file for upload:
-
Set your canvas size to match your chosen transfer dimensions (in inches).
-
Design at 300 DPI using an RGB color profile.
-
Export as a transparent PNG to keep edges crisp and background-free.
-
Upload exactly as you want it printed—do not mirror your design.
Choosing the correct transfer size means every shirt looks intentional—balanced, consistent, and press-ready. From 3-inch logos to 12-inch front prints, the goal is always proportion.
Once your design sizing is confirmed, you’re only a few clicks away from production.Export your file at true size and order confidently—whether you choose a single placement or a full 22-inch gang sheet, your transfers will print to exact dimensions with Sumotransfers.
