All-Over Cotton: Create full-print cotton apparel | Printful

Q: How is All-Over Cotton different from other AOP printing methods?

Traditional all-over printing relies on sublimation , a technique where dye is heat-transferred into polyester fabric. While sublimation results are bright and durable, it only works on synthetic materials , since organic ones can’t handle the high heat of sublimation. Traditional all-over printing produces a smooth, sometimes shiny surface. All-Over Cotton uses a direct-to-fabric (DTF) printing process with water-based inks designed specifically for natural fibers. We print the design first, then precision-cut the fabric and sew it for seamless alignment. All-Over Cotton results in a soft texture, natural matte finish, and breathable comfort – the look and feel customers expect from real cotton.

Q: What are the design requirements for All-Over Cotton printing?

All-Over Cotton products need carefully prepared files to maintain print accuracy and product quality. Follow these guidelines to avoid design issues: File resolution: Use high-resolution artwork – at least 150 DPI at full print size. Template coverage: Extend your design to fully cover the provided template. Any blank areas will appear as unprinted fabric. Safe zones: Keep key elements like logos or text away from seams, edges, and panel transitions to avoid misalignment. File format: Use PNG files with a transparent background, saved in the sRGB color profile. Design details: Avoid extremely fine lines, distressed textures, or complex gradients. Cotton’s texture can soften details. Each All-Over Cotton product includes a digital template with clearly marked safe zones and bleed areas. Use our Design Maker to avoid production issues and ensure your design prints exactly as you intended.

All-over printing no longer means synthetic.

Printful’s All-Over Cotton collection brings seam-to-seam design to soft, breathable cotton garments. No trade-offs – just full-coverage designs on the fabric your customers actually want to wear. This guide covers how All-Over Cotton works, what’s in the collection, and how to create full-coverage cotton apparel with Print on Demand.

What is All-Over Cotton?

Graffiti-style design on white fabric made with All-Over cotton features a pink skull with an X for one eye.

All-Over Cotton is a full-coverage printing technique that applies edge-to-edge designs on cotton garments.

Unlike traditional all-over printing (AOP), which relies on sublimation and polyester, this method uses a quality direct-to-fabric (DTF) printing tailored for cotton.

How to start:

Pick a product
Explore our All-Over Cotton range in the Printful Catalog. Choose from tees, hoodies, sweatshirts, and more – each designed for comfort and full-print coverage.
Add your design
Using the Design Maker, upload your artwork or create graphics directly in the tool. Each product comes with a digital template that helps you accurately align your design.
Printful prints, cuts, and sews on demand
Once you publish or order a product, we handle the rest. We print your design on cotton fabric, then cut and sew it into the final product. Every item ships with your branding – no minimums, inventory, or outside logos.

All-Over Cotton collection

Our collection features cotton products designed for all-over printing. Combine natural fabric feel with the visual impact of all-over designs. Ideal for lifestyle, fashion, and streetwear lines.

To summarize

All-Over Cotton gives you full-surface design freedom without giving up the softness and breathability of cotton. With this collection, you’re no longer limited to polyester when offering all-over print products.

Each item is built for comfort, printed before assembly for uninterrupted designs, fulfilled on demand, and shipped under your brand worldwide.

Expand an existing catalog or launch a new line – All-Over Cotton adds more flexibility, higher product quality, and broader appeal.

FAQ

What is All-Over Cotton?

All-over Cotton is a full-surface printing method that applies your designs on cotton fabric before it’s cut and sewn into garments. This method changes the game of all-over printing (AOP), where edge-to-edge designs used to require synthetic materials like polyester.

By printing first and assembling later, your artwork flows across sleeves, seams, and hems – without compromising the softness, breathability, or natural feel of cotton.

It’s your chance to offer premium, retail-quality products without relying on polyester-based sublimation.

How is All-Over Cotton different from other AOP printing methods?

Traditional all-over printing relies on sublimation, a technique where dye is heat-transferred into polyester fabric. While sublimation results are bright and durable, it only works on synthetic materials, since organic ones can’t handle the high heat of sublimation.

Traditional all-over printing produces a smooth, sometimes shiny surface.

All-Over Cotton uses a direct-to-fabric (DTF) printing process with water-based inks designed specifically for natural fibers. We print the design first, then precision-cut the fabric and sew it for seamless alignment.

All-Over Cotton results in a soft texture, natural matte finish, and breathable comfort – the look and feel customers expect from real cotton.

What are the design requirements for All-Over Cotton printing?

All-Over Cotton products need carefully prepared files to maintain print accuracy and product quality. Follow these guidelines to avoid design issues:

File resolution: Use high-resolution artwork – at least 150 DPI at full print size.
Template coverage: Extend your design to fully cover the provided template. Any blank areas will appear as unprinted fabric.
Safe zones: Keep key elements like logos or text away from seams, edges, and panel transitions to avoid misalignment.
File format: Use PNG files with a transparent background, saved in the sRGB color profile.
Design details: Avoid extremely fine lines, distressed textures, or complex gradients. Cotton’s texture can soften details.

Each All-Over Cotton product includes a digital template with clearly marked safe zones and bleed areas. Use our Design Maker to avoid production issues and ensure your design prints exactly as you intended.

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By Janis Lazda

From industry how-to's to avant-garde essays, Jānis is a professional writer with experience in creative writing and marketing content, offering researched articles from brand building to in-depth subscription fee breakdowns. He enjoys highlighting the many ways to build independence creating online, and, in his free time, loves the magic of taking a podcast out on a rainy stroll through lamplit city streets.