Buying guide
How to choose the right size for a custom T-shirt
Lay a T-shirt you like flat and measure its width and length. Compare those numbers with the garment measurements for the exact shirt you plan to customize. If the chart asks for your chest measurement, wrap the tape around your body and use that separate table.
Measure a shirt you wear for the same purpose
If you want a relaxed shirt for a weekend volunteer shift, pick a tee you already wear comfortably while moving around. Lay it flat, smooth the folds with your hand, and let the fabric rest without pulling on it.
For width, run the tape across the front of the shirt, from one side to the other near the bottom of the armholes. Check the chart’s drawing for the exact line. For length, measure straight down from the high point of the shoulder next to the collar to the bottom hem. Write both measurements in the chart’s units.
Tell flat width and body chest apart
Select your shirt in Inkdrop Create and look for Size guide beside Size under Color & size. The button appears when the selected product has measurement tables. Read the instructions above each table before comparing numbers.
The Unisex Deluxe CVC T-Shirt (Lane Seven LS15000CVC), for example, shows 42–45 inches in the L chest row of its body table and 22 inches in the L width row of its garment table. To use the first, measure around the fullest part of your chest with the tape level. To use the second, measure straight across the tee on your table. Compare each measurement with the corresponding chart.
When two sizes look close, compare width and length together
Imagine your favorite tee is 20½ inches wide and 29 inches long. In the Lane Seven guide shown in Inkdrop, M is 20 by 29 inches and L is 22 by 30 inches. On paper, M is half an inch narrower at the chest and the same length. L is 1½ inches wider across the front and an inch longer.
If you already own a roomier tee, measure it too. Hold both shirts up at the shoulder and look where their hems fall. That gives you a reference for the extra room and length you would get by choosing L. If both options miss the fit you want, check a different shirt cut.
The guide for this model lists a measurement tolerance. Treat the chart as a starting point for comparing sizes. Fabric, cut, and the condition of your reference shirt can affect how the new one feels.
| Size | Body chest | Garment width | Garment length |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 35–38 | 18 | 28 |
| M | 39–41 | 20 | 29 |
| L | 42–45 | 22 | 30 |
| XL | 46–48 | 24 | 31 |
| 2XL | 49–51 | 26 | 32 |
From the catalog's size guide for this tee. The guide lists a measurement tolerance, so treat the chart as a starting point for comparing sizes.
Unisex, women's and kids' cuts use different charts
Inkdrop's catalog lists unisex tees under men's clothing, women's cuts in their own category, and kids', youth and toddler sizes that run from 3 to 6 months up to youth XL. A women's cut is narrower through the body and shorter than the unisex shirt with the same letter, so the letter alone tells you nothing; compare the garment measurements for the exact style.
Kids' charts run on age or height brackets rather than chest sizes. Measure a shirt the child already wears and check it against the length column first, because children outgrow length before width, and a tee that is a little wide still gets worn.
Sizing a shirt for someone else
A photo is not a size. Ask for the size on a shirt they wear often and whether they like it close or loose, or measure a shirt from their wardrobe the same way you would measure your own. If you cannot ask without spoiling the surprise, choose the roomier of two candidates: a tee that is slightly long still gets worn, while one that is tight stays in the drawer.
Confirm the size for each person before ordering
For a small team order, send everyone the guide for the exact model you chose. Ask for a size after they compare with a shirt they own. If you switch models, send the new guide and confirm sizes again.
Once you have the fit, check the selected size and color before you add the shirt to your bag. Review the artwork placement separately in the preview. The garment size chart describes the shirt, and the preview shows where the design sits.
What if it does not fit?
Every shirt is printed for your order, so our returns policy does not accept returns or exchanges for a sizing mistake or a change of mind. It covers items that arrive defective or damaged, reported within 14 days of delivery, with a free replacement or a full refund including the shipping you paid. You can cancel until the order enters fulfillment. That is why the five minutes with a tape measure are worth it.
A quick routine before you order: lay the reference shirt flat; measure the width at the armpits and the length from the shoulder; open the Size guide for the exact model in Create; pick the size whose width is closest, then check the length; confirm the color and the artwork placement; add it to your bag. How print on demand works explains why a made-to-order shirt cannot come back for a size swap.