Class T-shirt design ideas for your school or CCA

What your class should decide first

• What should lead: a class name, a year, a symbol or the CCA.
• Which side: front, back, or a small mark on one with the main design on the other.
• Colours: shirt and ink chosen as a pair.
• Details: identical shirts, or a request for names or numbers.
• Approval: who at school signs the design off.

Six layouts to discuss

1. A small front mark with a larger back motif

The front stays tidy enough to wear again, and the back carries the design people see in a group photo. Keep the motif below the collar and above the hem, in the same colours as the front.

2. A simple class wordmark

Just the class name in one bold typeface. Choose letters that read from a few metres away, avoid thin script at chest size, and check the spelling and capitals with the whole class.

3. Class year typography on a dark shirt

The year does the work: large numerals read from across a hall. The drawing also shows contrast: light ink on a dark shirt reads better than two similar tones such as grey on navy.

4. Approved names and numbers on the back

Treat individual names or numbers as a request, not a standard feature: tick the option on the quote form, and we confirm what is possible on your garment and method, and the effect on the quote. Check every spelling, and that your school agrees to students' names being printed.

5. One shared symbol, used twice

One shape the class chooses together, large on the front and small on the back. Bold shapes stay recognisable when shrunk; fine lines and tiny text do not. Draw your own rather than borrowing a character or another organisation's logo.

6. A CCA or event identity

For a CCA, camp or sports day, the group or event can lead, with a band of colour to make the back stand out. If the shirt is for sport, compare fabrics in cotton or dri-fit for class tees before choosing colours.

Contrast, size and placement

• Contrast. Choose inks that stand apart from the shirt, and judge colour references against the actual blank.
• Size. Check the design at printed size; thin lines and small text in a chest mark can blur.
• Placement. Keep artwork clear of the collar, seams and hem. Our class T-shirt printing page lists the quote form's print position sizes.
• Colours. For methods such as silkscreen, more colours can affect the quote.

Get the design approved at school

Each school sets its own rules for class T-shirts. As one published example, Damai Secondary School's 2026 student handbook (PDF) requires permission for class T-shirt designs and limits when they may be worn. Your school may differ, so ask your teacher in charge what needs approval, including any school name, crest or logo, before you confirm artwork. Our print file check is not permission to use a logo.

When your class has chosen

Plan the order on our class T-shirt printing page, prepare files with the artwork checklist and collect sizes against the size charts. Then send the layout, artwork, garment and sizes on the quote form or WhatsApp.