Whether you just created your first logo or have been using the same one for years, you understand the importance of this symbol in communicating your brand identity in a memorable way. Your logo is the first thing people see when they interact with your organization, and you should be thoughtful about how you use it.
When creating merch for your organization, including your logo is essential. Selling merch with your logo is an easy way to raise funds and boost awareness for your cause. However, you might have questions: What size should your logo be? Where should your logo be placed? To help you out, we’ve put together this list of the top print locations for your logo apparel:
- Left Chest
- Above Pocket
- Center Chest
- Full Front
- Oversized Front
- Back Collar
- Full Back
- Upper Back
- Sleeves
- Branded Mugs
- Branded Tote Bags
Key Takeaways
- Use simple designs for small areas like the left chest, and save detailed artwork for the full front or back.
- Choose logo placements based on how the merch will be used—upper back prints can help identify event security, while sleeve logos work for everyday wear.
- Create a professional look by combining print locations, such as using a subtle front logo on the front of a shirt and a bold graphic on the back.
1. Left Chest
Overview
- Best for: Volunteer or event shirts and simple logos
- Size: 3 to 4 inches wide
- Position: On the left side of the chest, about 3 inches below the collar
The left chest logo location is a classic choice for volunteer or event shirts. The logo is placed off to the left side of the chest, is usually about 3 to 4inches wide, and sits about 3 inches below the collar.
Because the print area is smaller, this location works best for simple logos without a lot of detail. If you have a high-contrast logo that pops, placing it on the left chest of your merch works beautifully.
2. Above Pocket
Overview
- Best for: Playful branding on shirt pockets
- Size: 2 to 4 inches wide, ensuring the logo sits fully above the pocket
- Position: Directly above the pocket
If you’ve selected merch with a front pocket, consider placing your logo above it. This style is a playful take on the “left chest” option. If possible, make sure the entire logo sits above the pocket so you don’t have to worry about creases in the design caused by the pocket.
For smaller print locations like above the pocket, use logos that are easy to see and read, even when scaled down to 2 to 4 inches wide.
3. Center Chest
Overview
- Best for: Larger, eye-catching logos with more detail
- Size: 8 inches wide is ideal, but anything between 6 and 10 inches would work
- Position: The top, center portion of the chest
Placing your logo on the center chest of your tee is eye-catching and fun, especially if it has a little more detail. Placing your logo here almost always guarantees that it stays visible, even if someone is wearing a button-up shirt or a jacket over their tee.
Keep in mind that this placement typically only covers the top portion of the front, not the entire shirt. This style is usually around 8 inches wide, but 6 inches or 10 inches would work too.
4. Full Front
Overview
- Best for: Big, bold designs with lots of visual interest
- Size: Up to 11.5 by 14 inches
- Position: The full printable area on the front of the shirt
Full front means just that—your logo takes up the full printable space on the front of your shirt. This print location is excellent for logos with ample open space and distinctive visual details.
At Bonfire, the recommended maximum print size is 11.5-by-14 inches, and that’s a lot of playing space. Just think how incredible your logo will look when printed big and bold like that! However, consider your audience when deciding whether to print your logo at this scale. If your community would be excited to wear these shirts, then go for it!
Helpful tip: Watch the amount of solid ink coverage in your design. When you make your design larger, you could risk the logo looking overpowering or the shirt feeling crunchy where the logo is printed.
5. Oversized Front
Overview
- Best for: Stylized statement shirts or special cases where you want to break typical design guidelines
- Size: Anything larger than 11.5-by-14 inches
- Position: On the front of the shirt, extending past standard printing guidelines
An oversized front takes the full front to the next level. Printing anything “oversized” means printing it larger than the recommended printing size for a tee. In this case, that means printing your design larger than the 11.5-by-14-inch recommendation.
This type of printing is usually reserved for special cases since it goes beyond the guidelines, but it remains a popular option.
6. Back Collar
Overview
- Best for: Subtle branding, especially if you are showcasing a design without your logo on the front of the shirt
- Size: 2 to 3 inches wide
- Position: On the upper back, 1 to 2 inches below the collar
Printing your logo on the back collar means it is smaller and placed on the upper back of the shirt, which is great if you have a design that you’d love to showcase on the front of your shirt that doesn’t include your logo. Logos placed on the back collar are typically 2 to 3 inches wide and sit about 1 to 2 inches below the collar.
You can still make sure your community knows the organization behind the shirt by including your logo high up on the back. This also adds a nice touch because someone standing behind you in line might notice the logo and either strike up a conversation with you about it or even look up information about the organization on their own time.
7. Full Back
Overview
- Best for: Catching attention from behind—pairs well with a smaller front placement
- Size: Up to 11.5-by-14 inches
- Position: Takes up the full printable area on the back of the shirt
Full back printing opens up a ton of creative possibilities. Similar to full-chest placements, the logo can be up to 11.5 by 14 inches. This printing location rarely exists on its own and is usually paired with other printing locations. For example, a full back logo could be paired with a left chest print. Featuring a design on the front allows you to intrigue viewers from both sides.
8. Upper Back
Overview
- Best for: Identifying text or labels like “Event Staff” or “Volunteer”
- Size: Between back collar and full back print, or 6 to 10 inches across
- Position: Across the upper back
If you like the idea of placing your logo on the back of the tee, but want to go a little bigger than the back collar area, you have the option to print on what’s called the upper back section. Often, this area is used to print words like EVENT STAFF, VOLUNTEER, or SECURITY, but you can use it for anything you’d like. Your words or logo should be 6 to 10 inches across.
Again, this could be a great choice for when you’d like to feature something on the front, but still showcase your logo on the back.
9. Sleeves
Overview
- Best for: Adding an unexpected touch with a simple, highly legible logo
- Size: 3 to 4 inches
- Position: On either sleeve—if pairing with a left chest placement, place on the right sleeve for balance
Printing your logo on the sleeve of your tee is a surprise people may not expect at first, adding a little fun to your merch. Sleeve logos work best when the logo is simplified and remains legible on a smaller scale, similar to the guidelines for printing on the left chest area. Keep these designs to about 3 to 4 inches wide to achieve a balanced look.
Helpful tip: If you pair sleeve and left chest placements, we recommend printing your logo on the right sleeve to balance the design.
Can’t Decide on a Logo Placement?
Take this quick quiz to see which placement is ideal for your campaign!
Best Print Locations for Logos on Mugs and Tote Bags
Looking to expand your collection beyond just clothing items? We have tons of non-apparel items for you to check out. Here are a couple of our favorites, plus tips for adding your logo to them:
10. Branded Mug
Overview
- Best for: Classic, highly visible branding on coffee mugs
- Size: 1500 by 1500px artwork
- Position: Printed on one or both sides of the mug
Logos always look great on mugs! The printable area on the mug is pretty straightforward, and we recommend using artwork sized 1500 by 1500px. Transparent artwork also tends to work best.
Our mugs are printed on one or two sides and come in a variety of fun colors. We currently offer three styles of ceramic mugs, including an 11-ounce coffee mug, a 16-ounce coffee mug, and a two-tone mug.
11. Branded Tote Bags
Overview
- Best for: Gaining maximum exposure for your logo
- Size: Flexible and dependent on the size of the bag—you can cover the full surface or use a scaled-down design
- Position: Up to you!
Tote bags are an excellent choice because, while someone can’t wear the same t-shirt every day, they may carry the same tote bag every day. Just think of all the exposure your logo would get being carried all around town!
The printable area for tote bags takes up most of the front of the bag. There’s plenty of room to play with, and you can decide whether you’d like your logo to fill the whole space or be smaller, positioned toward the top or bottom.
There are so many options when it comes to deciding where to place your logo on your merch! Each option adds its own unique style and flair. Use the design tools offered on Bonfire to play around and see where your logo makes the most sense and looks the best.
There are so many options for where to place your logo on your merch, and each adds its own unique style and flair. You can use Bonfire’s intuitive design tools to play around and see where your logo looks best.
No matter what, make sure your logo is visible, legible, and aesthetically pleasing. Your logo is important to your organization, your supporters, and you because of what it represents—the hard work you do to promote good.
