T-shirt mockups are a game-changer for fashion businesses that don’t have access to resources – such as models or a studio – or print-on-demand services. They give a realistic preview of a brand’s designs without needing actual samples or a fancy photoshoot.
In this article, we take a look at nine amazing T-shirt mockup sites to help businesses save time and streamline their clothing lines.
Table of Contents
What are T-shirt mockups, and why they’re important
9 best sites to generate T-shirt mockups
Conclusion
What are T-shirt mockups, and why they’re important
T-shirt mockups are like a blank canvas upon which businesses can bring their design ideas – whether via graphics, text, or branding – to life. They allow brands to see their design virtually and give their customers the ability to picture products in real scenarios.
In general, there are two T-shirt mockup types:
- Online mockup generators: These are easy-to-use sites where businesses upload their designs, tweak them, and then showcase them on their online store – no design skills required!
- Downloadable mockup files: These usually come in PSD format (Photoshop), which gives retailers more control but requires some knowledge of Photoshop and basic apparel design
T-shirt mockups are a great way to see exactly how a shirt’s design will look before it is brought to life. Mockups help designers fine-tune the artwork’s size, placement, and color blending. It’s a chance to make tweaks early on and avoid costly mistakes later.
From a marketing perspective, mockups let marketers showcase their products in a polished, professional way. They help potential customers picture the shirt, increasing the chances of making a sale. Good mockups make designs look more real and appealing and can be used for ads, social media, or store product pages.
9 best sites to generate T-shirt mockups
1. Printful
Printful offers more than print-on-demand services; it also comes with free resources and tools for T-shirt mockups. Fashion businesses don’t need fancy software to use their templates, which feature mockups for everything from T-shirts to hoodies to even onesies!
Key features
- The templates include models wearing the products, so your designs look real and ready to wear
- They also have transparent backgrounds, making inserting mockups into any setting or branded material easy
- These T-shirt mockups can be created completely for free
2. Gelato
Gelato combines dropshipping and print-on-demand services to create a mockup app that integrates seamlessly with Shopify stores. One of its standout features is its mockup editor and generator, which makes it easy to fine-tune and customize designs. Businesses can even upload multiple versions of one design for more variety.
Key features
- Gelato gives fashion retailers access to over 360 million visual assets, including vectors and stock photos, to help their designs pop
- They support shipping to up to nine countries, which helps to reduce shipping times
3. Custom ink
Custom Ink’s T-shirt mockup generator is a fantastic, free tool that lets businesses visualize their designs on various shirts, including tank tops, raglans, and more. Though it has fewer color options than some stores, this also makes using the software simpler and less overwhelming.
Key features
- The generator comes with many free graphics businesses can use in their designs
- Once the mockup is ready, brands can turn it into a real product from their online platform
4. Styria Shirts
Styria Shirts is another great option for businesses, especially those in the EU, offering a full-service experience for all your mockup needs. After designing your product, let Styria handle the printing, embroidering, packing, and shipping.
Styria’s mockup generator allows businesses to easily customize everything from colors and designs to labels and branding. And it’s not just T-shirts – they can design hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops, mugs, and tote bags, too!
Key features
- Available exclusively to EU-based businesses
- Over 200 ready-made products for businesses to customize
5. Shirtee.Cloud
With over 50 products and 4,000 variations, Shirtee.Cloud offers numerous design options. They handle everything from white-label shipping to warehousing and returns, making T-shirt design extremely convenient. In addition, businesses can either customize their designs or upload pre-existing creations.
Key features
- Designed specifically for EU-based businesses
- Businesses can list their products on the Shirtee.Cloud marketplace, helping them reach even more customers
6. Printify
With Printify, designing custom T-shirts is easy. Their drag-and-drop feature lets businesses create super-realistic mockups quickly. Also, if you want to see your design in different colors or sizes, you can switch things up instantly and preview exactly how it’ll look in a variety of situations.
Key features
- Quickly toggle between sizes and colors
- Customize both the front and back of the T-shirt designs
- Choice of many product designs (like T-shirts, hoodies, or tank tops)
7. Shirt King
Shirt King is perfect for businesses that want to upload their existing T-shirt designs, or fresh designs can be made using the software’s mockup generator. Shirt King then handles production and order fulfillment, integrating smoothly with Shopify stores and syncing orders automatically.
Key features
- Only available to businesses within the EU
- Offers automated order synchronization for hassle-free management
- Free mockup generator for easy T-shirt design
8. Smartmockups
Smartmockups offers many free T-shirt mockups (over 1,500), making it easy to bring designs to life. Businesses only have to upload their design, pick a color, and save the mockup. For retailers wanting to expand beyond T-shirts, Smartmockups also has designs for mugs, phone cases, and other items.
Key features
- Businesses can see their mockups from every angle (front view, top view, hanging, or folded) so they and their customers can see exactly how the shirt looks
- Get premium mockup files to display in any online store
- And best of all, businesses can design free T-shirt mockups
9. Placeit
Placeit, compared to the other stores on this list, offers something a little different. While it’s an extremely popular T-shirt mockup generator, the brand also goes beyond photos, allowing businesses to create video mockups. With tons of T-shirt templates, simply choose a style on your preferred design without needing to touch any complicated image editing software – perfect for those who maybe lack more finessed design skills.
Key features
- A wide variety of apparel styles
- Incredibly easy to use, even for beginners
- The video mockups show the designs in motion, giving users a real-world feel for how they look on actual people
As a bonus, make sure to make the most of these websites where you can download T-shirt templates and stock mockup files:
3. Freepik
4. Pixelden
5. Go Media
6. Behance
7. Pixelbuddha
Conclusion
Choosing the right T-shirt mockup is like picking the perfect frame for a piece of art – it can turn a good design into something truly eye-catching.
To ensure your mockups do your designs justice, you’ll need to keep a few key things in mind: style, color, fit, angle, quality, and realism. You’ll also need to ensure that the styles match your target audience, the colors complement the design, and the angle shows off the shirt in the best light.
Finally, high-resolution, realistic mockups with natural creases can make designs pop and feel more authentic. It’s all about bringing the vision to life in a way that resonates with the audience.
