How to Send Mockups to a Manufacturer: A Guide for T-Shirt and Hoodie Brands

Knowing how to send mockups to a manufacturer the right way saves weeks of back-and-forth and at least one wasted sample. A mockup shows what your t-shirt or hoodie should look like; it does not, on its own, tell a factory how to make it. This guide explains what a mockup is for, what to send with it, which files printing units actually need, and the mistakes we see most often from the factory side in Tirupur.

What a Mockup Is, and What It Is Not

A mockup is a digital image of your design placed on a garment, usually made in Photoshop, Illustrator, or an online template. It is the fastest way to show a factory the look you want: where the print sits, how big it appears, and which colours you have in mind. What it cannot show is the information a factory needs to produce the garment: the real print size in centimetres, how far the print sits from the neckline, the fabric and GSM, the print method, or how the design should be separated into colours. Mockup templates also vary in scale, so a print that looks right on a template can come out much larger or smaller on the real garment.

Mockup vs Tech Pack: What Each One Does

The most common confusion we see is between a mockup and a tech pack. The table below shows why a factory needs both.

In the mockup vs tech pack question, the answer is not either one but both: the mockup communicates the look, and the tech pack makes it buildable. Our comparison of designer and branded clothing manufacturers includes a full tech pack checklist.

How to Send Mockups to a Manufacturer: Step by Step

Start by finalising the design, because every change after sampling costs time. Create front and back mockups on a garment shape close to your actual product, and mark each print or embroidery position. Then measure every artwork on the real garment size you will sample, usually a size M or L, and write the width, height, and distance from a fixed point next to each one. Add the print method you want, colour references for the garment and each ink, and the fabric and GSM. Export the artwork as print-ready files, and send everything in one clearly named folder with the tech pack and your quantities per size and colour. Finally, ask the factory to confirm it has everything and to raise any questions before it starts the sample.

T-Shirt Print Placement: Measure From Fixed Points

Most sampling errors on printed tees and hoodies come from placement, not artwork. Factories measure placement from fixed points on the garment, so your mockup should do the same. The table below shows the common positions and how to specify them; the typical sizes are starting points for an adult size M or L and should always be checked against your own design.

State whether the print should grow with the size range or stay the same size on every garment. For placement across sizes XS to 3XL, many brands use two artwork sizes rather than one, so the design does not look too small on large sizes or too wide on small ones.

Design Files for a Clothing Manufacturer

The right design files for a clothing manufacturer depend on the print method. Screen printing needs vector artwork with each colour separated, because every colour is a separate screen. Digital and DTG printing can work from high-resolution raster files, prepared at 300 DPI at the actual print size. Embroidery needs a clean vector or high-resolution image that the factory will convert into a stitch file. In every case, convert fonts to outlines, name your Pantone references, and send the original working file as well as a PDF preview. Our overview of printing methods used in Tirupur explains which method suits which design, and brands producing printed hoodies can see our page for hoodie manufacturers in India.

Common Mistakes We See

The mistakes that cost the most are simple ones: sending only a mockup image with no sizes, sending a low-resolution screenshot of the artwork, leaving colours as “like the picture”, and changing the design after the first sample has been made. Others are sending different versions of the same file in separate emails, or giving quantities without a size breakdown. Each of these adds a sampling round, and each round adds time before bulk can start. When you are ready to contact factories, our guide to what to send to a clothing manufacturer covers the rest of the enquiry, and our guide to where to send your clothing designs explains how to protect them before you share. Brands in Australia can see our page for clothing manufacturing for Australian brands.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to send mockups to a manufacturer?

Send front and back mockups as a visual reference, together with a tech pack, print-ready artwork files, exact print sizes and placements measured on the garment, colour references, the print method, and quantities per size and colour, all in one clearly named folder.

Is a mockup enough, or do I need a tech pack?

A mockup alone is not enough. The mockup shows the look, while the tech pack gives the measurements, fabric, print sizes, and construction details a factory needs to make the garment.

What design files does a clothing manufacturer need?

Vector files such as AI, EPS, PDF, or SVG for screen printing, high-resolution PNG or TIFF at 300 DPI at actual size for digital printing, and a clean vector or high-resolution image for embroidery. Outline fonts and name Pantone references.

How do I specify t-shirt print placement?

Give the print width and height in centimetres and its distance from a fixed point, such as below the front neckline or down from the shoulder seam, measured on the size you will sample. State whether the print changes size across the size range.

Why does my print look different on the sample than on the mockup?

Mockup templates vary in scale, so a design can look larger or smaller than it will print. Measuring the artwork on the real garment size and giving exact dimensions in the tech pack prevents this.