Frequently Asked Questions

How are the winning submissions chosen to be printed?
It is widely speculated that Threadless decides based on a combination of scores, "I'd Buy"s, and comments. However, Threadless makes the final decision on what gets printed.

Why don't all the top scoring submissions get printed?
Because a high score might not mean it will make a good shirt design. It may also mean that the design got very few "I'd Buy"s.

Why did a low scoring submission get printed?
The design may have received a lot of "I'd Buys", or maybe the Threadless folk really liked it.

Am I obligated to buy a shirt if I score it with an "I'd Buy It"?
No. There is no obligation if the shirt is printed. However, it's bad karma to "I'd Buy" and not buy.

Can other people see how I scored a submission?
No, it's private. It does show the number of submissions that you've scored and the average score given in your profile.

Can I change my vote after I've scored a submission?
Yes, as long as it is still in the running.

How do I leave a comment on a submission?
At the bottom of each submission page there is a "Leave a Comment box". Please read the next question.

What does "Constructive Criticism" mean?
At the bottom of the Leave a Comment box you'll notice that underneath it says:
"If you're going to criticize please be constructive and respectful about it."
this means your comments should NOT:

• be of a personal nature,
• include personal attacks,
• rate the design based on your individual preference for what you would wear,
• consist of intentionally rude opinions (particularly without creative-related comments to support them).
  FOR EXAMPLE:
  "this sucks", "you suck", "I hate the color blue", etc. are not considered constructive criticism.

First off, read the instruction here. This will answer most every question you may have.

Can a design wrap around the shirt, from front to back?
The answer comes straight from a customer service email:

"Yes, it's possible as we've done a few in the past. The only problem is that some of the girly tees have side seams and some don't so it's kind of hit and miss."

There ya have it kids. It's not a no-no, but it's not a yes-yes either.

Can they print "distressed" designs or designs with very fine, small details?
Well... not really - (via Shimala at Threadless):

I don't know if the printer isn't setting the screens up right or if it's just the details are too small for the screens. Just a warning for you. The distress wasn't done on a separate layer on top of either of these. It was subtracted from the solid colors. The problem is when the screens were shot all those little details just closed up.

Declined... why?
Either the quality of the design was too poor or you didn't follow the instructions for submitting.

Can I make changes to it and resubmit it?
This is straight from the Threadless website:

Duplicate Submission - Please only submit your design once and do not submit additional submissions for changes in color, size or placement. By slightly changing your design a little bit based on comments, we still treat it as a duplicate. If the concept didn't go over well the first time around, just try something new.

Yet there have been designs that have reappeared in the running with some changes and others with none. It's not common, but it happens.

Some designers use the Threadless blog forum to present their designs for feedback. This allows them the opportunity to make changes based on comments before submitting them to Threadless. We think it's a good idea.

How many colours can I use in my design?
The maximum colours allowed is 5. There have been a few times where they've accepted an additional colour added but it's a bad idea to count on it.

TIP: Use the shirt colour as a 6th colour for your design.

What brand of shirts are used?
The fellas used to get Fruit of the Loom and the ladies got American Apparel but Threadless has made the move towards having their own shirts custom made for them. Read more about it here.

How can I find out what size to buy?
Check out www.threadless.com/sizechart for shirt sizes and measurements.

Why are the guys and girls shirts from different companies?
For a better fit, cause boys and girls are not built alike.

Why are the guys and girls shirts different prices?
Because they are from different brands.

How do I get them to reprint the shirt I want?
If the size that you are looking for is out of print there will be a "Request A Reprint" link on the product page of that shirt. This link will also appear in the Stock Chart.

Should I create a blog titled "REPRINT THIS!"?
No. It is more effective to use the "Request A Reprint" link that appears on the product page. The Threadless crew can't read every blog post every day to see who wants what reprinted.

Why won't they reprint the shirt that I want?
Threadless can't reprint every shirt, but they do reprint 2-4 shirts a week. The best formula: "Request A Reprint" and hope. If you're feeling especially ambitious you can try a blog campaign to encourage others to "Request A Reprint"... but that's not a 'proven' method.

Why do they print limited quantities of the shirts?

• Threadless shirts are limited edition, which is part of their appeal
• Threadless has limited storage space for inventory
• printing shirts costs money
• Threadless would rather use the money to print new designs than keep reprinting old designs

Why are they out of the shirt that I want?
Read above answer.

So exactly how many shirts do they print each time?
It has been suggested that Threadless consults an oricle or that they simply roll some dice and add zeros. The truth is that Threadless has a very, very scientific formula (developed by NASA) for making this decision... and that they will never tell us.

What is the blog forum?
The blog forum is where the Threadless community lives. From your user account you can create a 'blog' that shows up in the forum where other community members can comment on it. This Forum is used by members to preview possible/upcoming design submissions, ask/answer questions about design software and, generally, 'chat' with each other about what's happening in their lives.

You can visit the Threadless Blog Forum by clicking here.

Who runs the blog forum?
As far as i know the Forum has no moderator, it just putts along and takes care of itself. A few Threadless staff pop around every now and then...

• Shimala, aka Craig, who's in charge of submissions. His moustache is legendary.
• arzie13, aka Ross, he's had a bunch of his designs printed. So many so that Threadless hired him.
  As far as we can tell, all he does is model shirts.
• iFDL, aka Jeffery, the graphic designer behind SkinnyCorp, Threadless, Naked and Angry,
  15 Megs of Fame, etc. Apparently he's quite ripped and will give you a shirt if you dance for him.
• skaw, aka Jake, el presidente
• shondi, aka Shondi, the first-lady
• jacob dehart, aka.. er... Jacob Dehart, the Cheney (but less evil)

For the whole SkinnyCorp team visit www.skinnycorp.com/theteam.

How do I get a Threadless account?
I realize that most of you probably have an account but for those of you who are new to the game you must click here and sign up for an account.

How do I add a link to my profile or blog?
Copy and paste the following HTML code, exactly as it is shown here, and be sure to include the quotes:

• replace the red text with the URL address of where you'd like to link to, and the blue text with
  the text you'd like to link to the URL:
  
  <a href=" INSERT URL HERE " target="_blank"> linked text goes here </a>

How do I add an image to my profile or blog?
Copy and paste the following HTML code, exactly as it is shown here, and be sure to include the quotes:

• replace the red text with the URL path to the image that you'd like to appear:
  
  <img src="INSERT URL WHERE IMAGE IS LOCATED">
  
  
• NOTE: This will require that the image is located on a server or site like Photobucket

How do I make an image act as a link?
Copy and paste the following HTML code, exactly as it is shown here, and be sure to include the quotes:

• replace the red text with the URL that you'd like to link to, and replace the blue text with the URL path to the image:
  
  <a href="INSERT URL HERE"><img src="INSERT URL WHERE IMAGE IS LOCATED"></a>

How do I add an image to the bottom right of my profile?

1. Click on the "My Account" link at the top of the page
2. Go to the About Yourself text box (where you fill in your personal info)
3. Paste the following code into the box, exactly as it is shown here, replacing the red text with the URL path to your image:
   
   <style type="text/css">body {background-color: WHITE;}body {background-image:url(INSERT URL PATH HERE);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-attachment:fixed;background-position:bottom right;}</style>

How do I submit a gallery photo?

1. Take a photo of yourself wearing a Threadless tshirt. If you're using a non-digital camera
   you will need to scan it into a computer.
2. Make sure your photo is either 113px wide by 150px tall OR 380px wide by 272px tall (72dpi).
3. Submit your photo at www.threadless.com/submitphoto.
4. Follow the instructions for uploading the photo.

How do I crop/save the photo to the size needed?
You will need a photo imaging program like Adobe Photoshop, iPhoto, PaintPro, etc. Check to see if your digital camera came with photo software.

How do I make my photos look cool?
Stop by the Tricks section of the website for all you cool-making needs.

How many street team point do I get for my photo?
Each approved gallery photo earns you 1 point ($1.50), regardless of size. That means that the large size photo will still only earn you 1 point.

The exception is if your large photo is chosen to be on the product page (see next question).

What does "Chosen for the Product Page" mean?
See those big pics at the top of each shirt page? That's a product page photo.

The first photo(s) is always the Threadless catalog shot. If your photo is chosen for the product page, it will appear in that large top area, behind the catalog shots.

What are Street Team points?
Street TeamPoints are "rewards" given out by Threadless for helping them promote the sale of their tshirts.
One Street Team point is worth $1.50 towards your next Threadless purchase.

Points are awarded in 2 ways:

1. Earn 1 ($1.50) point by submitting a photo to the gallery. Only one photo per
   Threadless design purchased may be submitted.
2. Earn 2 ($3.00) points byusing your Street Team link to Threadless and referring a sale.
   (explained further below)

How do I use my link to earn Street Team points?

1. Paste your personal link in an email, send it to your friends
2. or post your link on a web page, like a blog or your myspace profile.

When someone gets to the Threadless.com site by clicking on your link AND makes a purchase,
you will earn 2 points ($3).

Where do I find my street Team link?

1. Go to www.threadless.com/streetteam.
2. Copy the link from item #2.
3. Paste that link into an email or website

My Street Team name disappeared from the top URL... will I still get the points?
Yes, as long as they ENTER the Threadless site through your link and buy within that same session (don't close the browser or switch to another site), you will be credited for the sale. once you/they start browsing the catalog, the url no longer shows your streeteam name. It happens "invisibly" in the background.

How do I earn Street Team points with photos?
Submit a photo of you wearing a Threadless shirt for the product gallery. To submit a photo go to www.threadless.com/submitphoto.

What's up with Defunker selling Threadless shirts?
Relax. They're not rip-offs. Threadless allows certain approved vendors to sell their shirts. Defunker is an approved vendor.

My submission is up on Threadless but the background colour is wrong!
When you submit a design to Threadless in Flash (.swf) format the guys at Threadless add a handy little magnifying feature that's characterized by the little '?' in the bottom left corner of the design. However, part of adding this function is the removal of the background colour in the file.

To avoid this problem in future submissions check out the Threadies Flash Tips in the Tricks section. A thanks goes to bortwein for answering this faq.