How to Use PrintNotch Designer
Design custom t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, and caps from any device. No design skills needed — go from idea to order in minutes.
Choose Your Product & Print Side
Start by selecting the garment you want to customise and which side to print on.
Multi-Side Print Placement
Each side is designed independently. Use the placement selector at the top of the designer to switch between:
Design the front first, then switch sides to add a back print or sleeve logo. Each side is saved separately — you can have a large graphic on the front and a small logo on the back.
Upload Your Photo or Image
Add your own photos, logos, or artwork directly from your device.
- Tap the Upload button in the toolbar
- Choose a PNG, JPG, or SVG file from your phone or computer
- Your image appears on the canvas — drag to reposition, drag corners to resize
- Tap the image to open its edit controls in the right panel
Use PNG with a transparent background for logos and clipart. For photos, JPG works great — use the AI background remover (Chapter 3) to make it transparent before placing it on your design.
AI Background Removal
Remove backgrounds from any photo instantly — no Photoshop, no manual cutting.
- Upload your photo or tap an existing image on the canvas
- Tap Remove BG in the image controls panel
- The AI detects your subject and removes the background in seconds
- Preview the result — compare with the original side by side
- Tap Apply to confirm, or switch back to the original if you prefer
The AI automatically detects people, pets, products, and objects — removing the background cleanly around even complex shapes like hair and fur.
You always see the original and the background-removed version before applying. Nothing changes until you confirm — so you're never locked in.
Photos with a plain or light background give the cleanest results. The AI handles complex scenes too, but high contrast between subject and background always produces the sharpest edges.
Clip Your Photo Into a Shape
Place any photo inside a shape for a creative, polished look. Choose from basic geometric shapes or custom decorative shapes like hearts with wings, clouds, splashes, and more.
- Upload your photo (or tap an existing image on the canvas)
- In the right panel, scroll to Clip to Shape
- Pick a shape from the grid — your photo is instantly clipped inside it
- Double-click the shape to enter Image Edit Mode
- Drag, pinch, or rotate to position the photo perfectly inside the shape
- Click outside to exit Image Edit Mode
Shape Categories
Some shapes — like the winged heart — have a decoration layer (wings, ring, embellishments) that appears on top of your photo automatically. Your photo clips to just the heart body, and the wings render as a decorative overlay above it. No setup needed — it just works.
After clipping, double-click the shape to enter Image Edit Mode. The full photo becomes visible at low opacity outside the shape so you can see exactly what you're framing. Drag to reposition, drag corners to resize, or rotate until it looks perfect — then click outside to lock it in.
Text, Effects & Shapes
Create standout text with creative fills, arcs, and outlines — then combine with shapes for professional badge and logo designs.
Adding Text
- Tap the T button in the toolbar to add a text element
- Type your text directly on the canvas
- Select the text to open the text control panel
- Adjust font, size, colour, alignment, and effects
Text Fill Options
- Solid colour — Any colour using the colour picker or eyedropper
- Gradient — Two-colour gradient flowing across your text
- Photo fill — Fill letters with any image — landscapes, textures, patterns
- Flag fill — Fill text with any of our 200+ country flags
- Stroke / outline — Add a coloured border around each letter
Curved Text
- Select a text element
- Tap Curve in the text controls
- Drag the slider to arc the text upward or downward
- Combine with a circle shape and clipart icon for a badge design
Photo Effects
Apply DTF-optimised edge and texture effects to any image:
Shapes
Add shapes via the Shapes toolbar button: Rectangle, Circle, Triangle, Heart, Star, Hexagon, Diamond, Pentagon. Fill with solid colour or gradient. Layer shapes behind text for backgrounds and badges.
Add a circle shape, place curved text arching above it, add another curved text line below, and drop a clipart icon in the centre. You've got a professional club or team badge in under two minutes.
✦ AI Text Styling — One-Tap Auto-Style
Select any text element and let the AI instantly pick the perfect font, fill, outline, shadow, and curve — matched to your design's theme and shirt colour. No manual tweaking needed.
How to Use It
- Add a text element to the canvas or select an existing one
- Tap the ⚡ magic wand icon in the floating toolbar above the text
- The AI reads your text content, the overall design theme, and the shirt colour
- It applies a complete style in one shot: font family, weight, fill (solid, gradient, or photo fill), outlines, shadow, and optional curve
- Don't like it? Tap the wand again for a different variation — each tap generates a fresh style
What the AI Considers
Text Content
A name like "Sarah" gets elegant script treatment. "NO DAYS OFF" gets condensed athletic bold. The AI reads what you've written and matches the style to the words.
Design Theme
If your design already has a retro vibe, the AI picks vintage fonts and distressed textures. Festive theme? Expect warm gradients and rounded fonts.
Shirt Colour
On dark garments the AI uses bright fills with visible outlines. On light garments it picks dark or contrasting fills. Your text is always readable.
Fill Options
Solid colours, two-colour gradients, or photo fills (flames, galaxies, flowers, marble). The AI picks the fill type that suits the mood — not just the safest option.
Each wand tap generates a different style variation. If the first result is close but not quite right, tap again for a fresh take. You can always undo with the back arrow if you prefer a previous version.
AI Text Styling works on every text element on the canvas — headlines, subheadings, names, dates, and taglines. Mix AI-styled and manually styled text in the same design.
✦ Text Suggestions — AI-Generated Copy Ideas
Not sure what to write? Select any text element and get six alternative phrases instantly — each one matched to your design's theme, tone, and the other text already on the canvas.
How to Use It
- Select a text element on the canvas
- Tap the T↑ suggestions icon in the floating toolbar
- A panel opens showing six alternative text options
- Tap any suggestion to replace your text with it instantly
- Your styling (font, colour, effects) is preserved — only the words change
How the AI Picks Suggestions
Reads the Current Text
The AI uses your existing text as the starting point — matching the same theme, energy, and length. Short punchy words stay short. Full sentences stay full sentences.
Aware of Your Full Design
If your design already has "BORN TO RUN" as the headline, suggestions for the subtitle won't repeat those words — they'll complement them instead.
Product-Aware
The suggestions are written for wearable print — short, punchy phrases that look great on a t-shirt or hoodie, not generic sentences.
UK English
All suggestions use UK English spelling — colour, favourite, organised. No awkward American autocorrect.
Run text suggestions on your headline, then run it again on your subtitle. The second pass will already know the headline exists and suggest phrases that pair well with it — building a coherent, layered design message automatically.
Text Suggestions does not use AI credits — it's free to use as many times as you like on any design. Only the AI Template Maker and AI Photo Generator require credits.
Asset Library — Flags, Clipart & Emojis
Access thousands of ready-to-use graphics for free. No credits required — everything in the library is included with your account.
Every country flag available — searchable by name. Perfect for international events, heritage designs, sports teams, and cultural celebrations. All flags are high-resolution vectors that print cleanly at any size.
Clipart Categories
Use the search bar to find graphics by theme — try "dragon", "Christmas", or "football" rather than browsing category by category. Flags can also be used as a text fill — select your text, choose Flag Fill, and pick any country.
✦ AI Tools
Two powerful AI tools to accelerate your design — from complete layouts to custom generated images.
The AI Template Maker and AI Photo Generator use AI credits. You can purchase credit packs from your account page.
AI Template Maker
Generate a complete, fully editable design from a text description in seconds.
- Tap the ✦ sparkle icon in the designer toolbar
- Describe your design — e.g. "Vintage biker club with eagle and flames" or "Retro 80s neon sunset with palm trees"
- Optionally upload your own photo — the AI will place it inside a matching clip shape
- Choose a style: Vintage, Graffiti, Minimalist, or Anime
- Tap Generate — a complete design appears on the canvas with text, graphics, and layout
- Every element is fully editable: change colours, fonts, swap graphics, reposition anything
AI Photo Generator
Create a custom image from a text description to use anywhere in your design.
- Open the AI tools panel and select AI Photo Generator
- Describe the image you want — e.g. "Fierce golden dragon on dark background, digital art style"
- Tap Generate — the image is added directly to your canvas
- Resize, reposition, clip to shape, or apply effects
Be specific about style, mood, and subject. Instead of "lion", try "fierce geometric lion head in black and white, sharp angles, tribal tattoo style". The more detail you give, the better the result. Mentioning the print style (e.g. "t-shirt graphic", "minimalist logo") also helps the AI frame the output correctly.
Professional Tools & Quality Controls
Advanced features to keep your designs precise, professional, and print-ready.
Layers Panel
See all design elements in order. Tap to select, drag to reorder, lock or hide individual layers.
DPI Quality Indicator
Live indicator shows if your images are high enough resolution. Green = excellent, orange = acceptable, red = may print blurry. Check before ordering.
CM Ruler
Real-world measurements so you know exactly how large your design will print. No guessing.
Grid Overlay
Toggle a grid to align elements precisely across your design.
Real-Time Size Display
Actual print dimensions in centimetres update live as you resize any element.
Fabric Texture Preview
Toggle a fabric texture overlay on the canvas to visualise how your design sits on the actual garment material.
Mobile Design
Every feature works on your phone. Bottom-sheet panels, touch controls, pinch to zoom, and a floating toolbar are all designed for mobile use.
Auto-Save
Designs save automatically as you work. Return from any device to pick up where you left off.
Save Your Design & Place Your Order
Your designs auto-save as you work. Order whenever you're ready.
Placing Your Order
- When you're happy with your design, tap Add to Basket
- Select your size and quantity
- Review your order summary
- Complete checkout — your design goes straight to our print team
All PrintNotch orders use DTF (Direct-to-Film) printing — vibrant, full-colour prints with a soft feel that won't crack, peel, or fade. Works on all garment colours including black.
Make sure the DPI indicator shows green for all uploaded images. If it shows orange or red, try uploading a higher resolution version of your photo. Designs generated by the AI or from the clipart library are always print-ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I design the front, back, and sleeves separately?
Yes! Use the placement selector at the top of the designer to switch between Front, Back, Left Sleeve, and Right Sleeve. Each side is designed independently and all sides are included in your order.
How do I clip a photo into a shape?
Select your image on the canvas, then go to Clip to Shape in the right panel. Choose any shape from the grid — your photo is instantly cropped inside it. Double-click the shape to enter Image Edit Mode where you can reposition and resize the photo inside the shape.
What are the decorative shapes with overlay layers?
Some custom shapes — like the winged heart — have a decoration layer (wings, embellishments) that automatically renders on top of your photo. Your photo clips to just the heart body, and the decorative elements appear above it automatically. No setup needed.
What are AI credits and how do I get them?
AI credits are used when you generate designs with the AI Template Maker or AI Photo Generator. You can purchase credit packs from your account page at printnotch.com/my-account.
Can I use PrintNotch Designer on mobile?
Yes — it's fully mobile-optimised. The bottom-sheet panels, touch controls, and floating toolbar are all designed for phone use. You can complete a full design and place an order entirely on your smartphone.
What file formats can I upload?
PNG, JPG, and SVG are supported. Use PNG or SVG for transparent backgrounds. For photos without transparency, use the AI background remover to make the background transparent.
Are there free graphics I can use?
Yes! The built-in asset library includes thousands of free graphics — 200+ country flags, holiday clipart, sports, gaming, animals, emojis, and much more. No credits needed for any library assets.
What is AI Text Styling and how do I use it?
AI Text Styling is a one-tap feature that automatically styles any text element — it picks the font, fill, outline, shadow, and curve based on your text content, design theme, and shirt colour. Select a text element and tap the ⚡ magic wand icon in the floating toolbar. Tap again for a different variation.
What are Text Suggestions and are they free?
Text Suggestions generates six alternative phrases for any selected text, matched to your design's mood and the other text already on the canvas. Select a text element and tap the suggestions icon in the toolbar. It's completely free — no AI credits required.
How quickly can I design a custom t-shirt with PrintNotch AI?
Most customers complete a full design in under 5 minutes. Open the AI Template Maker, describe your idea in one sentence, tap Generate, and a complete design appears on the canvas — with layout, text styling, and graphics all done. Tweak anything you like, then add to basket.
Can I curve my text?
Yes. Select a text element and use the Curve option in the text controls. Drag the slider to arc the text up or down. Great for badge-style and circular logo designs — combine with a circle shape and clipart icon for a professional result.
Can I fill text with a photo or flag?
Yes! Select your text, then choose Photo Fill to fill the letters with any image, or Flag Fill to instantly fill with any country flag from our 200+ collection.
Can I save my designs and come back later?
Yes. Designs auto-save as you work and are linked to your PrintNotch account. Log in from any device to continue editing a saved design.
What printing method do you use?
We use DTF (Direct-to-Film) printing — full colour, vibrant, with a soft feel. It works on all garment colours including black, and the prints won't crack or peel over time.
Ready to Create?
Start designing your custom garment now. No experience needed.
Open PrintNotch Designer