Where to put your logo: a placement guide for shirts and hats

For most businesses, the left chest is the right place for a logo on a shirt or hoodie, with a big back logo added when people need to recognize you from behind. On a hat, the logo goes on the front panel, and one logo is all it needs.

That covers most logo placement on shirts and hats. The rest of this guide explains when to choose each option, what changes the decision, and how to make your logo hold up at each size.

What placements are there?

On tees, long sleeves and hoodies, we print on:

• Left chest
• Right chest
• Big back logo (adds $12 per piece, garments only)

On trucker hats, there is one placement: the front panel, with one logo.

Every placement is DTF printed, and you approve a digital proof before anything goes to print.

When should you use the left chest?

Left chest is the default for staff and team wear, and for good reason. It is where people expect a logo, it reads as tidy and professional, and it works on every garment from a tee to a hoodie.

It suits:

• Staff uniforms in shops, restaurants and offices.
• Client-facing teams who want to look consistent without looking loud.
• Anyone who isn't sure. Left chest is hard to get wrong.

When does the right chest make sense?

Right chest is less common, which is partly the appeal. Some reasons to choose it:

• Staff wear a name badge, lanyard or clip-on mic on the left.
• You want the logo to sit on the side people see first when you face them across a counter or reach to shake hands.
• You are matching an existing uniform that already uses the right side.

If none of those apply, left chest is the safer choice.

When is a big back logo worth adding?

A back logo is about being recognized from a distance and from behind. It earns its $12 when:

• Your crew works on job sites, at events or in public, often with their backs to the street.
• You run a team or club and want members recognizable on the bench or in a group.
• The shirt is partly advertising, worn around town as much as at work.

The usual combination is a small chest logo on the front with the big logo on the back. The front looks professional up close, and the back does the work from across the road.

Where does the logo go on a hat?

On a trucker hat, the logo sits on the front panel. We print one logo per hat, available in black or navy.

A hat gives you less room than a shirt, so simpler logos work best. A wordmark with thin letters can get hard to read at hat size. If your logo has a short version, an icon or initials, that is often the better choice for the hat.

How do you make a logo work at chest size?

A chest logo is small, and fine detail doesn't survive being shrunk. Before you order:

• Check thin lines and small text. Taglines and fine outlines often become unreadable at chest size. Consider a simpler version for the front.
• Think about the garment colour. Garments come in white, black, grey and blue. A dark logo disappears on black, and a white logo disappears on white.
• Use the cleanest file you have. A vector file, or a large, sharp image, prints better than a screenshot or a logo pulled from your website. Our guide to getting the right logo file for printing explains what to look for.

The proof is the place to catch this. If something looks cramped or faint on the proof, it will look the same on the shirt.

What does each option cost?

Pricing is per piece and includes the garment plus one logo. Here is a worked example for an order of 10 hoodies, which falls in the 10+ tier at $36 each.

The minimum order is 5 pieces across the whole order, and you can mix sizes, colours and garments. All prices are starting points, plus HST.

A quick way to decide

• Staff in a shop, office or restaurant: left chest.
• Crew on job sites or at events: left chest plus big back.
• Team or club: chest on the front, big logo on the back.
• Hats for anyone: one logo on the front panel, simplest version of your mark.

Where Papaya fits

We print DTF on tees, long sleeves, hoodies and trucker hats, with left chest, right chest and big back options, and a digital proof before printing. See our custom apparel page for garments and pricing, or order directly through the shop. Questions about a larger order go through the contact form.

Common questions

Where is the standard logo placement on shirts?

The left chest is the standard placement for staff and team shirts. It looks professional, it is where people expect a logo, and it works on tees, long sleeves and hoodies.

Should I put my logo on the back of a work shirt?

Add a big back logo if your team is often seen from behind or at a distance, such as on job sites or at events. A small chest logo on the front with a large back logo is the most common combination.

Can I print a logo on the side or back of a trucker hat?

Our trucker hats take one logo, printed on the front panel. A simplified version of your logo, such as an icon or initials, usually reads best at hat size.