What resolution does a photo need to print well on a shirt?

Aim for about 150 pixels per inch at the size it will be printed: a full front print of 12 by 16 inches needs about 1800 by 2400 pixels, and a 4-inch chest logo about 600 pixels wide. At half that, the print starts to look soft or blurry.

Pixels needed by print size

At 150 pixels per inch. Height matters as much as width for a tall design.

Printed width	Where	Pixels wide, for a sharp print
3.5 to 4 in	Left chest or a sleeve	525 to 600
6 in	Medium centre print	900
10 in	Large front or back	1500
12 in	Full front or back	1800

Where photos lose their pixels

The original photo from a phone camera is usually large enough for a full front. Screenshots, photos sent through messaging apps and pictures saved from social media are often shrunk to a fraction of that. Ask the person who took the photo to send the original file, or download the full-size version.

For an old printed photo, a scan usually prints better than a phone picture of it.

Which files work

JPEG for photos; PNG for graphics and logos, especially with a transparent background; SVG for logos, which scale to any size without losing sharpness. The ChatAttire studio takes PNG, JPG and SVG files up to 20 MB.

How to tell before you order

The ChatAttire studio checks each image against the size you have set it to. If it would print at less than half the pixels needed, it tells you the image's width and the width it prints at, and suggests a larger image or a smaller print. The front print area is 12 × 16 inches, and you approve a full-size proof before paying.

Questions

Is 300 dpi needed for a shirt?

No. Our print partner's print files are 150 pixels per inch, and fabric doesn't show the extra detail of a 300 dpi file.

Does the dpi setting in the file matter?

No, only the pixel count does. A 1800-pixel-wide image prints 12 inches wide at 150 per inch whatever its dpi tag says.

Upload a photo