Bear Grips Pro ShopsHow to Put Your Logo on a Shirt: Methods, File Types, and Legal Basics
- Print, embroidery, and direct-to-garment are the three ways a logo ends up on a shirt.
- A transparent PNG at high resolution works for almost every product.
- Left chest, full front, full back, and sleeve are the four common placements.
- Printing your own logo is fine. Printing someone else's registered brand logo for resale is not, without permission.
The Three Ways a Logo Gets on a Shirt
- Screen printing. Ink is applied through a stencil layer by layer. Best for bold, simple logos on tees and sweatshirts.
- Direct-to-garment printing. Ink is printed straight onto the fabric like an inkjet printer, which handles gradients and photo-style detail well.
- Embroidery. Thread is stitched directly into the fabric. Best for hats and polos where durability and a premium look matter more than fine detail.
You do not need to pick the method yourself. Each product in the catalog is already set up with the decoration method that fits it best.
What File Format and Size Your Logo Needs
A transparent PNG at a high resolution (at least 1000 pixels on the longest side) covers the vast majority of products cleanly. A vector file (AI, EPS, or SVG) is a nice-to-have for very large placements like a full-back print, since it scales without losing sharpness, but it is not a requirement to get started. There is no fixed dimension your logo has to match ahead of time. Upload it and the design tool positions and sizes it to the placement you pick.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Where to Place the Logo
| Placement | Best for |
|---|---|
| Left chest (small) | Polos, button-downs, subtle branding |
| Full front (center) | Tees, hoodies, maximum visibility |
| Full back | Team names, taglines, large graphics |
| Sleeve | Small callouts, taglines, secondary marks |
Front and back on the same shirt is common and does not add a setup fee. Most business shops use a small chest logo plus a larger back graphic.
Can You Put Any Logo on a Shirt? The Legal Basics
Your own logo, whether registered as a trademark or not, is yours to print freely. The line to watch is printing a well-known brand's registered logo, like a major athletic or sports brand mark, on shirts you plan to sell or hand out as a business. That generally requires a license or permission from the trademark holder, and printing it without one carries real legal risk. This is general information, not legal advice, so if you are unsure whether a specific mark is safe to use, check with an attorney or stick to a logo you own the rights to.
From File to Finished Shirt in a Pro Shop
Once your logo is uploaded, the free and Self-Service VIP plans let you place it on any product yourself and preview the mockup instantly. On the Done-For-You VIP plan, you send one logo a month and the Pro Shop team applies it across 15 trending products, creates front and back mockups on every color variant, and picks the top 6 colors per item for you. Either way, the order ships in about a week once someone buys.
Upload Your Logo and See It on a Shirt
Preview your logo across the catalog instantly. No minimum order, ships in about a week.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Is there a limit on how many colors my logo can have?
No. Multi-color logos print and embroider at the same base price as single-color ones.
Do I need a vector file to get started?
No. A high-resolution transparent PNG works for most placements. Vector files help most on very large print areas.
What is it actually called when you put a logo on a shirt?
Depending on the method, it is called screen printing, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, or embroidery. All three fall under the general term apparel decoration.
Can I trademark my own logo before selling merch with it?
That is a separate legal step some businesses choose to take, usually through a trademark attorney or a filing service. It is not required to print or sell apparel with your logo.
