How to Brand Your T-Shirts & Apparel for Your Small Business

Branding your t-shirts can take them to the next level! Not only do they look more professional, but it also helps customers remember where they bought their new favorite shirt. A lot of blanks (specifically Gildan and Port & Company) have tear-away tags so you can add your own label & make the shirt 100% YOUR brand. Be sure to leave the materials tag on though!

I am going to walk you through step by step how I create my tags on Canva and how to upload your artwork to Transfer Express to get your very own custom screen print transfers!

Step 1:

Create your design on Canva. I started out with a 14”x11.5” custom-sized sheet. I then made my tags with my company name and the sizes below (note: I made more mediums and larges since those are the most popular sizes!). After I designed my tags, I positioned them on my sheet to get the most out of the space I had. I then saved my design as a transparent PNG.

Step 2:

Next, you are going to create an account at Transfer Express. Once you are logged in, go to the home screen → products → Screen printed transfers and scroll down till you see Goof Proof Screen Printed Transfers.

Step 3:

Click on the goof proof transfers and go down to the button that says “start designing in easy view”.

*make sure to take note of the artwork guidelines! 

Step 4:

Upload the PNG file that you designed on Canva and make sure the background is completely transparent! What we are designing is considered a “gang sheet” since there are multiple pieces of artwork on one sheet. For these tags, I ordered them in white, but I also went back & ordered them in black as well! 

Step 5:

Submit your design and sit back and relax! Transfer Express is very speedy when it comes to shipping and I usually receive the transfers in just a few days. Here is the price break down of my order. I was able to fit 40 tags on one sheet and I ordered 18 sheets. In total, I got 720 tags and payed $115.08 (including shipping). This breaks down to about 15 cents per tag!

Step 6:

Once you get the transfers, cut them apart and sort them by size. 

Step 7:

Iron on your transfer! I use the Cricut Mini Press at the highest heat setting and use as much pressure as a can. Run the iron over the full design for about six seconds. Pull back the paper to reveal your new branded shirt!