FAQ
About Tshirt Contest
- What is TshirtContest.com?
- How does TshirtContest work?
- Why can’t I vote?
- How long does a tshirt stay available for sale in the Shop?
Artists
- How do I get my artwork printed?
- What are the terms for Artists, summarized?
- How do I submit a contest entry?
- How and when do artists get paid?
- What tshirt colors can I use?
- How many entries can I submit?
- Can a design be selected after the first week?
- Can I cheat?
- Why yousendit.com?
- What kind of artwork is acceptable?
- What is a parody?
- Examinations of parodies.
- Can I submit a design that was printed elsewhere?
- Can I submit the same design more than once?
Product Information
- What kind of tshirts do you print on?
- What kind of inks and techniques do you use?
- How do your tshirts fit?
- Do your tshirts shrink?
- How do I care for my tshirt?
Advertise on TshirtContest.com
Orders & Shipping
- I missed a tshirt. Is it still available?
- How long will it take to get my order?
- What are the Free Tee Giveaway Contest Rules?
Returns, Privacy Policy & Security
- What is your return policy?
- What is your privacy policy?
- Are credit card transactions secure on this site?
About Tshirt Contest
What is TshirtContest.com?
TshirtContest is an on-going t-shirt design competition. Designs are scored for a period of at least 7 days. Thereafter, they are evaluated by votes and comments, and a weekly winner is chosen to be printed and sold from our Shop every Monday at noon, Central Standard Time.
How does TshirtContest work?
For members, signing up and voting is easy peasy. You can vote or remove your vote as you please.
For Artist Members, here is a brief summary of the Terms & Conditions.
1. Sub Limitations: None! You’ve nothing to lose by subbing. You can simultaneously submit or sell anywhere.
2. Win Limitations: Winning designs are limited to TshirtContest for the 1st week. Thereafter, sub or sell anywhere.
3. Pre-Order: T-shirts are available for 1 week at a discounted, pre-order price.
4. Payment: Designers are paid $2 per tshirt with a minimum of at least $25.
5. Catalog: T-shirts stay in the Shop until bumped out by newer designs – a maximum of 10 designs.
Why can’t I vote?
Voting is for members. All you gotta do is sign up to vote!
How long does a tshirt stay available for sale in the Shop?
A Winning Tee is made available every Monday at noon CST for a discounted, pre-order price for 1 week. After the pre-order week, the design is bumped down by each new entry. The shop carries a maximum of 9 designs.
Artists
How do I get my artwork printed?
There are 2 ways to get printed.
1. Curated Artwork.
Your art is HOT. You are awesome. We actually seek you out and email you directly.
2. The Open Contest.
If you have artwork that we haven’t directly requested, we welcome you to submit your work in the open contest.
( Please do not email a preview image to the staff. You must go through the contest. )
What are the terms for Artists, summarized?
If you prefer to skip the legal babble in the Terms & Conditions, here are the basic facts.
1. Sub Limitations: None! You’ve nothing to lose by subbing. You can simultaneously submit or sell anywhere.
2. Win Limitations: Winning designs are limited to TshirtContest for the 1st week. Thereafter, sub or sell anywhere.
3. Pre-Order: T-shirts are available for 1 week at a discounted, pre-order price.
4. Payment: Designers are paid $2 per tshirt with a minimum of at least $25.
5. Catalog: T-shirts stay in the Shop until bumped out by newer designs – a maximum of 10 designs.
“How do I submit a contest entry?”
Click the ‘Submit’ link at the top of any page.
There’s 3 things to sub:
1. A thumbnail image of your artwork.
You thumb must feature all or a cropped portion of your design, nothing else. For instance, if you created a design featuring a space ship, we don’t want to see a cropped photo of the NASA Space Shuttle for a thumb. No gradients.
Thumb Dimensions are: 120px x 120px.
The file must be a GIF, JPG, JPEG, or PNG, and no larger than 500k.
2. The image composition.
This image must demonstrate the entire design, it’s position on a tshirt, and colors used. If there are any halftones, you must show them here. No gradients.
Image Composition Dimensions are: 670px x 550px Horizontal, or 550px x 670px Vertical.
The file must be a GIF, JPG, JPEG, or PNG, and no larger than 500k.
3. The actual artwork.
Send your zipped art file to: art [at] tshirtcontest [dot] com.
File too big to email? Send it via yousendit.com. It’s free.
Note: You can’t win without submitting your actual art files! Winners that have not sent their actual files will be passed over and the win given to the next hightest voted design. We need your file to get the ball rolling on printing your most excellent design.
File: PSD, AI, PDF, SVG or ZIP. No larger than 20 MB.
Graphics: No photos, nudity or racism.
Design size: Actual size, not to exceed 12″x15″.
Resolution: For Raster, 300 pixels/inch or DPI (dots per inch).
Colors: 4 colors max, including white; (Technically this is actually 5 colors with a base, but don’t worry about the base). Pantone Solid Coated. RGB.
Layers: *Important. Each color must be on it’s own layer.
“How and when do artists get paid?”
Artists are paid via PayPal.com within two weeks after the design is made available for sale or sooner. For precise information regarding Artist compensation, please see our Terms and Conditions.
“What tshirt colors can I use?”
The following swatches can be used for tshirt colors and backgrounds.
“How many entries can I submit?”
There’s no limitation to the number of entries per artist.
“Can a design be selected after the first week?”
Yes. Voting trends or public interests in a design can change. Should a design gain sudden interest, that design would predictably rise in votes and increase the opportunity to win.
“Can I cheat?”
Sure! I mean no…
For those sillies that try to cheat the system, registering a gazillion fake accounts to place a gazillion votes will not work. For each entry, we have several methods of tracking who voted for what as well as from which ip. Fake votes will guarantee that your design will most definitely not win. Fake votes equate to Spam. And if you are deemed a Spammer, not only will you find yourself banned, but you will be placed on the HoneyPot ban network, among others, and find yourself banned from many sites.
By far, you are better off improving your skills and promoting your work.
The most successful Artists we’ve seen:
(1) are prolific in the number of their submissions and
(2) promote their work and grow a network of fans.
“Why yousendit.com?”
If your file is too big to send via regular email, use yousendit.com. The service provided by yousendit.com is free and convenient to our purpose, and is by no means a affiliated promotion of that website.
At this time, we’re not interested in receiving files from any other service, as we’d like to keep this narrowed down to one for the sake of organization.
“What kind of artwork is acceptable?”
Original art, parodied pop culture references and parody mashups are all allowed and welcome. Just please make sure your parody is an actual parody! Of course no photos, nudity, pornography or racism.
“What is a parody?”
par•o•dy, -noun; [par-uh-dee] [pær-di] :
1. An imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.
2. A humorously exaggerated imitation of (a writer, artist, or genre).
3. A work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody
4. A work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony; To make a parody of something. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/parody
5. A literary or artistic work that mimics in an absurd of ridiculous way the conventions and style of another work. Also known as travesty, lampoon, or burlesque. Twain’s Connecticut Yankee is in part a parody of Mallory’s Morte d’Arthur. http://condor.depaul.edu/dsimpson/awtech/lexicon.html
Notice the above definitions do not include an exact, unmodified likeness.
Examinations of parody.
— The design ‘Three Keyboard Cat Moon’ by Oxen on Threadless.com is a very famous tshirt parody of the internet “meme” sensation “Keyboard Cat” on Youtube.com. The design mashes the cat with the reknown design ‘Three Wolf Moon’, the latter featuring three wolves howling at the moon, printed by the company ‘The Mountain’.
Three Keyboard Cat Moon by Oxen on Threadless.com
Description: ‘Keyboard Cat’ is depicted in three reknown poses playing the keyboard. The moon is in the top right.
1. What part of this design is the original material?
Each depiction of the cat is a clear portrait of the original, as can be found on youtube.com.
The positioning of the design elements mimics the design ‘Three Wolf Moon’.
2. How does this design criticize or make fun of the original artwork?
There are two original materials here to parody: Youtube’s ‘Keyboard Cat’ and ‘Three Wolf Moon’.
The design appears to make fun of the ‘Three Wolf Moon’ design by juxtaposing the somber howling wolves with the cute fat cat.
However, does the design criticize or make fun of the Youtube’s ‘Keyboard Cat’?
This design is currently being contested in court as to whether or not it fits the legal description of parody. We will be watching this case closely, and will post the results here.
Successful parody? The court is literally still out on this one.
‘Three Wolf Moon’ by Antonia Neshev. Printed by ‘The Mountain’
The original Keyboard Cat by Keyboard Cat and Charlie Schmidt on YouTube.com
— By comparison, the design ‘Three Mice Cheese’ by theodoredook on teefury.com is a decidedly successful parody of the ‘Three Wolf Moon’.
Three Mice Cheese’ by theodoredook on Teefury.com
Description: Three mice are howling at moon-shaped ball of cheese, which radiates green wafts of cheese scent that tempt their little mouse noses.
1. What part of this design is the original material?
The layout of this design is the same as the ‘Three Wolf Moon’. Graphicly, there is no direct usage of the original artwork.
2. How does this design criticize or make fun of the original artwork?
The design makes fun of the ‘Three Wolf Moon’ design by interchanging the noble wolf with the cheesier mouse.
Successful parody? Most likely.
— The design ‘The Cheese is a Liedekranz’ by bassanimation on shirt.woot.com is a parody of the puzzle-platform video game ‘Portal’ developed and published by Valve Corporation, who popularized catchphrase, “The Cake is a Lie”. “Liederkranz” is an American re-creation of Limburger cheese and is being used in the title in place of the word “lie”. There are so many levels to that parody!
‘The Cheese is a Liedekranz’ by bassanimation on shirt.woot.com
Description: A mouse, armed with the Portal contraption from the video game, is leaning through a portal over a yellow square object, the latter of which also resembles an in-game object. The back of the tshirt features the mouse’s butt on the other side of the portal. The background on both sides depicts a maze.
1. What part of this design is the original material?
The portals, the portal-creating device, and the yellow square object.
2. How does this design criticize or make fun of the original artwork?
The design makes fun of the game by placing it in the hands of a mouse who is attracted by the ‘cheese-like’ appearance of the yellow square object. One could further say that people that play video games are like mice in a maze, forever seeking the next digital gain.
Successful parody? Most likely.
— The design ‘The Binge’ by tjost on shirt.woot.com is an exceedingly long running parody of the Cookie Monster from the children’s show, ‘Seasame Street’. Notice how the artist totally obscured the face of the Cookie Monster.
‘The Binge’ by tjost on shirt.woot.com
Description: Seasame Street’s Cookie Monster sits with his face flat on the table in a post-binge stupor. A carton of milk, shot glasses, a plate and a scattering of crumbs litter the implied table.
1. What part of this design is the original material?
The resemblance of the blue-furred Cookie Monster.
2. How does this design criticize or make fun of the original artwork?
The design makes fun of the original puppet by juxtaposing the monster’s lunatic appetite for cookies with a serious adult addiction or disorder. The artist cleverly chose to hide the Cookie Monster’s face, thus distancing the blue furry creature from a resemblance to the original Cookie Monster.
Successful parody? Most likely.
— The design ‘Doctor Hoot’ by John Tibbott on society6.com is a parody of Doctor Who.
‘Doctor Hoot’ by John Tibbott on Society6.com
Description: An owl adorned with a long scarf sits on a tree branch beside a blue bird box with a round window.
1. What part of this design is the original material?
The similarity of the pronunciation of “Who” and “Hoot”. Also the blue bird box lends itself to Doctor Who’s Tardis. The owl is wearing a scarf similar to the one worn by the wonderful 4th Doctor portrayed by Tom Baker.
2. How does this design criticize or make fun of the original artwork?
The design pokes fun at the show by combining the Tardis with a bird box. This parody does a better job of distancing itself from the British show than most others by the almost complete removal of references. Instead of “Police Box”, it reads “Bird Box”. Only the scarf, the blue color and the light on top suggest the show, but even so, it’s instantly recognizable to fans.
Successful parody? Most likely.
— The design ‘Old, Old Friend’ by Rocco Rabar on threadless.com is a parody of the Wolverine comic book character.
‘Old, Old Friend’ by Rocco Rabar on Threadless.com
Description: A vintage black and white cartoon is rendered with long claws jutting from the back of his hands. He is surrounded by concentric, shaded circles.
1. What part of this design is the original material?
The style of the cartoon resembles the Warner Bros ‘Animaniacs’, the resemblence is too indinstict to be a direct copy. The concetric circles are a pretty close rendition to the original Warner Brothers’ ‘Looney Tunes’ introductionary scene, or “curtain” as it were. The hair and claws are very much like Marvel’s Wolverine.
2. How does this design criticize or make fun of the original artwork?
The design makes fun of the Wolverine character by juxtaposing his cross-armed pose, claws bared, with the silly style of a vintange, simply drawn cartoon.
Successful parody? Most likely.
Studying parodies is fun! 
“Can I submit a design that was printed elsewhere?”
Sure, as long as it’s not still under any terms of obligation with the site where your design was printed.
For example, many other sites invoke a tedious 60-90 day exclusive right to your submitted artwork, in which you may not reproduce, sell, or submit the design to other sites for any commercial purpose while the design is being evaluated.
Some sites, like Threadless.com, retain exclusive rights over designs that they have accepted and printed, and you cannot resubmit them anywhere else. Other sites, like TeeFury.com, retain the right to print a design for 24 hours. After which time, you are free to submit your design elsewhere, including here at TshirtContest.com.
“Can I submit the same design more than once?”
Not the exact same design, but if you feel strongly about your design and would like to make some improvements, feel free to upload the new version for voting.
What kind of tshirts do you print on?
For men, we print on the Super Soft 100% Ringspun Cotton Hanes Nano-T, Style 4980. For sizes larger than 2X, we print on Hanes Tagless, Style 5250. For Ladies, we print on the Super Soft 100% Ringspun Cotton Hanes Nano-T, Style SL04.
Please be sure to double check how our tshirts fit to determine your actual size. Shirts are not refunded on the basis of an incorrect size.
What kind of inks and techniques do you use?
We primarily use plastisol with a special additive for softness. Occassionally we will use waterbased inks, or specialty inks, if the design calls for it.
How do your tshirts fit?
Hanes 4980 Mens Tee:
4.5 ounce, 100% combed ring spun cotton (Pre-shrunk)
Contemporary fit
Narrow rib knit collar without coverseam
Shoulders slightly rolled forward
Light Steel is 90/10 cotton/poly. Ash is 99/1 cotton/poly
Body Width: S= 17-18″, M= 19-20″, L= 21-22″, XL= 23-24″, 2XL= 25-26″
Body Length: S=27″, M=29″, L=31″, XL=32″, 2XL=33″, 3XL=34″
Hanes 5250 Mens Tee:
6 ounce, 100% ComfortSoft® cotton (Pre-shrunk)
Tagless® t-shirt for ultimate neck comfort
preshrunk jersey knit
double-needle cover-seamed neck with lay flat collar
shoulder-to-shoulder tape
double-needle sleeve and bottom hems
Body Width: S= 17-18″, M= 19-20″, L= 21-22″, XL= 24″, 2XL= 26″, 2XL= 28″
Body Length: S=28″, M=29″, L=30″, XL=31″, 2XL=33″, 3XL=34″
Hanes SL04 Ladies Tee:
4.5 ounce 100% Ringspun Cotton, fine jersey knit (Pre-shrunk)
100% 30-singles combed ringspun cotton
lightweight jersey fabric for outstanding drape and comfort
set-in ribbed collar
double-needle coverstitching along neck
contoured and sideseamed for a feminine, classic fit
Body Width: S=18.5″, M=19.5″, L=21″, XL=22.75″, 2XL=24.75″
Body Length: S=25.5″, M=26″, L=26.75″, XL=27.5″, 2XL=28″
Sleeve Length: S=6.38″, M=6.5″, L=6.75″, XL=7″, 2XL=7.25″
Do your tshirts shrink?
The Hanes tees are pre-shrunk. But even with pre-shrunk tees, if you pop it in the dryer on super hot, there may a tiny bit of shrinkage. Better to hang dry them if you’re worried about it.
Please be sure to double check how our tshirts fit to determine your actual size. Shirts are not refunded on the basis of an incorrect size.
How do I care for my tshirt?
Machine wash your tee inside out in cold or warm water. Cold is preferred.
Tumble dry medium or low, or better yet, hang dry.
Doing these simple things can preserve the life of your tee indefinately!
Advertise on TshirtContest.com
“How do I place an ad on TshirtContest.com?”
Currently, we’re not running sponsered ads on TshirtContest.com. However, if you’d like to discuss a possible spot, feel free to chat us up.
Orders & Shipping
“I missed a tshirt. Is it still available?”
Once a tshirt disappears from the Shop, that particular print run is no longer available. However, at some point in the future, we might run some designs as reprints.
“How long will it take to get my order?”
After 1 week of pre-order, it takes 7-10 business days to print and fulfill orders. Thereafter, transit time depends on the shipping method selected. Shipping times are dependent upon destination. However, the following are typical destinations:
USPS First Class Mail to a Domestic US address: 4-7 days.
USPS Priority Mail to a Domestic US address: 3-5 days.
USPS First Class Mail to an International address: 1-3 weeks or longer if held in the destination country’s Customs.
USPS Priority Mail to an International address: usually 10 business days, but can take up to 2-3 weeks.
First-Class Mail can be just as fast as Priority Mail during normal times of the year. Expect to add additional travel time for your package to arrive during the Holidays.
“What are the Free Tee Giveaway Contest Rules?”
Free Tee Giveaway Winners must contact TshirtContest.com with their desired Size, Men or Ladies, and shipping address before Midnight of the immediate following SUNDAY. We need your info by Sunday because the bulk print order is placed first thing that Monday morning. Some paying customers that purchased the tee on the previous Monday during the pre-order week have already been waiting a full week, so we want to fulfill their order as soon as possible. Regrettably, Winners that don’t claim their prize before midnight on Sunday forfeit said prize. So please keep apprised of the Winning Announcement!
Returns, Privacy Policy & Security
“What is your return policy?”
If your order is damaged upon arrival or if we sent a size that differs from the size that you ordered on your invoice, contact us to request a ‘Product Return Form’. We will email you the form. Fill out the form, print and return it with the damaged or incorrect product. We will send a refund upon receiving form and product. Shirts are not refunded on the basis of an incorrect size. Tshirts cannot have been worn or washed, and must be returned in their original condition. Products are not returned or refunded for any other reasons.
“What is your privacy policy?”
The Privacy Policy of TshirtContest.com can be found here.
“Are credit card transactions secure on this site?”
You bet! Our TshirtContest Shop is equiped with an industry standard 128 Bit SSL encrypted checkout to protect private data. We guarantee that your order data is hidden from prying eyes both during and after all transactions.
