As we all know, t-shirts are a necessary piece of apparel when it comes to not getting kicked out of the local gas station. As a fashion-conscious consumer, you could buy a SpongeBob graphic t-shirt from Walmart and look like a million other generic schmucks, or you could buy something cool that nobody else owns. What would you say if I told you there’s a web site that sells a ton of unique shirts created by independent artists? Actually there’s a bunch of them, but my favorite shirt site is TeePublic. Read below for a TeePublic review showing my experiences with their shirts.
How Good Is The Print On A TeePublic Shirt?
I’ve been designing shirts using TeePublic for nearly a year and I’m happy to report that TeePublic shirts are pretty great. TeePublic uses “direct to garment” printing, which is basically a large, high-quality InkJet printer that prints on fabric. Direct to garment allows for a ton of different colors in one image as opposed to traditional screen printing, which is typically limited to four colors. This means artists can design very colorful, complex images without having to worry as much about color choices. Here’s a pic of one of the shirts I got from TeePublic:
The color is slightly off from my original design, although that’s my fault since the original was made for web and not print. These days I design with print in mind/color correct, so the shirts look pretty much exactly how I want them to. The only negative is the ink is a bit thinner than a screen printed shirt, but so far it’s held up well.
How Well Do TeePublic Shirts Fit?
The shirts I own fit perfectly. I like shirts that fit a little on the tight side because I’m in good shape and like to show off the guns. Unlike many American shirts, there isn’t a bunch of loose fabric to hide a beer gut, which I like. Behold:The length of the shirt and the sleeves is pretty much perfect. The black in the shirt itself has stayed vibrant after 30+ washings. Thumbs up! Also the material itself is noticeably softer than the average t-shirt.
Update: Photos Of My TeePublic Shirt – Two Years Later
I originally published this article in October of 2015. It’s now late September of 2017. How has my TeePublic shirt held up? Not bad at all. I mostly use this particular shirt in the gym, and it’s been worn at least once every two weeks for two years. The ink is definitely worn, but it’s not bad at all. Check out this detail photo of my two-year-old TeePublic shirt:
Conclusion
TeePublic is a great service from both an artist and a consumer standpoint.
- TeePublic has a unique selection of shirts from independent artists that you can’t find anywhere else.
- TeePublic shirts fit well.
- The print is a good quality with a lot of potential color options.
- As far as I know, all of TeePublic’s designs are created by independent artists. When you buy a shirt, you’re directly supporting the artist.
- Customer service is great. TeePublic staff is available by phone, picks up after the first few rings, and are informed and helpful.
All in all, I’d highly recommend TeePublic both to artists and consumers alike. Sign up here if you’re an artist and want to sell your work, or click here to check out my designs.
Want a custom shirt design? Hire me to make one!
Read next: Mischief Software Review
Hi Matt. Thank you for the article. I started selling Healthy t-shirts at a site called Red Bubble. I saw you are selling your shirts on Red Bubble. Do you think Tee Public is better than Red Bubble? I would like to sell more Healthy t-shirts.
Thank you,
Joshua
Yes and no. Redbubble sells more products than TeePublic, (stickers, phone cases, pillows, etc). You’ll probably get a larger sale volume on RedBubble than on TeePublic. However, Teepublic generally has higher profit margins, better customer service and a slightly higher quality of product when it comes to shirts. TeePublic aslo skews towards a “geeky” crowd, so nerdy/geeky stuff sells better than other topics.
That being said, it won’t hurt you to put your products in both spots.
I’ll be putting out a book on my sales methods in the near future that outlines the most profitable and easiest to use print-on-demand shirt sites.
We just received our first test-run shirt from Tee Public.
We ordered an XL. It’s marked “XL” on the (apparently TP-printed) label. but measures more like a Medium (24″ width on the Size Chart, less than 20″ on the actual shirt.
The label says it’s a cotton/poly fabric (and it’s of obvious second-rate quality). The garment description on the website describes a 100% cotton fabric.
Grainy print of artwork (almost like a spattering printer), and slightly off-center, with weak saturation in the colors (especially compared to the same art file printed by other sources).
Plus, the garment literally STINKS out of the package.
Given other recommendations of Tee Public I’ve seen, perhaps this is a rare exception. But even so …. GEEZ!
Got any pics?
I find it difficult to believe that that many mistakes could happen on one single product. I worked at a print shop who utilized one DTG printer. These shirts, at least at our shop, must be set up by hand, so there is quality control. I would also be interested in seeing a picture from Will of his shirt.
How about simply getting my order? It is getting to the point that I want to cancel the order completely. Every time I see a TeePublic “shipping confirmation” email, which happens daily for some reason, I use to laugh and now I just get heartburn.
Also, how come the cite doesn’t warn customers about the Tees running small. I only learned of this from other posts and reviews about TeePublic. So now I have to wait for one shirt, that was lost, and a reshipment of that order that still can’t be tracked and the shirt most likely will be too small when it actually gets here. So frustrated, beyond belief!
I would send pictures but I have nothing to send pictures of!! …Really I just want a refund.
Yall too dumb to call customer service and ask for a refund
Just pick up the phone lol
Really just call for a refund wow you’re so smart! I never thought of that! Your comment was just so helpful…. and calling anyone a dummy…just wonderful!
When you’re interested in finding out that I actually already called for a refund and customer service assured me that they were going to send it 3 day, and refunded my shipping, you can reply back to me and I’ll give you more details. And Of Course I’m calling for a refund if its not here by Tuesday. I still have every right same as you to post the troubles that I’ve been experiencing thus far.
Needless to say, I believe it’s beyond calling customer service at this point, it’s a phone call to the Better Business Bureau.
Thanks so much for your comment about being dumb and calling customer service. Again that was so truly helpful…. being rude must really get you places! Troll Much?
U butt hurt as hell over a t shirt
bet u so dumb u didnt even tell em the right address lol
As a follow up: I finally received the TP shirt I ordered on Nov23. Despite the shipping/tracking/run around, the shirt was of good quality. The print was nicely done. Good color saturation and appearance for being on a black shirt, too. Yes, the size does run a bit small. Thankfully, I accounted for that and although it might be a bit more snug than I had hoped, I have no doubt, after seeing it, that it will still fit the person I bought it for.
Thank Goodness it arrived in time to gift give for the Holiday.
Good to hear. Did you happen to take a pic? Did they refund your shipping charges as promised?
Hey Matt,
What size of shirt did you order? I ordered a couple of shirts for my boyfriend who is similar build to you. After reading some of the reviews, I’m worried I may have ordered too small.
Thank-you 🙂
I ordered a small and it fits pretty well. If you ordered the typical size he wears you’re probably good to go as long as he likes form-fitting clothing. If he wears baggy shirts you might want to go a size higher.
You mind spilling your weight and height?
5’9 and I usually float somewhere around 175 lbs or so
I have recently had a negative experience with teepublic. The quality of tee shirt material has gone down. I have shirts I bought a couple months ago, same style, same size that were better quality. The 2 I just purchased are definitely “seconds”. Really thin and not proportioned correctly. They are 2 completely different sizes and styles and both are not right. I have been offered replacements. Once those arrive, I will know whether or not I will ever order from tee public again.
When did you get these? I have 4 TeePublic shirts now and they’re all the same material/quality, but the newest one was purchased around 2 months ago. Post a follow up when you get the replacements.
Hi Matt,
I’ve recently bought a few small sized teepublic shirts and they seem to be a bit too tight. I find this weird since you have a bigger build than me and the small sized shirt you ordered fits you perfectly. I was wondering if the shirt fit you perfectly the first time you wore it or did it take time to fit?
I washed it before I wore it, but I usually throw a shirt on beforehand to see if it fits. It shrank a little bit after drying, but it pretty much fit/fits just fine right out of the box.
Yeah, when I wear mine, it feels uncomfortable under the arm pits and slightly tight in the chest. Do you have tips for solving these issues?
Not sure on that one dude, I don’t like shirts that are loose in the arms/chest. I’d say either bulk up so you can show off the guns or else buy a size higher
I have one last question. Did you put your shirt in the dryer or did you air dry it?
Dryer
I bought a t-shirt from teepublic in august 2016. I bought to to wear for my grandsons baymax birthday party. The t-shirt i ordered was. Would you like a hug? Baymax budda shirt. I even payed an extra 20 dollars to get it within 3 days before i left to go to florida. So the shirt cost me 40.00. I have never bought such piece of cramp t-shirt on line. I agree with will barger how he felt about his shirt.i will never buy from you guys again. And i have made alot of post to friends, family and others NOT TO BUY ANYTHING FROM YOUR SIGHT!!!! Matt you take no ownership for your shirts. Also from other peoples reviews as well. I think it’s a great ideal to report you too the BBB! From the pfriems.
Holy shit this is so funny/stupid that I had to let the comment go through. Let’s dissect it, shall we?
I bought a t-shirt from teepublic in august 2016. I bought to to wear for my grandsons baymax birthday party. The t-shirt i ordered was.
Half a sentence
Would you like a hug?
No
Baymax budda shirt.
What the hell is ‘baymax’?
I even payed an extra 20 dollars to get it within 3 days before i left to go to florida.
It’s spelled “paid”. Also you’re an idiot for doubling your cost for rush shipping
So the shirt cost me 40.00.
You’re an idiot
I have never bought such piece of cramp t-shirt on line.
It’s spelled “crap”. “Online” is one word. Also what’s wrong with the shirt? Readers want to hear specifics, not half-illiterate rambling.
I agree with will barger how he felt about his shirt.i will never buy from you guys again. And i have made alot of post to friends, family and others NOT TO BUY ANYTHING FROM YOUR SIGHT!!!!
Capitalize “I”. “A lot” is two words. You won’t buy anything from my sight? Like if I’m looking at it, you won’t buy it? That sucks, I look at a lot of things.
Matt you take no ownership for your shirts.
I don’t own Teepublic, dipshit. I’m an artist who sells my designs on Teepublic and therefore have zero control over quality, shipping, etc. Why not complain to the company and get your money back or another shirt instead of shitting up my comments section? They’ll do something about your problem whereas I will just make fun of your god awful grammar and general idiocy.
Also from other peoples reviews as well. I think it’s a great ideal to report you too the BBB! From the pfriems.
“Idea”, not “ideal”. “To” and not “too”.
I got a shirt from tee public and I thought it was very nice 🙂
I got my perfect long-sleeve yuyu hakusho graphic tee in the mail today and I’m satisfied with the look, but I have a couple questions Matt before I wash this shirt. This is from the tee public FAQ part of the website which is pretty similar to the FIRST TIME WASHING INSTRUCTIONS I got that came with the shirt:
Turn garment inside out. Use cold water only. Use laundry detergent without bleach. Dry in dryer under normal settings. Expect about 5-7% (about a half a shirt size) shrinkage after normal wash for our cotton shirts. Wash cold, dry low. Wash colors separately from whites, especially on the first wash. Over time, you may experience slight fading on the graphic as your shirt naturally weathers with numerous washings.
I understand the instructions that were given but after washing this tee using the following the instructions, will it handle a warm wash and not destroy the image on the tee? Will it also handle a higher setting on the dryer along with other tees? Do I have to cold wash every time and if so do I have to hand wash it? Lastly, do i have to turn the garment inside out most of the time and does this method just protect the picture on the shirt?
Hope you respond before I wash this shirt!
I always wash stuff with cold water with low heat on the dryer. I also try to always flip shirts inside out. As far as I know these things minimize clothing shrinkage and maximize the life of the shirt’s print as well as the color of the fabric itself. That being said, I’m no laundry master and literally just do what my mom taught me as a kid. There’s probably a better way out there.
I’ll post some follow up pics of the shirt since this article is about a year old. I’m happy to report I wear the shirt about once per week or two and the print has managed to hold up pretty well.
Just received my teepublic shirt, the material is nice quality (opted for the tri-blend, women’s small) and the white ink turned out great on dark grey – clear but not OBNOXIOUS BLAZING WHITE. I’m 5’4″ and wear a extra/small everywhere, and it looks like it’ll fit but be on the snug side. My only comment for others wondering about fit is that I chose the tri-blend because from the site’s photos it looked like it had more of a classic straight-up-and-down “T” shape than the regular women’s T-shirt, which almost appears to have cap-sleeves. In real life its the “fitted” shape of the regular cotton tee – sides swoop in a little and sleeves are made for women who do NOT work delts. I’m fairly boy-shaped and hate stuff thats tight in the shoulders and wide in the hips but I think other women might prefer that. I also thought the “extra soft” meant that slightly thinner, worn-in / vintage feel fabric, but its more of a dense stretchy cotton. So when I order again I’ll adjust my expectations and maybe give the other fits a shot, sounds like even a small mens might work.
Thanks for the input on women’s shirts!
Had a terrible experience with this company ordered several shirts and ended up being taxed loads after it arrived from the post office. They claim this is quite clear on their website, but I’ve ordered from variuos countries before and this DID NOT HAPPEN.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
Sounds like you should move to a country that doesn’t levy shitty taxes on random goods
Hi Matt, how you doing?
I bought tees from Teepublic, Redbubble and DesignByHumans. Teepublic tees were a bit smaller than I expected but the fabric and the print quality was the best of the three (which is very good). DBH fabric is pretty good too, the size was about what I expected but the print was not as good as Teepublic’s and the colour faded a little after a few washes. Finally Redbubble tee is the worst of the three. Fabric and print quality is pretty low and everytime I wash it the printed area of the fabric sticks together like there is glue on it. Also it was larger that I expected but from the bright side it is the cheaper of the three.
What I wanted to ask is, have you bought any art prints? I want to buy some and I’m trying to find out if the tee print quality applies to art prints too.
Thanks a lot for your helpful info and sorry for my broken English.
Awesome, that’s good info! Much appreciated. I don’t have any experience with DesignByHumans, so it’s good to hear what they’re about. I have a RedBubble shirt and I thought it was fairly similar to TeePublic, although a slightly lower quality. Seems like from what everybody is saying that quality seems to vary, although all my experience with TeePublic has been positive.
I haven’t bought any art prints, mostly because there’s a print shop in my area that handles that sort of thing. I have a good relationship with them and they sell me high quality posters for much cheaper than anything I can get online. If you buy one, take a couple of pics and post them up here so we’ll know what kind of quality they have.
This is obviously a paid advertisement. Here’s my experience….
I ordered a shirt for a birthday present – outside of the 14 days max delivery time mentioned on the website.
Almost one month later I am still waiting.
The worst part is I bought this issue up with them on the 12th day as my package tracking was stuck in a random country for weeks.
Their response? Just wait the 14 days.
After the 14 days – still not arrived. Oh seems its lost. Not our fault though its the package company (err well use a better one – and take responsibility for this poor service you’ve chosen).
We’ll resend it.
Well my response: I already have missed the birthday and had to buy an alternate present. You didn’t offer me any other options such as expedited shipping for free or my money back. And there has been no confirmation that you have actually even re shipped it or taken the issue up with the mail company.
I don’t recommend this company and won’t be buying again. BUYER BEWARE.
(meanwhile I ordered running shoes 2 days ago that are here already.)
EDIT:
This company despite all its emails has still not reshipped this item bought a month ago now. They have absolutely no idea what they are doing and if I could give them 0 stars I definitely would.
TERRIBLE SERVICE with absolutely no regard for the customer and unable to communicate with each other (or have any idea what’s going on)
Several things:
– Not a paid advertisement, see below where I talk some shit
– You neglected to mention that you’re from Australia, which is relevant. The one time I tried to get Teepublic to ship something overseas (Switzerland), the package never arrived to the intended recipient. I called up and they basically said “I dunno, call the people we ship through”. I would conclude that buying anywhere outside of the US or maybe Canada is a bad idea
– Ordering running shoes and saying they shipped two days ago and are already there is completely irrelevant since you’re dealing with a different company
We ordered several shirts. My husband ordered up, he is 7′, and the 3xl fits him comfortably and loosely, which he prefers.
They are soft, and nicely printed.
The kids sizes look weird. The arms are longer and the body boxy. Not so soft. I haven’t tried them on the girls, as getting toddlers dressed is what I imagine trying to dress up an octopus is like. I’m sure they’ll look fine (the toddlers), I can roll their sleeves if I need to do so. There is a flaw in the printing, but they claim it is in the design to have no ink in that location. It looks like a mistake, so I chalk that up as a design flaw. Though the printing in general looked sticky and cheap. But hey, they’ll outgrow it quickly, and it will still be cute in pictures. The area is very small so not a huge concern.
I am 5′ 3″ and petite. I ordered women’s mediums and followed their website’s sizing guide. Since they show women and their measurements, and the measurements for the shirts, I felt confident that a M would be perfect. When the 3 shirts Inordered for myself arrivedI they were all fine in the shoulders, except the chest and midsection area was too tight and fit more as an XS, on each shirt. When I measured them, they were indeed the measurements of an XS. It took several days, my thretening to dispute the charges with my bank, and with the BBB to get offered free exchanges. This was after one of their service reps tried to argue with me about how the sizes were actually correct, even after I sent the requested pictures with a measuring tape laid across. One design was off center, two others had flaws in the printing. On One of those later designs the ink felt very heavy and thick, vs the other two which felt much softer and more comfortable for wearing across ones chest. So, Minor printing flaws, and major sizing issues- but still, they were not “cheap,” and you should receive the purchased product in the expected condition, which is “as shown.” I am hopeful the replacements will be beautiful, and that this was a one time chance of poor quality control.
Wait… He’s 7 feet tall and you’re 5’3?
I ordered a shirt through TeePublic and they sent the wrong design. I contacted them and asked them to send the correct t-shirt. They were nice and they responded quickly…..but they sent the same wrong design as before. I cancelled my order.
What was the ultimate resolution there? Did they have you send the shirt back? Let you keep it? Was the refund prompt? I’d be curious to hear what happened.