T-Shirt Templates

Whether you want to start selling merch for your company or have a passion for creating a clothing line, finding good t-shirt templates and mockup generators can help bring these goals to life. While there are a lot of options out there, not all of them are built the same.

This article will guide you through some of the best options and help you weigh the pros and cons for each one so you can pick the right one for your company.

Getting started

Before you can pick a t-shirt template, you need to first create a logo or slogan to use so you can put it on your mockups. If you don’t have one yet, it’s best to spend the time to put this together because it will make everything much easier. Plus, you’ll be able to see the actual final design of your shirt instead of just guessing what it will look like.

Once you have your design, you’ll ideally want to remove the filler background on it so you can see it on different items. If you know how to use Photoshop, that’s one way to do it. If you don’t, there are sites like Clipping Magic that can help you easily remove the background and isolate the part of the image you want.

Why you want to use mockup generators

If you’re just starting to sell your t-shirts and products, you might not have it in your hands yet to get photos. When you use a mockup generator, you’re able to use those images in your store so customers can get an idea of what they look like before they order.

Another benefit is that you’re able to see what it would look like if you’re purchasing them before selling them to customers. A lot of mockup generators can make the shirts look realistic, so you know exactly what they’ll look like before you buy them. They can also help you tweak your design so you know exactly what color or sizing combinations will look the best.

What to look for in a mockup generator

With the thousands of different mockup generators out there, there are some basic ways you can find a good one.

Usually, there’s a free trial or first option to see how it works. You’ll want to play around with any if you choose to do a subscription from there. Sometimes a subscription or paid features can offer additional benefits you might not have thought about, such as unlimited mockups or HD downloads.

We’ll break down some of the available mockup generator sites and the pros and cons for each one so you can pick the right one for your business.

Smartmockups

Smartmockups offers 200 free mockups so you can design your shirt to make it look exactly how you want it to. All you do is take your image, click the “customize this scene button” to upload your image and then see what your shirt looks like.

Pros:

• Can test your design on different types of products such as mugs, hats, and bags
• Lowest paid tier is $9 per month

Cons:

• Limited to only 200 free mockups
• Can’t access all 2250+ mockup options without subscribing

Placeit

Placeit offers 30,480 total templates for all sorts of designs you could possibly want to create. For T-shirts alone there are hundreds of different mockup pictures, settings, and templates you can use to see how your shirt would look out in the real world. All you need to do is upload a picture to get started.

Pros:

• Huge selection of t-shirt mockups available
• Can do it all in your browser – don’t need to download any software
• If you do subscribe you can get a logo for 50% off

Cons:

• To get unlimited mockups, you need to subscribe at $14.95 per month or $99.95 for the year
• Not every mockup works perfectly, but it still gives you a good idea

Here’s an example of the mockup:

Printful

Printful is another option when it comes to creating mockups. What makes Printful different than other companies is the ability to also run a store from inside their site once you sign up. You’re able to buy shirts or products from inside the store and sell them. You can also create affiliate links for other people to use and get the word out about your products.

Pros:

• Use Printful to create a whole store and business
• Decent costs for each item
• The ability to add text and clip art

Cons:

• The mockup generator doesn’t look as realistic as some others

Here’s a look inside the site:

Other ways you can create mockups

If you don’t want to use one of those sites, there are other options available for you to create your mockups.

Photoshop

You can download Adobe Photoshop and while there’s a bit of a learning curve, it’s one of the best programs you could use to create images and mockups. Currently, it’s $9.99 a month for a subscription, but if you plan to use a lot of images for your business, this is a low cost. They make images look more realistic than other mockups. However, if you’re on a budget or time-crunch don’t worry, the mockups generally get the job done.

If you choose to use Photoshop, you’ll have to find clothing templates to use so you can put your image on top of it.

T-shirt templates to download

Blank T-Shirt – This one that was created for free on Deviant Art.

Gildan Style Tee v3.0 – made by TheApparelGuy.

Women’s Scoop Tee – another made by TheApparelGuy.

T-shirt Mockup Template – It’s $15, but comes with a ton more features than the paid versions.

Storefront mockups – This package has all kinds of different apparel options and colored shirts and sweaters for creating mockups for you company. It’s a more expensive option but you’ll have everything you need for all the clothes you would want to create.

Conclusion

Creating mockups can help you create the ideal products you want to start selling. Whether you’re creating a clothing company or just simply selling merchandise on top of your offerings, we’ve outlined some of the best places to start.