T-Shirt Ruler Guide for Perfect Vinyl & Sublimation Placement | Free Rulers + Directions!

Hello everybody. It’s a beautiful day to show you how to get your designs perfectly aligned on your shirts with T-shirt rulers! If you’ve ever struggled with design alignment on a T-shirt, you won’t after today’s tutorial, because I’m going to show you how to make your own T-shirt ruler guides, and then, how to actually use them for beautiful shirts. (gasps) So it’s all really easy, and it will save you tons of time and material. So let’s head on over to my craft table and I will show you how it all works.

So first, why would you even want a T-shirt ruler? I mean, it’s just a T-shirt, right? Well, it turns out that the placement of your design on a T-shirt matters. If you put it smack dab in the middle of a shirt, as I did here, which is what makes logical sense, right? The design will appear too low when you put the shirt on, just because of the way our bodies are shaped.

We actually want to get the design up higher for the best effect, and the simplest way to do that, especially for either a beginner, or someone who is making a lot of shirts, is to use a T-shirt ruler. These rulers work by lining up the top edge of the ruler with the top seam on the shirt, and they have different shapes to line up with different neck seams on many different types of shirts, V-necks, all different sizes. And I added a vertical center mark to note the middle of the shirt, a horizontal ruler to check the placement left to right, and a vertical ruler to help you place it on a top of the design.

And don’t worry, in this video, not only am I going to show you how to use a T-shirt ruler, but I’m also going to show you how to make your own T-shirt rulers! That’s right.

So you can print out a T-shirt ruler, this one is printed out, and cut it by hand, sure, but, you can also use a cutting machine like a Cricut to cut, draw, and/or engrave them for a sturdier ruler. In fact, we can use a Cricut cutting machine to make these T-shirt guides in both 110-pound cardstock and from these plastic chopping mats that you can get either from the Dollar Tree or Amazon. I used my Cricut Maker 3 to cut and engrave these plastic rulers, but you can use any Maker or Explore machine for this. Yes, really. And to demonstrate how to use the T-shirt rulers, I’ll show you how to decorate T-shirts, and a hoodie, using some new designs that we made.

We’ll use a variety of shirts and iron-on vinyls, but you can pick your own combinations when you’re ready to do this.

And I’m going to use a Cricut EasyPress 2 with a pressing mat for this project, but you can also use a home iron, or a Cricut Autopress, or a traditional heat press, whatever you have. Our usual tools for weeding the decals will also help of course. Now, are you ready to make some helpful tools and perfect shirts? Let’s get started.

Step one, get my free T-shirt ruler files. Go to jennifermaker.com/433, and look for “Libraries” in the red bar at the top. Then either click “Get a password” if you don’t yet have one, or click “Enter the library.” You can find the designs on the page by searching for number 433, and then click it to download the zip file.

The download contains a folder of shirt rulers, and a second one with the shirt designs that we’ll use today so I can show you exactly how the T-shirt rulers work. I thought you might like these shirt designs too, so I included them, and the rulers and designs are totally free for you.

I’ve included T-shirt rulers for adult shirts with various neck styles, one to place a design on the back of a shirt or hoodie, and smaller versions for youth, toddler, and infants. You can print these T-shirt rulers with their printable PDFs and cut them out by hand with scissors, of course. Just cut on the black lines.

But you can make much sturdier versions of these T-shirt rulers using a Cricut cutting machine and the SVG cut files I made, as you can cut much heavier weight materials on a Cricut than it’s possible to print on a home printer. I’ll show you how. Today we’ll make T-shirt rulers in both cardstock and plastic to compare the results. I’m going to use the adult crew neck ruler guide, but you can follow these steps for the other T-shirt rulers as well. Upload the SVG ruler file of your choice to your design software.

If you’re not sure how to do this, go to jennifermaker.com/svgs to learn how to unzip and upload files. I’m going to start with the cardstock version. Step two, prepare and cut the ruler designs.

First, let’s do a heavyweight cardstock version.

Here’s what my adult crew neck T-shirt cardstock ruler looks like on my canvas. The rulers are already sized correctly, so don’t resize them, or they won’t work properly. Each ruler design has two layers, the solid white ruler shape and the top markings. For the cardstock version, the markings will be drawn on, so we need to set the markings layer to “Draw,” and then attach it to the base ruler shape. To do this, select that red marking layer in the layers panel.

Then click the dropdown menu under “Operation,” and select “Pen.” Next, click the color box beside the dropdown to select your pen size and color. I’m using my Cricut 0.4 fine point pen in black, so my settings are correct as they are now, but feel free to adjust yours if you want.

The solid ruler shape layer should stay set to “Basic Cut.” Now click, hold, and drag a box over the whole ruler, and then click “Attach” below the layers panel to keep everything together during drawing and cutting. Your cardstock ruler is now ready to go! Make sure you select the right machine, and then click “Make It.” On the “Prepare” screen, change the material size to 8 1/2 by 11 if you’re using the same cardstock as I am, then click “Continue.” I’m using yellow heavyweight cardstock because the contrast works well on all colors of T-shirts, but you can use any color cardstock you’d like.

Just make sure it’s as heavyweight as you can find so it’s sturdy enough for lots of use. I use the heavy cardstock setting for all my mats. To find it, click “Browse All Materials,” and type “cardstock” in the search bar.

Then select the results and click “Done.” Leave the pressure at default.

Place your cardstock on a green standard grip machine mat, and use a brayer to make sure it’s fully adhered. Check that your fine point blade is clean and in clamp B, and your fine tip pen is loaded in clamp A. Then load the machine mat into your Cricut and press the flashing button to begin.

Your Cricut will draw the markings with the pen first, and then make two cut passes. That’s totally normal, so don’t be surprised by that.

If you run into any issues with your cardstock, check out my Cricut tips and tricks for cleaner cuts at jennifermaker.com/blades. When the cut is finished, unload your mat, flip it over, and roll the mat back to release the cardstock. This helps prevent the material from curling and ripping. Here’s how a completed cardstock T-shirt ruler looks.

Now let’s make a plastic ruler from a chopping mat. To make the ruler out of something more durable, like plastic chopping mats, I’ll start with the same SVG file. Now remember, each ruler is separated into two layers, the solid white ruler shape and the top markings. This time we don’t need to change any operations, because we can use the fine point blade to both engrave the markings into the plastic and cut the ruler shape at the same time.

One pass with the blade scratches the surface, and then two cuts will cut through the material, and I’ve already set it up this way for you, so there’s nothing for you to do other than select both layers and attach them together.

And your plastic ruler is ready to cut! Make sure you select the right machine, and click “Make It.” The plastic chopping mats are 11 by 14 inches, but I’m going to place one on a 12 by 12 mat with the extra just hanging off the edge. So on the “Prepare” screen, leave the material size at 12 by 12, but, make sure the ruler shape doesn’t go past the 11 inch mark on the right, since there won’t be any plastic there to cut. Then click “Mirror” so the engraved texture will be on the underside of the ruler, and legible when it’s on the shirt.

Click “continue.” Under “Set Base Material,” click on “Browse All Materials,” and type “acetate” into the search window.

Then choose the result and click “Done.” Leave the pressure at default. Now it’s a bit hard to tell, but there is a smooth side and a rough side to the plastic chopping mats.

Feel for the smooth side and place that down on a purple StrongGrip machine mat with the top left edges aligned. The excess will hang off the end, but that won’t hurt anything. Use a brayer to make sure everything is fully adhered. Check that your fine point blade is clean and in clamp B, then load the mat into the machine and press the flashing button to begin. When the cut is finished, don’t remove the machine mat yet.

First gently lift up a corner to make sure the ruler shape is completely cut out. If not, press the middle button again to repeat the cut process.

It should go all the way through now. When it looks good, unload the mat, flip it over, and roll it back to release the chopping mat. Here’s how the completed plastic T-shirt ruler looks.

Now while we’re here in Cricut Design Space, let’s cut some designs for our T-shirts together so we can test out our rulers. Here are my T-shirt designs on my canvas.

Use the eye icon to hide the second option. The “Dream Big” design is already sized appropriately for a woman’s size medium crew neck T-shirt, so I’m not going to adjust it. If you’re working with a different shirt, I have convenient reference graphics with the maximum recommended design sizes over at jennifermaker.com/t-shirt-ruler-guide.

Remember, if you need to resize, keep the lock icon closed to maintain the design’s proportions. When you’re ready, make sure the correct machine is listed at the top, and then click “Make It.” On the “Prepare” screen, leave the material size at 12 by 12, and remember to click “Mirror,” like usual for iron-on vinyl. Click “Continue.” Cut the vinyl using the holographic iron-on setting with more pressure. Remember to place the vinyl shiny side down on a green standard grip machine mat. Then cut your holographic iron-on vinyl on your Cricut. Remove the vinyl from the mat, then trim the excess material, and weed the areas around the design.

Step three, use your T-shirt ruler.

To test out my rulers, I made my “Dream Big” design from the download in cobalt holographic iron-on vinyl. Here’s how it looks cut and weeded with the adult crew neck T-shirt that I’m going to decorate. I’ll show you how both plastic and the cardstock T-shirt rulers look in use. But first, let’s prep our shirt for a decal. You’ll need your heat press for this.

If you’re using a Cricut heat press, go to jennifermaker.com/easypress to access the heat guide.

Enter your tools and materials to get the best settings right from Cricut. This takes the guesswork out of the process. Now your process might be different than mine, but you can follow my steps with a Cricut Easy Press 2 as a guideline.

If you’re using a household iron on a cotton T-shirt, you can set your iron to the cotton setting. If your shirt is something other than cotton, you may need a different heat setting, usually a lower one. Preheat your EasyPress or iron to the proper temperature. For holographic vinyl on a cotton shirt with my press and my mat, the guide says to set my EasyPress 2 to 330 degrees Fahrenheit. Now place your T-shirt face up on a pressing mat or folded towel to protect your work surface.

Use a lint roller to clean any stray lint or fuzz from where you want to add your design. Next, find the vertical center of your shirt by matching up the sleeves and sides and folding it in half precisely.

Use your EasyPress or iron to put a crease on the center fold. This also counts as preheating your shirt. Got to love time savers!

You’ll always want to preheat before you press, as it removes moisture, which can affect pretty much anything you want to put on your shirt. Now when you open your shirt, you’ll know exactly where to find the center thanks to that crease you pressed into it. Place your T-shirt ruler up against the collar seam of your T-shirt. You don’t want it on the edge of the collar, but rather just below the seam, like this. The T-shirt ruler helps you find just the right spot for your design.

If we measure with a tape measure, you’ll see that it’s exactly in the center of the shirt. Now don’t worry if the curve of your T-shirt ruler does not exactly match the curve of your seam.

There may be a little extra space on the sides. So long as it’s centered, it does not matter. Looking good so far!

Now we’re ready to place the decal on the shirt. To find the center of the design, fold the sides of your decal in half vertically against each other, matching up the sides of the vinyl. Once it’s folded, make center creases at the top and bottom of the liner.

This won’t hurt your design, I promise. Now open up the liner and lay it vinyl side down so the creases in the liner match those on your T-shirt.

Position the design so it begins immediately under the ruler’s bottom edge. Your liner is likely taller than your design, so make sure the edge of the design meets the ruler’s edge like this. Then also makes sure your design is centered, using those creases you put in the liner. You want the top of your moon to just kiss the ruler’s bottom edge. And you can see how using a T-shirt ruler with a design like this is so helpful.

This design has no straight edge at the top, so it would be really easy to accidentally put it on crooked without the creases that we added to both our shirt and the liner. Now remove the T-shirt ruler, being careful not to shift the design. Your T-shirt and decal are now perfectly aligned. I also step back and look at the design, just to make sure it looks good to me.

It’s fine to adjust it if you want, especially if you’re working with an irregularly shaped design that might look more balanced slightly off-center.

Remember, crafting is an art, and you have my permission to get creative. Once you’re happy with the placement, press down on the liner so it sticks to the shirt and stays put. Now make sure your heat press is at 330 degrees Fahrenheit, and then press the design for 30 seconds with firm pressure. That means to keep both hands on the press, and lean a bit of your weight into it. Note that there’s no need to use a Teflon sheet or parchment paper when you’re using Cricut holographic vinyl.

The liner is strong enough to withstand the heat on its own. You should be able to cover this entire decal at one time with the large 12 by 10-inch Easy Press. If you’re using a home iron or a smaller heat source, you may need to press it in sections to get the entire decal. Just make sure all parts of the decal get pressed for 30 seconds total.

Then, flip your shirt over, and press the back for another 15 seconds.

Wait until the vinyl is cool to the touch before removing the plastic. Mine took about five minutes. And it’s done! Now let’s see how well our T-shirt ruler did by measuring the space above and beside. Looks like just three inches below the seam which is precisely what we wanted, and there is the same number of inches, about six, on either side of the design too.
Yay, it worked! I also cut out more decals to fit different kinds of shirts using the rest of the T-shirt rulers, so I can show you how those work. Here’s the adult crew neck T-shirt with the plastic guide in comparison to the cardstock one. Here’s the adult V-neck shirt, which has a totally different top edge shape.

For V-necks, the design should start about an inch from the seam, so a lot closer to the seam.

Feel free to adjust the T-shirt ruler placement to suit your shirt and design, however, as some V-necks have a deeper V than others. Here’s the adult scoop neck shirt, which has a wider curve than the crew neck version. Here’s a youth crew neck T-shirt with a youth T-shirt ruler. Here’s a toddler crew neck T-shirt with a toddler T-shirt ruler. Here’s a baby bodysuit with the infant ruler.

And I also made you a special ruler to place decals on the backs of adult shirts. Now, hoodie placements are tricky because there really isn’t a standard for aligning designs on them. So, I don’t have a hoodie ruler, but, the guide for the back of an adult shirt works with the sweatshirt on the materials list.

So let me show you how I did that. First, I resized my “Remember the Lesson” design to 9.3 by 11 inches, because I wanted it to be fairly large. Then I cut and weeded it like normal and made the central crease. Generally, the top of a design should be about where the tip of the hood lays, so that none, or very little, of the design is hidden When the hood is worn down. With the hoodie flat and face down with the hood up, align the adult back ruler under the neck seam. We’ll line the top of the design with the bottom of the ruler, so bring the hoodie down to see if it will cover too much.

If so, gently bring the ruler down to a better position, but keep it centered and straight. Then you just follow the steps to press the design onto your hoodie, just like your shirts. Didn’t that turn out great? Won’t these T-shirt rulers be so helpful next time you make shirts? I sure hope so.

I know I find them really useful. Now, which version do you think you should make? Honestly, it really depends on your materials, tools, and preferences. If you think you’ll use a specific ruler guide a lot, cutting it out of plastic is definitely worth a trip to the Dollar Tree or an order from Amazon for some chopping mats. These plastic mats are amazing, and they hold up really, really well.

But if you just need a ruler for a shirt or two, the cardstock version is surprisingly sturdy. Just keep the guide dry and store it safely so it doesn’t warp or get creased. Now if you have any questions about making or using T-shirt rulers, please let me know. I love to help. Leave question below this video or ask over in our awesome Cricut crafters group at jennifermaker.com/cricutcrafters. We have many, many T-shirt makers from beginners to advanced here, and we are always happy to help and answer questions. And that’s it for today. Until next time, this is Jennifer Maker, reminding you to craft a life you love.

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