Design Your Dream: The Best T-Shirt Design Apps of 2024

Blog banner image of The Best T-Shirt Design Apps of 2024

What are the best T-shirt design apps? Well, there are plenty of apps available for designing T-shirts. But not all of them are free and easy. Today I will write about 6 apps that are most famous for T-shirt design.

If you’re looking to get your message out there, create custom T-shirts, or just show off your personality, personalized T-shirts are a great way to do it. You can make them for yourself or as promotional business merch, but you’ll need some powerful software to create the right designs.

To make your clothes stand out from the crowd check out t-shirt design apps. They’re great for both beginners and pros, as they come with a ton of tools to help you create unique designs. 

Let’s learn about the 6 best T-shirt design apps of 2023 from below.

T-shirt design is becoming more and more popular, and there are lots of platforms out there that can help you come up with something that people will actually want to buy. Plus, some of these tools even work with your sales portal, so you can get even more out of it. Have a look at 6 T-shirt design apps that are best for android and desktop.

Best for professionals: Adobe Illustrator

logo of adobe illustrator

Key Features:

  1. Numerous fonts, effects, and images
  2. Diverse tools for creating designs
  3. The bonus advantage of it is compatible with making designs for various printing techniques.
  4. Seamless integration with other apps and services
  5. Compatible with any device and any OS

Verdict: If you’re already paying a lot of money for graphics software, you’ll want to use Illustrator. It’s based on vector images, so your logo and text can be easily resized to fit any T-shirt size without compromising on quality. You’ll also want to use your design for business cards, billboards, and anything else. If you’re planning on screen printing your design, you can use Illustrator to create the layer-by-layer color file that your print shop will need.

It’s worth noting that Illustrator has a steep learning curve. However, Adobe does provide tutorials with sample files so you can get started. Plus, there are hundreds of free and pre-made templates that you can import directly into the software.

Best T-shirt design apps: Adobe Photoshop

logo of adobe photoshop

Key Features:

  1. Fonts auto-activation feature
  2. Unlimited colors, effects, layers, and masks
  3. Crop, remove objects, retouch, and combine photos
  4. Rotatable patterns to easily change the orientation of any pattern
Verdict: If you’re a professional designer, you’ll want to use Photoshop. It comes with Adobe Suite and isn’t a vector app, but it’s great for creating cool effects and editing top-notch designs. You can use it just like Illustrator, but your images won’t be vector, so they won’t be suitable for screen printing. But if you need them, they can be used for DTG printing Photoshop has tons of features that make it great for t-shirt design – you can remove backgrounds and objects, layers and colors, and more. Plus, you can use it on a desktop or iPad, and it’s integrated with AI-powered tools so you can get your designs done faster. All in all, it’s a great choice for designers.

Best T-shirt mockup generator with model-free: Autodesk Sketchbook

logo of Autodesk sketchbook

Key Features:

  1. Convenient interface
  2. Exchange photos via messengers
  3. Supports Apple Pencil
  4. Quick access to tools
  5. A lot of brushes and colors

Verdict: Autodesk T-shirt editor provides a free, unlimited, and template-free way to create T-shirt designs. It is widely regarded as one of the most advanced drawing applications available and offers a wide range of creative possibilities, such as the ability to share images via social media platforms. 

The editor is equipped with a range of tools, including a limited grid function, a ruler for curve drawing, and the support of the new, second-generation Apple Pencil for iOS. The editor allows users to use a variety of tools, including pencils and ink pens, as well as markers, and over 190 adjustable brushes, to create custom shapes and textures.

Best T-shirt mockup generator: Placeit

logo of placeit

Key Features:

  1. Free gaming and video designs
  2. The most extensive mockup library
  3. Business logos and banners
  4. Video intro & outro designs
  5. Streaming avatars and overlay

Verdict: This software is great for both beginners and pros who want to make realistic mock-ups of custom sweatshirts and t-shirts. It’s one of the top t-shirt design programs out there, and it’s easy to get started with hundreds of templates. You don’t have to scroll through a huge library of clip-art pictures – it’s a curated selection that focuses on each section of the template. 

You can customize the backgrounds, colors, fonts, and more. Plus, if you make any changes to your design, they show up in real time in mock-ups. You can also upload an existing piece if you just need a mockup, and you can get any mock-ups or designs for a small fee or as part of an unlimited monthly subscription.

Best T-shirt design app for android: Snaptee

logo of snaptee

Key Features:

  1. A wide range of tools
  2. Great performance
  3. Syncs with Instagram
  4. Simple interface
  5. Design using a mobile app.

Verdict: Snaptee is a great app for creating T-shirt designs. It’s designed for mobile, so you can use it on your phone or desktop. You can choose from a bunch of designs that have been voted on by other users, and then remix them. Once you’ve chosen the design you want to use, the app will let you choose the style and layout of the T-shirt. 

You can use the existing design, or you can upload your own to the app. It’s pretty straightforward, but it can be a bit of a challenge to get used to. Once you’re happy with the design, it’s just a matter of sending it off for printing.

Best for both desktop and mobile: Canva

logo of canva

Key Features:

  1. Resize to any format
  2. Premium animations 
  3. Simple for beginners
  4. Convenient font editing tools
  5. Color palette generator
  6. Extensive template library

Verdict: If you’re looking for a great way to design T-shirts, Canva is the way to go! It’s one of the top online slideshow makers and has tons of features, like a photo editor, a color palette generator, and a logo maker. You can create a pattern with an empty canvas or save time with any of the over 60,000 templates made by pros. 

Plus, you can add quotes and inscriptions to your shirts. You can pick a font from the 700 available options in the database, and you can adjust the size, color, and spacing of the font with the tools available.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ)

If you’re looking to design something, even a simple t-shirt, it can be tough. In the past, you’d have to sit down for days and draw out your ideas, then spend more time designing them with different software. But now, there are lots of free t-shirt maker apps that make it easy to design, no matter if you’re a beginner or a pro. Plus, some of them even give you design ideas.

Nowadays, you can design a digital T-shirt using graphic design software like the ones we described below. All it takes is to choose a t-shirt design or mockup and upload a personalized design to the t-shirt. You can also use dedicated online solutions and find a plethora of templates to create your t-shirt design and impress all the people around you.

It is possible to integrate T-shirt designs with printing services through a variety of applications. Upon completion of the design process, customers can place orders for printings and have the completed T-shirts shipped directly to their residences.

 In most T-shirt design applications, your designs can be saved and exported in JPEG, PNG, SVG, and other file formats. This allows you to print your designs in different ways and on different platforms.

Conclusion

So, these are the 6 best T-shirt design apps in my opinion. If you search online you will find an abundance of options available, so it can be difficult to decide which software tool to use for t-shirt design. 

However, it is possible to make an informed decision by considering the requirements, budget, and design experience level of the user. This will help to determine the most suitable tool for the user. With the right decision, the user can be on their way to achieving their desired t-shirt design goals.

I have written the details of 6 T-shirt design apps above. Now, you have to find out which one is perfect for you. It’s totally up to you.

Luisa Bell is a skilled content planner and writer who has worked in photography and e-commerce content for over six years. With a passion for writing interesting stories, she is great at giving audiences information that sticks with them. Luisa is a great addition to the Masking Aid team because she is dedicated to her work and strives for excellence.