Can I Print On A Crop Top?

When you’re designing a custom-made t-shirt, an often overlooked element is the type of shirt you’re printing on, and not the design itself.

The crop top is a fun alternative to the usual boyfriend tees and raglan shirts that many people print on, and it could form the basis for your new favourite piece of clothing.

Can you print on a crop top, though? Yes, it is possible to print a design on a crop top, just as you would with another style of shirt, but extra care needs to be taken because of the limited fabric.

Methods like DTG, screen printing, and iron-on transfers are all possible with these shorter styles

If you’ve been dreaming about a cute crop with a unique design on it, you’re in luck, because we’ve got the guide to make sure it turns out exactly as you hoped.

With our tips for crop top printing and what to think about during the design phase, you’re guaranteed to get it right.

Editors note: Check out the complete Ascolour crop range.
We have a growing list available among our none core items

What is a Crop Top Exactly?

The crop top has been a wardrobe staple since the 60s, but history shows that it goes back a lot further than we realise.

The first instance of cropped tops being worn can be seen in the 1930s and 1940s in swimwear, and even during the war when fabric was rationed and smaller garments needed to be made.

This unique type of top is also referred to as a cut-off shirt, half shirt, or midriff top, and it can encompass just about any garment that exposes the abdomen and waist.

These tops can be worn as casual pieces, loungewear, activewear, evening wear, high fashion, and everything in between.

Crop tops were originally considered a women’s garment but in recent years, they’ve been seen on men as well.

They can be worn alone or layered with other pieces, so in terms of versatility, there’s one of the more fluid options in your wardrobe.

Can You Print on a Crop Top?

At first glance, it might seem like a crop top doesn’t have a lot of room for printing a design on, let alone anything else, but you would be wrong in this assumption.

If you look at any of the leading online printing garment design and printing tools out there today, there’s a good chance you’ll come across the crop top category.

Although a crop top is missing the bottom part of the garment, this isn’t usually where you’d find anything printed anyway.

Other styles of printed shirts will have the design starting closer to the neckline or adjacent to the underarm area, and both of these are still intact when you look at the design of a crop top.

Printing on a crop top may lead to some limitations in how much space you have to work with and the size of the design.

During the planning stages, it’s best to use a design tool that gives you a realistic preview of the final look so you can make sure the intended print will fit on a crop top.

Things to Consider Before Printing

It’s never been easier to create a printed t-shirt of your own design thanks to all of the software and services out there.

But, as easy as it looks, you’ll still need to think of a jew major points before jumping in, and when dealing with a garment as unique as the crop top, they’re even more crucial to consider.

Design Matters

Spend a lot of time designing the logo or image that you’ll be printing as this is the most important part, and do your research at popular online clothing stores to help you brainstorm.

The final design should be simple enough that it’s not messy but without losing any of the finer details that matter.

With the limited space of a crop top, it’s especially important not to get too carried away with an intricate design.

Garment Sizing

The size of the crop top will also matter so before anything is printed, you need to know the specific measurements of the garment.

All sizes run differently and each manufacturer will have their idea about what a crop top is, so have these on hand to know what size of the design will fit.

Opt For Smaller Designs

A common mistake with printing on t-shirts is that the design ends up looking a lot bigger than you planned it to.

With a crop shirt, this means it can take up the whole front of the shirt, which will be even more obvious.

Use a t-shirt generator to get a more accurate idea of what the final product will look like to avoid this mistake.

Appealing Shapes

The shape of the printed design is also important, so if you’re using an image and not just lettering, think this part through.

If you’re using square or circular shapes, keep them smaller than usual, and if they’re being placed on a crop top, you might want to go even smaller still.

Design Space

Have an idea of what measurements you’ll want the design to be, and look at what space a crop top has compared to something like a hoodie or standard tee.

If your idea doesn’t look like it’s going to fit comfortably on a crop, move up to something bigger or scrap the design altogether.

Image Quality

The quality of an image will have a major impact on how the whole shirt looks, so avoid low-resolution files or poorly designed images.

You want the image to fit perfectly onto the crop without looking stretched or shrunk so choose a vector image that lets you adjust it without negative consequences.

The Best Design Ideas for Crop Top Printing

Printing on a crop top is no different from printing on any other style of t-shirt, as certain things will work and those that won’t.

For this specific garment and its limited space, you want to choose designs that don’t take up too much room, so simple is usually best.

For a printed crop top, the most popular design choice is some simple lettering, whether this is a single word or a popular slogan.

The simplicity of lettering is ideal for the smaller space of a crop and unless you’re using all sorts of random colours thrown together, the garment won’t look too busy.

If you do decide to use an image, less is more when it comes to details because there’s already not a lot of room for the eye to look over.

Keep the colours to a minimum as well otherwise, it’ll be overwhelming, and make sure that the shirt itself coordinates with the primary colour of the printed design.

Types of Crop Tops

The basic definition of a crop top is a shirt that exposes the midriff, but within this general category, there are a few different styles to explore.

If you’re trying to settle on a design and know that you want a cut-off top, you can use any of these options to create the shirt of your dreams.

Singlet crop: A singlet crop could use either spaghetti straps or a tank-style strap to make it work. These are commonly used in activewear and are great for warmer weather, exposing both the wearer’s arms and their midriff.
Sweater crop: This garment is like a regular sweater or jumper with long sleeves, but a midriff cut that exposes the abdomen. If you’re hoping to keep warm with one of these crop sweaters, you’ll want to layer it over a shirt or two, otherwise, the exposed bottom could defeat its purpose.
Long-sleeved crop: A long-sleeved crop is made with standard t-shirt material but not as thick as a jumper or sweater. The sleeves are long and the waist is exposed so it’s more balanced in its coverage of the body.
T-shirt crop: A standard t-shirt crop looks just like a regular tee but with a shorter midriff area. They can be as basic as a tee or something fancier for party wear and are the most common style used for printing on.

Other Unusual Shirt Styles That Work

If you’re not married to the idea of printing on a crop top but still want something that stands out, there’s no shortage of other styles of garments you can use.

These are just a few ideas for alternative garments that would look amazing with a custom-printed design on the front.

Hoodies: Printing a design on a hoodie combines the best of both worlds with a way to stay warm and a fun part of your personality on the show. Hoodies are known for having some of the largest areas for printing on as well, so you get lots of room for a cool design.
Onesies: A onesie for you or your baby is a fun way to make custom printing work, but larger sizes are also available for adults. These garments are all in one that encompasses a top and bottom, with long pants or shorts, and there’s plenty of room up front for a printed design to fit on.
Polo shirt: A polo probably isn’t the first type of shirt that comes to mind when thinking about a printed tee, but they’re a smart alternative. A well-made polo is comfortable, stylish, and a standout when you look at the standard custom tees out there, so don’t discount it right away.
Sports bra: Although a little harder to get right, it is possible to custom print a design on a sports bra. This type of gear would be great for a gym or health and wellness brand to utilise, but with such limited space to work on you have to choose the design carefully.

A Fun Way to Print Your Tee

T-shirt printing doesn’t have to be done in a boring or traditional way just to make it work, and slapping a design onto a crop top is a unique alternative.

If you want to make a custom tee using a crop top, be sure to do your measurements and plan for a design that works, so you can reap all of the benefits of these fun garments.