Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about ordering, artwork, shipping, and getting the most out of Bolt Printing.
How Do I Upload Artwork to the Back of a Custom T-Shirt?
Want to add your company logo, event artwork, or custom design to the back of a T-shirt? Bolt Printing's online Design Studio makes it easy to upload artwork and position it on the back of your selected garment.
Whether you're designing custom shirts for a business, school, sports team, fundraiser, or special event, follow these step-by-step instructions to upload a back design, choose your print colors, and save your artwork.
Quick Answer
To upload artwork to the back of your custom T-shirt, open the Design Studio and select Back. Click My Art, choose Upload New Art File, and select your artwork. Choose your embellishment colors, click Upload, and position the design within the available printing area. Select Save Image, then choose Save 4 Later or Buy Now.
How Do I Upload a Design to the Back of My Custom T-Shirt?
Adding back artwork follows a process similar to uploading a design to the front of your shirt. The important difference is selecting the Back printing location before uploading your artwork.
Follow these eight steps to add your design to the back of your garment.
Step 1: Select the Back of Your Garment
Open Bolt Printing's Design Studio with your selected product.
Locate the available printing locations and click the button labeled Back.
This switches the product preview to the back of your garment so you can begin adding your artwork to that location.
Image 1: Click Back to select the rear printing location.
Helpful Tip: Make sure you've selected the correct printing location before uploading. If you're adding designs to both sides of your shirt, the front and back artwork should be placed in their respective design areas.
Step 2: Click the My Art Tab
Once the back of your shirt is displayed, locate the My Art tab in the Design Studio.
Click My Art to access the artwork upload tools.
This section allows you to upload your own company logo, illustration, event graphic, or other artwork instead of using the built-in text and clip art options.
Image 2: Select My Art to access the artwork upload options.
Step 3: Select Upload New Art File
Inside the My Art section, click Upload New Art File.
This opens the artwork upload window, where you'll select the design you want printed on the back of your custom T-shirt.
Image 3: Click Upload New Art File to begin selecting your design.
Step 4: Choose Your Artwork File
Click the Choose File button to open your computer's file browser.
Find the image, logo, or design you want to use and select it from your saved files.
Bolt Printing accepts several common artwork formats, including PNG, JPG, JPEG, PDF, AI, EPS, TIFF, GIF, and SVG.
Image 4: Click Choose File and locate the artwork saved on your device.
Helpful Tip: Use the highest-quality artwork file available. We recommend a minimum of 150 DPI at the intended printing size, with a maximum upload size of 5MB in the Design Studio.
Step 5: Select Your Embellishment Colors
After selecting your artwork file, choose the embellishment colors you want used for your design.
For screen printed T-shirts, these selections help identify the ink colors used to create your artwork.
Review the available choices and select the colors that best match your intended design.
Image 5: Select the embellishment colors for your back artwork.
The number of ink colors used in your design can affect screen printing costs. If you're unsure how your artwork should be prepared, our production artists can review it before printing.
Step 6: Click Upload
Once you've selected your artwork file and embellishment colors, click Upload.
The Design Studio will process your file and add your artwork to the back printing area.
Image 6: Click Upload to add your design to the back of your shirt.
Step 7: Position Your Back Design and Save Image
After uploading, your artwork will appear on the back of the selected garment.
You can adjust the size and position of the design within the available printing area.
Take a moment to check how the artwork looks on the back of your shirt. Make sure it's positioned and sized the way you want.
When you're happy with the placement, click Save Image.
Image 7: Adjust your back artwork placement and select Save Image.
Helpful Tip: If you're not sure about the size or placement of your back design, use Notes 4 Bolt to leave instructions for our production artists. They'll review your artwork and any special requests before production.
Step 8: Save Your Design or Continue to Checkout
Once you've positioned and saved your back artwork, you can choose how you'd like to proceed.
The Design Studio provides two options:
- Save 4 Later: Save your custom design so you can return to it another time. This is useful if you're still planning your order or need to share your artwork before purchasing.
- Buy Now: Continue with your order. A size breakdown menu will open, allowing you to enter the sizes and quantities you need before adding your customized product to your shopping cart.
Image 8: Select Save 4 Later or Buy Now to finish your design.
Can I Print Different Designs on the Front and Back?
Yes! When your selected product offers both front and back printing areas, you can customize each location with different artwork.
For example, you might place a small company logo on the front of your T-shirt and a larger business name, event graphic, or promotional message on the back.
Use the available front and back design areas to position each design separately.
Keep in mind that adding another print location can affect the price of your custom apparel order.
What If My Back Artwork Needs Adjustments?
Not sure whether your uploaded artwork is centered, sized correctly, or ready for printing? Our production artists review submitted designs before production.
If you want adjustments made to your back artwork, you can use Notes 4 Bolt in the Design Studio to request:
- Changes to artwork size or placement.
- Centering or alignment adjustments.
- Background removal.
- Artwork or color adjustments.
After placing your order, you'll receive an artwork proof to review before printing begins.
If something needs to be changed, request revisions before approving your proof.
Important: What You Approve Is What We Print! Always double-check your front and back artwork, spelling, colors, placement, and design dimensions before approving your proof. Changes cannot be made once your artwork has been approved for production.
What If My Artwork Won't Upload to the Back of My Shirt?
If you're having trouble uploading your artwork, check that your file meets Bolt Printing's Design Studio requirements.
Common issues include:
- File Size: Artwork exceeds the 5MB upload limit.
- Image Dimensions: Artwork exceeds 20 inches in width or height.
- Excessive Blank Space: Too much empty space surrounds the actual design.
- Filename Issues: The file has an excessively long name or unusual characters.
- File Location: The artwork isn't saved locally on a device where you can access it.
If you're receiving a 403 error while uploading, read our 403 Error Uploading Artwork guide for troubleshooting instructions.
For additional information about accepted file formats and artwork preparation, visit our Artwork and File Guidelines.
How Do I Upload Artwork to the Front of My Shirt?
If you need to add artwork to the front of your custom T-shirt instead, the upload process is similar. Select the front design area and use the My Art tools to upload and position your artwork.
For more information, follow our How to Upload a Design tutorial.
Still Have Questions? We're Here to Help.
Need help uploading a back design, adjusting artwork placement, or creating custom T-shirts with front and back printing? Our team is happy to help you get your artwork ready for production.
Phone: (888) 909-2658
Email: hello@boltprinting.com
For questions about an existing order, please include your order number.
Still have questions?
Our support team responds within a few hours during business days. We're happy to help with quotes, custom jobs, or artwork questions.
Or call 888-909-2658, Mon–Fri 9 am – 6 pm ET.