Most people order a custom tee once, get something slightly off — wrong size, print that cracks after four washes, a colour that looked different on screen — and quietly decide custom printing isn’t worth it.
Usually it isn’t the idea that failed. It’s that nobody told them what to check first.
PrintMyVibe is a custom print studio in North York, Toronto. We create original graphic designs and press them by hand onto tees, tops, totes and mugs. Here’s what we’d tell a friend before they ordered — from us or from anyone else.
1. Fabric weight matters more than you think
A cheap tee feels thin in the hand and looks thinner after a wash. A heavier cotton holds its shape, sits better on the shoulders and doesn’t go transparent in daylight.
We use Gildan 5000 heavy cotton for our unisex tees for exactly this reason. It’s a workhorse — not the fanciest blank on the market, but consistent, durable and it takes a print beautifully.
What to check anywhere you order: ask what blank they use. If they can’t tell you, that’s your answer.
2. “True to size” isn’t universal
This is the single most common reason people are disappointed with an online order.
Our unisex tees run true to size, S–3XL. Order your normal size and you’ll get what you expect. If you want an oversized look, go up one.
Our women’s fitted tops are a different story — 95% cotton with 5% elastane, cut close, and they run small. Size up. S–XXL.
What to check anywhere you order: find the actual sizing note, not just the size chart. “Fits true” and “runs small” are the two words that decide whether you’re happy.
3. The design should be original, not recycled
There’s a whole industry of print shops selling the same clipart graphics with a different shop name on the label. You’ve seen the designs — they’re on a thousand listings.
Everything in our collection is designed by our studio. When you wear one, you’re not going to run into three other people wearing it at the same market.
What to check anywhere you order: reverse image search the design. If it comes back on twenty sites, it’s stock.
4. How it’s pressed decides how long it lasts
A print that’s applied at the wrong temperature, or with the wrong pressure, or for the wrong duration, will look fine on day one and start cracking at the edges by wash five.
Every one of our tees is heat-pressed by hand in our North York studio, one at a time, at settings dialled in for that specific garment. Then a person looks at it before it goes in the box.
That’s the part you can’t see in a product photo, and it’s the part that decides whether you still like the shirt next year.
What to check anywhere you order: ask whether items are pressed to order or pulled from a bulk run. Made-to-order almost always means someone actually looked at it.
5. Colour on screen isn’t colour on cotton
Your monitor is backlit. Cotton isn’t. Every screen is calibrated slightly differently, and every fabric absorbs ink slightly differently.
Expect a small variation between what you see and what arrives. It should be small — a good studio gets close. But nobody gets an exact match, and anyone promising one is overselling.
What to check anywhere you order: look for real photos of the finished product, not just flat mockups. Mockups always look perfect. Real photos tell you the truth.
6. Washing it right buys you years
Nothing complicated:
- Turn it inside out before washing
- Cold or gentle cycle
- No bleach, no harsh detergent
- Tumble low or hang dry
- If you iron, do it inside out — never directly on the print
Do that and a well-pressed tee holds its print for years. Skip it and even a great print won’t survive a hot wash with bleach.
7. Made-to-order means production time is real
This one catches people out. If a shop presses each item individually, there’s production time before shipping time — it isn’t sitting in a warehouse waiting.
That’s a good thing for quality. It just means you order earlier for anything time-sensitive.
We offer local GTA delivery or Canada-wide shipping. Timing varies by area, so if it’s a gift with a date attached, build in a buffer.
Viby’s note 🐾
We’d rather you ordered the right size the first time than went through a return. If you’re between sizes or not sure about fit, just ask us — a real person reads every message.
Quick questions before you order
Have a look
Now you know what to check. Browse the collection and see how it stacks up.