Front hoodie design placement
The front of a hoodie is a classic and highly popular design placement. It’s a prime spot that draws attention and allows you to showcase bold graphics, a personal slogan, or a creative statement.
When designing the front of a hoodie, pay attention to the design placement size to create a composition that works well with the seam alignment, front pocket, and your chosen hoodie’s overall aesthetic.
The front print
The front print placement provides a larger canvas than other areas of the hoodie, making it suitable for bold and visually striking designs. Use the space to display your interests, share a message, or support a cause.
Hoodies with a front print work well when layered with other outerwear pieces. For example, you can pair a hoodie with a zip-up jacket and leave it open, allowing the hoodie design to peek through. This adds a layered look to an outfit while still showing off the print.
The front print area for direct-to-garment (DTG) printed hoodies ranges from 10″ × 10″ to 13″ × 13″. The placement sizes differ because the pocket placement varies by product and manufacturer.
Some hoodies offer the direct-to-film (DTF) printing option. With this technique, the front print placement can vary quite a bit depending on the hoodie. Make sure to check your hoodie’s File guidelines tab on the product page to see the exact size of the front print placement and choose the best hoodies for printing your designs.
Source: Printful
Embroidery placements
Embroidery can give your custom apparel a premium look and hand-made feel. But what are the embroidery placement options? Let’s have a look.
Center chest
For embroidered designs, the center chest placement is a trendy option. It’s typically located a few inches below the neckline and between the left and right sides of the chest.
The maximum size for this design placement is 4″ × 4″.
Embroidered hoodie guidelines. Source: Printful
The center chest placement works well for logos, icons, text-based designs, and small artwork.
Opt for clean and simple designs that are easily recognizable and legible at a smaller size. Avoid intricate details or fine lines that may become indistinguishable when embroidered.
If you’re going for a text-based design, choose clear, readable, and appropriately scaled fonts. Avoid using overly small text that may be challenging to read.
Finally, make the most of the design mockups and templates provided by Printful. Use them to see how your design will look on the hoodie, ensure proper placement for your design, and make adjustments if necessary.
Source: Printful
Large center
Use the large center placement if you’d like to embroider a bigger, more ambitious design. Compared to other options, it’s much wider and well-suited for a text-based design or artwork.
The placement area is 10″ × 6″, which is the largest space available for embroidered hoodie designs.
Large center embroidery guidelines. Source: Printful
Left chest
The left chest design placement is a more discrete option. It’s well-suited for embroidered icons, initials, or minimalist artwork in a clean, subtle aesthetic.
Left chest embroidery guidelines. Source: Printful
Embroidering a company logo on the left chest area is also a widespread choice for branded t-shirts and hoodies. It looks professional and polished, making it ideal for employee uniforms, corporate events, or promotional merch.
The left chest print area for hoodies is 4″ × 4″. So think about legibility when designing for this size.
Source: DynamicIntuition on Etsy
Back print placement
The back of a hoodie is the most common placement for large designs because of the spacious surface area. It can accommodate your boldest hoodie design ideas, making it ideal for fan merch and statement pieces.
If you’re going for the back print, pay attention to the composition of your design. Check that the elements are well-distributed across the area and any central elements are nicely aligned with the hood on top.
The placement size depends on the hoodie, its size, and the fulfillment technique. You can check the specifics under File guidelines on the product page.
Source: Printful
Labels
Custom inside and outside labels are an excellent way to brand your products. However, inside and outside labels can’t both be printed on the same hoodie—it’s one or the other. Let’s see how the labels differ so you can choose the right one for you.
Inside labels
The inside label design placement is typically in the neck area of the hoodie. In addition to all the mandatory product info, you can customize the label and add your brand logo.
Not all products can have an inside label printed on them. To make sure your hoodie has this option, you can filter garments by Branding options > Inside label.
The inside label size is 3″ × 3″, and the logo print area is 3″ × 1.13″.
To make things easier, you can select one of the inside label templates in the Design Maker. Here’s how:
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Go to the product page and start designing
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Click the Design tab in the Design Maker
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Select an inside label template from the available options
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Drop your brand logo into the design area
Source: Printful
Outside label
The outside label is located at the back neckline. It’s a good place to print your brand logo, name, or tagline to create a professional look for your hoodies.
The placement size is 3″ × 3″, and since outside labels don’t need to include any specific information, you’re free to design them however you like.
When designing the outside label, be aware of the area’s small size and square shape. If you’re printing a logo, make sure your design fits comfortably within the marked space.
Source: Printful
Outside labels aren’t available for all hoodies. To ensure a product you like has this option, check Customization options on the product page.
Sleeve placement
The sleeve placement is located on the sleeves’ upper arm or forearm sections, depending on the specific hoodie. For a long-sleeve hoodie, the maximum print size is 3″ × 12″ for DTG printing and 3″ × 14″ for DTF printing.
Sleeve print placement guidelines. Source: Printful
Sleeve prints allow you to add extra visuals like vertical graphics or text. This can serve as a complementary element to the front design.
If you’re going for embroidery instead, you’ll be able to place designs on the left or right wrist. It’s a good location for logos, initials, and icons because of the small, discrete placement area of 2″ × 3″. Note that this placement isn’t available for all hoodies, so check the Customization options on the product page.
Source: INSIDEOUTGIFT on Etsy
All-over print hoodies
With the all-over print (AOP) fulfillment technique, you can cover the entire hoodie with your design, including the front, back, pocket, sleeves, and hood. If you want more flexibility to experiment with creative placements, all-over print is the right choice.
All-Over Print Recycled Unisex Hoodie. Source: Printful
All-over printing allows you to create a continuous design that wraps around the front and back of the hoodie. It’s great for eye-catching patterns and vibrant graphics. It’s also the only print option that includes hood placement, giving you even more creative flexibility.
To ensure your design looks as envisioned, use high-quality images for printing. Also, keep in mind that cut & sew products are sewn together, so perfect design alignment over the seams isn’t guaranteed. To avoid misalignment, opt for more abstract designs.
Best hoodie design placements
Let’s say you’re launching a new streetwear brand and want to design your first hoodie line. You want to stand out and make an impact, but you’re unsure about the best placement for your logo, artwork, or text-based designs.
Understanding the different placement options and their advantages can help you make informed decisions that align with your brand’s identity and aesthetics.
Read on for placement tips and the best print areas for different designs.
For logos
When it comes to adding logos to hoodies, there are several popular and effective placement options:
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Center chest: This involves positioning the logo at the center or slightly off-center on the upper portion of the hoodie’s front. It’s a classic and easily noticeable placement that works well for medium-sized logos.
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Left chest: Another popular option is the left chest placement for an embroidered logo. This is a good fit for a smaller logo and can create a sleek and professional look.
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Inside or outside label: Seamlessly integrate your logo with the rest of your design while ensuring brand visibility.
Source: DCGPRINTWEAR on Etsy
For artwork
Here are some design placement options to consider for large, eye-catching graphics:
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Center chest: Placing your design front and center makes it easily noticeable. It’s a prominent placement for small, embroidered artwork that you’d like to show off.
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Front print: If you have visually stunning or detailed artwork, consider printing it across the entire front of the hoodie. This allows for a bold and immersive look that grabs attention.
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Sleeves: Hoodie sleeves offer an excellent canvas for placing vertical, symmetrical, or repetitive designs. Place your artwork along the sleeve’s length or opt for a smaller design placement near the cuff.
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Back print: The back of the hoodie provides a spacious canvas for your artwork. This print location works well for a complex design that needs space to be fully appreciated.
Source: ThatGeekyApparel on Etsy
For text-based designs
Text-based designs offer a clean and simple look. These are some of the options you could go for:
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Center or left chest: Similar to logo placement, adding text to the left chest area allows you to showcase your brand name or tagline in a clean and professional way. This placement is particularly suitable for smaller and shorter text that packs a punch.
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Front print: Printing bold text designs on the front of the hoodie ensures maximum visibility. The front area is typically larger in size, making the text more legible from a distance.
Overall, placing your text at the front of the hoodie is a good idea to make sure it’s visible even with an extra layer of outerwear. What’s more, front areas provide plenty of space to combine text with other design elements.
Source: Weardies on Etsy
Conclusion
Hopefully, this post has provided you with some insights for creating standout hoodie designs that make the most of the available print placements.
Whether you’re embroidering a logo on the left chest, printing an eye-catching design on the back, or creating a seamless pattern across the entire hoodie, there are plenty of options. The front, back, chest, sleeves, and even the label areas all offer unique opportunities for customization and creative expression.
To successfully place your designs, remember to think about the size, proportions, and visibility of your chosen print area. And don’t be afraid to get creative and make your designs stand out.
Now, it’s time to take your hoodie game to a new level. Happy designing!
Read next: 10 Types of Logos (and How to Choose Yours)
