Apparel POD beginner 2–4 hours Last checked 2026-10-28

POD T-Shirt Design

Create a DTG-ready transparent PNG, place it on apparel via Printful or Printify, and list on Etsy/Redbubble/your store with the rights your AI plan grants.

Not legal advice. Not legal advice. Marketplace and tool policies change. Always read the primary policy pages linked on each recipe before you publish or sell. Always open the linked primary policy pages before you publish or sell.

Pipeline steps

1 Generate graphic

Prompt for bold graphic that reads at chest size; avoid tiny detail.

Best tool: Midjourney

  • Ideogram — Better typography-in-image
  • Kittl — Template-based POD graphics

Tip: Large shapes > fine hairlines for DTG.

2 Remove background

Isolate subject on transparency.

Best tool: remove.bg

Tip: Check edges on dark and light mock shirts.

3 Upscale & sharpen

Hit Printful DPI at the print box size for your product.

Best tool: Topaz Gigapixel

Tip: Don’t exceed 300 DPI per Printful guidance.

4 Mockup & fulfill

Upload to Printful/Printify; sync to storefront.

Best tool: Printful

Tip: Order a sample on your main blank color.

5 List & disclose

On Etsy, disclose AI; on Redbubble follow content/IP rules (no dedicated AI disclosure rule found).

Best tool: Canva

Tip: You need commercial rights from your AI plan.

Export specs

Printful DTG: PNG with transparent background, sRGB IEC61966-2.1; most products ≥150 DPI (do not exceed 300 DPI); some products need 300 DPI — check the product File guidelines tab.

FormatPNG transparent (JPG can force white background)
ColorsRGB IEC61966-2.1
DPI≥150 for most Printful products; ≤300; 300 for some items like stickers/phone cases

Last checked 2026-10-28

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