How to Use PrintNotch Designer
Design custom t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops, tote bags and bucket hats from any device. No design skills needed — go from idea to order in minutes.
Every photo, vector, sticker and icon is included — no credits, no extra cost. Search inside the designer and drop straight onto your garment.
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 sides — what's available depends on the product:
T-Shirts support all four placements. Hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops and tote bags support front & back. Bucket hats use a single design area.
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.
✦ Boost Image Quality — Upscale & Vectorise
Two AI tools that fix the most common problems with uploaded images: blurry low-resolution photos and rasterised logos that can't be recoloured. Both live in the AI Tools panel below the image — visible the moment you select an image on the canvas.
Upscale — Sharpen Low-DPI Photos for Print
Doubles the resolution of any photo using AI super-resolution. Perfect when the DPI Quality Indicator shows orange or red.
- Select your photo on the canvas
- In the AI Tools panel, tap Upscale
- Confirm the action — credits are deducted from your account
- The image is enhanced to 2x its original resolution in seconds
- The DPI Quality Indicator updates immediately — green means print-ready
Vectorise — Raster to Editable SVG
Converts any PNG or JPG into a clean editable SVG. Ideal for logos, icons, hand-drawn artwork, or stock images you want full colour control over.
- Select the image you want to convert
- In the AI Tools panel, tap Vectorise
- Confirm the action — credits are deducted
- The AI converts the raster image into vector paths
- The SVG Colour Editor opens automatically (see Chapter 5)
- Edit colours, hide background, or save as-is
Vector graphics print sharply at any size — no pixelation, no blur. They also let you recolour every part independently, perfect for adapting a logo to different garment colours or matching your brand palette.
Vectorise works best on images with clear flat colours and well-defined edges. Photos with gradients or fine detail will work but may produce more complex SVGs. For very low quality photos, run Upscale first, then Vectorise — the upscaled image gives the vector tracer cleaner edges to follow.
SVG Colour Editor — Recolour Anything
Every SVG, vectorised image, and library clipart can be opened in the SVG Colour Editor for full per-part control. Change individual colours, hide entire colour groups, delete unwanted parts, or remove the background — all without leaving the designer.
Opening the Editor
- Select any SVG-based element (clipart, vectorised image, etc.)
- Tap Edit Colours in the controls panel
- The editor opens with two viewing options: Add As It Is or Edit Colours First
Two Ways to Recolour
Inline — Tap a Part
Tap any individual shape on the canvas to select it. A floating colour picker appears — pick a new colour, tap Apply, or tap Delete to remove that part entirely. Select multiple parts together to recolour them at once.
Swatch Panel — Group Colours
Below the canvas, every colour used in the SVG is shown as a swatch. Pick a new colour to change every shape using that colour. Tap None to hide a colour group entirely (perfect for removing backgrounds without losing other shapes).
Other Controls
- Embedded Images — Some SVGs contain raster images. Hide or show them with one tap.
- Zoom & Pan — Pinch / scroll to zoom; Alt+drag (or two-finger drag) to pan. Reset returns to fit.
- Undo — Every change is undoable, including inline edits and swatch changes.
- Save Changes — Applies the edits and updates the element on your design.
Many vectorised photos come with a solid background rectangle. In the swatch panel, find the colour matching that background and tap None. The background disappears while everything else stays intact — much faster than tapping each background shape one by one.
Edits are non-destructive — the original SVG structure is preserved. Select the element again later and tap Edit Colours to reopen the editor and make further changes. Perfect for trying different colour palettes without losing your work.
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.
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 — 150+ Million Photos, Vectors, Icons & Templates
PrintNotch Designer is built on the full Freepik library — one of the largest creative asset collections in the world — and every single asset is included free with your account. No subscriptions, no per-use fees, no credit charges. Search, drop, design.
What's Inside
How to Use the Library
- Tap Elements in the bottom toolbar (mobile) or the side panel (desktop)
- Pick a tab: Designs (templates), Photos, Stickers, Flags, or Emojis
- Type a keyword in the search bar — e.g. "dragon", "birthday", "football", "Greece"
- Tap any result — it drops onto your canvas, ready to position, recolour, or clip to a shape
- Vectors stay editable through the SVG Colour Editor (Chapter 5). Photos can have their background removed with one tap (Chapter 3)
Most apparel designers either charge extra for premium assets or hide the good ones behind a Pro plan. PrintNotch doesn't. The full Freepik catalogue — over 150 million assets — is included with every account, every order, at no extra cost. The library you'd normally pay for is built into the editor.
The search is smarter than browsing category by category. Try concrete nouns like "vintage car", "Christmas tree", "yoga" — short, specific phrases return the best results. Flags can also be used as a text fill: select your text, choose Flag Fill, pick any country.
✦ AI Designer Tools — Bring Out Your Inner Designer
Most people aren't trained designers — and they shouldn't have to be. PrintNotch's AI tools are built to collaborate with you, not replace your taste. You bring the idea; the AI handles the layout, the typography, the asset hunting. What comes out is something genuinely yours — personal, polished, and ready to wear.
The result isn't a generic template stamped with your name. The AI Template Maker holds a short conversation with you, suggests text options that fit the occasion, asks which kind of graphic you'd like, and assembles a layout around your choices. Every step is yours — the AI just removes the friction between "I have an idea" and "I have a design".
AI Text Styling, Text Suggestions, Text Generator and one-tap Background Removal are completely free. Only the heavier AI Template Maker, AI Photo Generator, AI Upscale and AI Vectorise consume credits. Credit packs are available from your account page.
1. AI Template Maker — Your Design Conversation
The headline feature. Instead of staring at a blank canvas, you have a short, friendly conversation about what you want — and a complete, editable design lands on your garment.
- Tap the ✦ sparkle icon in the designer toolbar
- Tell the AI what the design is for — e.g. "Mum's 60th birthday, she loves gardening and butterflies, warm and heartfelt"
- The AI asks one focused question at a time — who it's for, the style (illustrated or photo), whether you'd like to add a personal photo
- It then offers 4 text options tailored to your brief — pick one, ask for more, or write your own
- Next it offers 3 graphic suggestions drawn from the library — pick the one that fits, type your own search term, or skip the graphic
- The complete design appears on your canvas: text, graphic, colours, fonts, layout — all chosen to work together
- Every element is fully editable. Swap a font, move a layer, change a colour, replace the graphic. Nothing is locked.
When you open the AI Template Maker, you'll see one-tap starter prompts for upcoming gift occasions — Valentine's, Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, Pride, Halloween, Christmas. Tap any card to drop a tailored starter prompt into the chat. Never miss a gift moment.
2. AI Text Generator & Styler — Words That Fit the Vibe
Free, fast, and ridiculously useful. Two separate tools sharing one purpose: making your text look like it was crafted by a professional, not typed in.
AI Text Generator
Stuck for what to say? Describe the vibe and the AI will suggest 4–6 short headline options.
- Add a text element and tap ✦ Suggest
- Describe the mood — "birthday for my dad who loves fishing", "matching gym hoodies", "hen party for Emma"
- Pick a suggestion or hit refresh for a new batch — every option is short, punchy and print-friendly
AI Text Styler
Tap one button and your text gets a professional-grade style — font pairing, fill, stroke, shadow, gradient — all chosen to suit the word and the garment.
- Select your text element
- Tap ✦ Style with AI in the text panel
- Browse the auto-generated style options — each one is a complete design treatment, not just a font swap
- Tap to apply. Tweak any property afterwards if you want to make it your own.
Most people know what they like when they see it — they just can't build it from scratch. The AI Text Styler gives you a curated set of options to react to, so you get to choose the direction instead of guessing what looks good. Your taste shapes the design; the AI handles the execution.
3. AI Photo Generator — Custom Images on Demand
Need a graphic the library doesn't have? Describe it and the AI creates one for you, dropped straight onto your canvas.
- Open the AI tools panel and select AI Photo Generator
- Describe the image — e.g. "Fierce golden dragon on dark background, digital art style"
- Tap Generate — the image appears on your canvas
- Resize, reposition, clip to a shape, or apply a print effect (outline, drop shadow, wavy edge)
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.
Plus: AI Upscale, AI Vectorise, AI Background Removal
Three more AI helpers that quietly do the unglamorous work of making your design print-ready. Covered in Chapter 4 (Upscale & Vectorise) and Chapter 3 (Remove Background).
Snap-to-Alignment Guides — Perfect Alignment Automatically
Drag any element near another and red guide lines appear when the edges, centres, or tops/bottoms align. Release and the element snaps into perfect alignment. No measuring, no manual nudging — just drag.
What Snaps
- Left edges align with another element's left edge
- Right edges align with another element's right edge
- Horizontal centres line up perfectly
- Top edges align with another element's top
- Bottom edges align with another element's bottom
- Vertical centres line up perfectly
How It Works
- Start dragging any element on the canvas
- Move it near another element on the design
- Within 5 pixels of alignment, a thin red guide line appears across the full stage
- Release the drag — the element snaps to that exact alignment
- Both horizontal and vertical guides can appear at once for two-axis alignment
Snap guides work for text, images, shapes, clipart, flags, and groups — anything you can drag. Group selections snap by their unified bounding box, so multi-element drags align cleanly with the rest of the design.
Stack multiple text lines by aligning each one's horizontal centre with the previous one. The centre guides make perfectly stacked headlines and subtitles effortless — no manual measuring needed.
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.
Pixel-Perfect Print Boundary
Every visible pixel of every element is checked against the exact print silhouette of your product. If any visible part crosses the boundary — into the neckline, past a sleeve edge, or off the printable area — a red outline highlights the safe zone so you can move or scale back inside before ordering.
Real-Time Size Display
Actual print dimensions in centimetres update live as you resize any element.
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.
My photo is low resolution — can I make it print sharper?
Yes. Select the image, then tap Upscale in the AI Tools panel. The image is enhanced to 2x its original resolution using AI super-resolution — perfect for sharpening low-DPI photos. The DPI quality indicator updates immediately to show the new resolution.
Can I turn a photo or logo into editable vector art?
Yes. Select the image and tap Vectorise. The AI converts your raster image into a clean editable SVG. The SVG Colour Editor opens automatically so you can recolour each part, hide the background, or remove unwanted shapes.
How do I change the colours of an SVG or clipart?
Open any SVG, vectorised image, or library clipart in the SVG Colour Editor. Tap any part directly on the canvas to change its colour or delete it. Use the swatch panel to edit grouped colours or hide colour groups entirely with the None button. Every change can be undone.
How do I align elements precisely?
Snap-to-alignment guides appear automatically while you drag. When the dragged element's edge, centre, top, or bottom lines up with another element on the canvas, a red 1-pixel guide line appears and the element snaps into perfect alignment — no manual measuring needed.
How does the designer know when something is outside the printable area?
The designer uses pixel-perfect print boundary detection. It checks every visible (non-transparent) pixel of every element against the exact print silhouette of the product. If any visible part crosses the boundary — into the neckline, past a sleeve edge, or outside the printable area — a red outline appears so you can scale or move the element back inside before ordering.
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