Will my design be scaled up or down based on the garment size?

Written by

Sabrina Barnes

For all direct-to-garment (DTG) and most direct-to-film (DTF) products, the design will be automatically scaled down for smaller apparel sizes to ensure a consistent visual outcome. However, please note that it will not be scaled up for sizes larger than L. The design is scaled down using the same aspect ratio across all sizes.

Note

Our Product Creator shows the L-sized apparel and allows you to place the design on that size only. The print area visible in the mockup template (dashed line on the product) and the mockup preview won’t change when you select a particular size, as it always displays the print area of the L-sized apparel.

How are print areas calculated?

Print areas are calculated based on the garment width, measurement changes from size to size, and the print pallet size used by a Print Provider. In general, reduced garment width and size L print area fill (that is reflected in the mockup) dictates the outcome on M, S and XS sizes.

Note

Smaller garments tend to be narrower than larger sizes, however, print areas keep the same aspect ratio throughout all sizes. This is why the outcome may look a bit different for each size.

Are print areas scaled identically for all Print Providers?

No, they are not. This is due to differences between Print Provider pallet sizes, which may be different for each Print Provider.

Are the sleeve prints also scaled down for smaller sizes?

No, the sleeve prints will not be scaled down. The print area size will remain the same across all sizes.

How can I find out the print area size of a certain product variant?

In the Product Creator, click Edit tools in the upper-right corner, then click Select variants.
Next, deselect all sizes except the one you are interested in, and ensure that you have only selected one color.
Then, click Update and navigate to the Upload section in the left side panel. There, you will see a change in the recommended print file size dimensions (in pixels, which will need to be converted to inches).

Can I use custom mockups if the design is scaled down for smaller sizes?

Yes, you can use custom mockups. However, it’s important to include or indicate the design scaling in your mockups for smaller-sized garments.

If you’re creating custom mockups using a design tool or mockup creation service (e.g., Placeit), ensure that you check the aspect ratio of the L-sized print area and compare it with the smaller-size print area. This will help you scale your designs correctly for sizes XS-M.