When printing on hoodies, there are a ton of placement options. It’s all about how creative you want to be. Want to print on the pocket? No problem. No matter where you place a print on a hoodie, there are a few basics you’ll need to know. Let’s get started.
STANDARD PLACEMENTS
There’s plenty of print placements that work for any garment. Let’s cover three most popular standard placements.
The back print is popular. Make sure it sits about eight fingers down from the top of the hoodie, so it’s not completely covered by the hood, but not a tramp stamp. The best way to check for proper placement is to try the hoodie on or place it on a mannequin. This way, you’ll be able to see exactly where the hood will lay when the hoodie is worn.
A front print is also popular with hoodies. Make sure to keep 2” of space on the top and bottom of the design. This will keep the design away from the pocket and collar seams. Not all pockets are sewn onto hoodies in a uniform way. One pocket may be a little higher than the other, or a little off-center. Make sure to check the pockets before printing.
Left chest prints are great for hoodies. Follow t-shirt standards when printing left chest prints on a hoodie. The print should be 3-4 inches from the center of the hoodie. This may fluctuate depending on the size of the hoodie.
RELATED: HOW TO GET THE PERFECT POCKET OR LEFT CHEST PRINT PLACEMENT ON ANY PRESS
SLEEVE PRINTS
Printing on sleeves is a great addition to long-sleeve garments. There can be some tricks when it comes to sleeve placements that depend on your print, platen, and the garment you chose. Sleeve prints are typically large block letters of last names, schools, and more. They’re typically about 12” long.
Load the hoodie through the neck and center the print on the sleeve. Some screen printers like the start of the design to be closer to the top of the sleeve and come down to the elbow. Others prefer the more centered and lower on-the-sleeve look. Try both and see which looks better to you.
Before you commit to a placement, do a test print on your smallest size garment. You may not be able to load the sleeve at the same place depending on your platen size and the cut of the garment.
The sleeve you print on is also a big factor in the final outcome. Balance out the prints so the hoodie is printed in different locations. For example, if you printed a left chest print, a right sleeve print would balance the designs on the hoodie.
RELATED: THE TOOLS NEEDED FOR OVERSIZED PRINTS
CREATIVE PLACEMENTS
We’ve talked about standard print placement. Now it’s time to get creative.
Printing over the pocket is one creative print placement exclusive to hoodies or jackets. Make sure the pocket is aligned with the screen before printing. Again, pockets aren’t always sewn on uniformly, so the center of one may not be the center of the next.
Pro Tip: When you print over the pocket of a hoodie, you’ll find a line of ink on the screen where the seam of the pocket sat. Clean the screen after every size hoodie you print to eliminate this and start fresh.
Another popular print placement on a hoodie is a print directly on the hood. This is a little tricky to do. Keep the design simple, like a one-color print. Many hoods are lined, so they won’t stay in place with adhesive.
Get creative with platens. If you have a smaller design, a sleeve platen may work for printing on the hood. Otherwise, wood platens can be engineered to create a custom hood platen.
Using unconventional print placement is a great way to include little brand hits on hoodies. Print at the hem of the hoodie to create a custom tag, or on the wrist to create a tattoo effect.
