How to Order Custom T-Shirts Online: Design, Sizing, and Checkout Steps

Updated

You can order custom T-shirts online in five stages: pick a shirt and quantity, build or upload your design, set sizes and counts, review price and delivery, then approve the proof before production. Custom Ink's site supports this flow with design tools, a large product catalog, free standard delivery, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so the steps below follow that path. The process works best when you have your group size, deadline, and artwork ready before you start.

Step 1: Choose the shirt, color, and quantity

Start from the T-shirts category and narrow by use case: everyday cotton tees for a team, performance or activewear for events, or polos and business wear if the group needs a dressier look. The catalog also covers sweatshirts, hats, jackets, bags, and drinkware, which matters if you want matching items in one order.

Decide three things before moving on:

  • Fabric and fit — standard cotton vs. performance material, and unisex vs. women's cuts.
  • Color — check how your logo colors will read against the shirt color; light ink on light fabric is the most common visibility problem.
  • Quantity — order a few extras for late additions, damaged pieces, or sizing swaps.

If budget is the constraint, check the sale section first. The site currently shows up to 20% off sweats and outerwear with prices as marked, which can change the per-item cost on layered items.

Step 2: Build or upload the design

Use the Design Lab to either upload your own artwork or start from a template. Templates are useful for common jobs like team names, event dates, and fundraising shirts where you need a clean layout fast.

What to prepare before you open the tool:

Item Why it matters
Logo or artwork file Higher-resolution files print cleaner; vector files scale without blur
Exact text Names, dates, and spellings should be final before upload
Placement choice Front chest, full front, back, or sleeve — each changes the printable area
Color count More ink colors can affect cost and print method

Check placement and alignment in the preview. Customer reviews on the site specifically call out spelling and alignment as the things that went right on good orders — which means they are also the things to verify yourself before approving.

Step 3: Set sizes and collect an accurate count

Size distribution is where most group orders go wrong. Collect sizes from each person rather than guessing, and build a simple count sheet:

  • List every name with their requested size.
  • Total each size (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, etc.).
  • Add your buffer extras in the most common sizes.
  • Note any youth sizes separately, since they follow a different size chart.

Confirm the size chart for the specific shirt style you chose — sizing varies between brands and between unisex and women's cuts.

Step 4: Review pricing and delivery timeline

The site lists "Check Prices" as a starting point, and pricing depends on shirt style, quantity, print colors, and placement, so confirm the final number in the cart rather than estimating from the catalog. Free standard delivery is advertised, but confirm the delivery date shown at checkout against your event date before you commit.

Two timing factors to plan around:

  • Production time — printing happens after proof approval, not at checkout.
  • Shipping time — standard delivery is free but not instant; if your event is close, check whether faster options are offered for your order.

The site also advertises fast turnaround in customer reviews, but treat that as a general signal, not a guarantee for your specific date.

Step 5: Approve the proof, then check out

Before production, review the proof for:

  1. Spelling — every name, date, and slogan, read aloud once.
  2. Alignment — centered placement, straight baselines, consistent logo size across garments.
  3. Colors — ink colors against the actual shirt color, not just on screen.
  4. Sizes and quantities — match the proof list against your count sheet.
  5. Placement — confirm front/back/sleeve matches what you intended.

Once approved, complete checkout. Keep the confirmation and proof on file; the 100% satisfaction guarantee is easier to use when you can reference exactly what was approved.

Common snags and how to avoid them

  • Low-resolution artwork — upload the highest-quality file you have; a screenshot or social media image often prints soft.
  • Guessing sizes — always collect sizes individually and add a small buffer.
  • Approving a proof too fast — read text character by character; misspellings are the most frequent regret in group orders.
  • Ordering too close to the event — build in time for proof review plus production plus shipping.
  • Mismatched items — if you add hats or bags to the same order, confirm the logo size and color work on each product, not just the shirt.

If you are ordering for a fundraiser, the site also lists fundraising tools and templates, which can help standardize design and messaging across a campaign.