As a general rule, we don’t scale designs based on garment size. Your design will typically print at the same dimensions across all sizes of the product. However, there are some exceptions where designs are automatically downscaled for smaller sizes.
For example, DTG products with the new standard 15″×18″ front print area will have the design downscaled to fit an 11.5″×13.8″ area on smaller garment sizes. This ensures that the entire design fits without cropping, maintaining its proportions.
Some other DTG and DTFlex products also use downscaling for smaller sizes. You can find these details on the File guidelines tab of each product page. If smaller sizes list a reduced "Max print area," it means your design will be proportionally downscaled for those sizes.
How downscaling works
Your design will be resized based on the ratio between the maximum and the smaller print areas. Let’s say your design is 10″ wide and is created for a product with the 15″×18″ print area. For Bella + Canvas 3001, this print area is available for L sizes and up. On smaller sizes like M, S, and XS, which have a reduced print area of 11.5″×13.8″, the width of the design will be adjusted proportionally:
- 10″ × (11.5″ / 15″) ≈ 7.7″
This means your 10″ wide design would be printed approximately 7.7″ wide on smaller sizes. The same logic applies to the height, ensuring the design maintains its original proportions.
What if I want to increase my design size for the smaller sizes?
Even if your design fits within the smaller print area, it will still be downscaled where applicable. However, you can manually adjust the print files for the smaller sizes to counter this downscaling effect. To do this:
- Check which sizes are downscaled by visiting the File guidelines tab on the product page.
- Locate the product in your Dashboard, click Edit, select the variants with the smaller print area, and click Change print files.
- Upload a version of your design that’s been resized to counter the automatic downscaling. For example, if you want a 10″ wide print across all sizes, you’ll need to enlarge the file for smaller sizes. Using the earlier ratio: (10″ / 11.5″) × 15″ ≈ 13″. So, upload a version that’s 13″ wide for the smaller variants.
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