PRIZES

Top sellers will be awarded special cash prizes in addition to profits earned!

*prizes are in USD

PROFITS

*profits are in USD.

In addition to profits earned, artists who sell 25 shirts or more will get a free Artist Club item of their choosing.

PRINT METHOD

DESIGN TEMPLATE

Sign up to download our design template here. 

Our design template has the canvas ready to go at the correct size, shirt & ink colors, and some helpful tools to get you started.

ART GUIDELINES

Design for the front of the shirt only and consider the shirt color and how it can be incorporated. The shirt color does not count as an ink color and can be used to break up space in the design.

Files that work best for screen printing are a Photoshop (.psd) document sized for printing at 300 dpi.
The smallest detail that can be reliably printed is 2x2 pixels at 300 dpi. 

*Most art programs like Procreate can be exported as a .psd file. If you can't export as a .psd then Illustrator (.ai) or a high-res .png file with transparent background, or a .pdf also work. Specific export instructions in FAQ.

Size: Front designs can be any size within 12.5 inches wide x 14.5 inches tall.
The example below shows the correct file size and resolution at 300dpi.

For halftone images, please include the areas to be halftones in a separate layer. This means any soft brushes, or any non-solid brushes or textures should be separated on their own layer like the below example.

Our team will expertly halftone any non-solid areas into halftones for screen printing.

If your design was created traditionally instead of digitally, please send in a high-quality scan of your image at 300 dpi at print size.

PRINTABLE AREA

Max print size is 12.5" wide x 14.5" tall
Left Chest size is 3.5" x 3.5"

See our FAQ (below) for more specific halftones and file export info.

MARKETING TIPS

Post on social media consistently and often
• Have your preorder link in an easy to locate spot for customers (in your bio or use LinkTree).
• Create unique content on Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky. Focus on one platform and work to build a community, entertain, and find your supporters.
• Update your audience with reminders: “1 week left,” “1 day left,” etc.
• Instagram is great for communicating with your existing audience while TikTok can be more effective for sharing your story with a larger audience that might be meeting you for the first time.

Short Videos - Reels
We’ve found that the most effective way to reach your Instagram audience is through Instagram reels and carousels. The algorithm prioritizes content that people watch all the way through so keep things interesting. Here are some tips on how to make a really good reel:

• Use 9:16 Video Aspect Ratio (Vertical iPhone)
• Use clear and dynamic audio; high quality audio is key!
• Use SAFE ZONES — ensure focal points of your video don’t get obscured by the Reels interface (See diagram below)
• Add people and faces to video content to boost performance
• Make your story relatable — help the viewer imagine themselves in your situation
• Create motion; motion in videos helps make transitions between clips more seamless
• POV shots can create interesting and engaging imagery
• End with a clear Call to Action. Tell your audience what you want them to do next
• Add the link to your shirt in your post copy
• Respond to comments after posting the reel to increase engagement
• Add a HOOK at the very beginning of your video (first 2-3 seconds). Hooks are attention grabbing devices that make viewers stop and watch your video; common hooks include: 

• Visually interesting or curious images 
• Tips or “Hacks” Disruptive sounds that grab attention
• Stated reasons why viewers should watch your video
• Fun facts
• Visual surprises or something unexpected
• A question that your video will answer

CAROUSELS
• Share photos of your design, mockup, process, studio, and more.
• Incorporate short videos that show the mood or the space in which you work
• Have fun! These photos and videos can also just be about personality
• Add a Call to Action—tell your audience what to do next
• Share the link to your shirt
• Respond to comments after posting your carousel to increase engagement

Engage in Storytelling
• Share the story behind your design or the broader narrative of your artistic journey. Create compelling comics, animations, or short videos of you that build and communicate your artistic vision.
• Chat about what inspired your design, a glimpse into your studio, or a time-lapse of your creative process.

Interact with Followers
• Respond to comments, host Q&A sessions, or go live to discuss your design inspirations.

Collaborate
• Partner with other artists for shoutouts or cross-promotions.
• Check out our discord to chat with other artists.
• Tag us on Instagram @rawpaw so we can share too. We can only share so many before our feed is flooded so we will do our best to curate your amazing content during our working hours (Monday through Friday 10am-6pm CST).

In Person Events
• Engage in Local Communities and Participate in art fairs, pop-up shops, or craft markets.
• You can create a QR code that links to your shirt and create handouts, posters, or display at your booth.
• Physical fliers at common spots like coffee shops, book stores, etc are great for connecting outside your audience.

Paid Advertising
• Use platforms like Meta Ads, Google Ads, or Instagram promoted posts to find specific people interested in your style.
While this can be challenging and expensive to get going, we have really grown our brand with ads on social media and we always view it as investing in ourselves. Plus sometimes a design can take off if the right people see it or the algorithm shows you love.

Remember to post as your authentic self. When you care about something, your audience will too!

TERMS

Artists retain all rights to their artwork and make profit for every shirt sold.

A minimum of 10 shirts must be sold in order for shirts to be screen printed. You can do it!

If less than 10 shirts are preordered upon conclusion of your campaign, we will print the shirts with high quality digital printing.

Production begins after the challenge ends.

Payouts are sent via Paypal and will happen after preorder ends.

Raw Paw crew members are encouraged to participate in the challenge. If a Raw Paw crew member wins in any category, the prize will go to the next non-crew participant and the Raw Paw crew member will win an additional prize.

Users under the age of 18 must have permission of their parent or legal guardian and all financial information must belong to a parent or legal guardian. Age is verified through use of PayPal since users must be over the age of 18 to have an account.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Raw Paw handles all customer service inquiries.

Due to the small size of our business, all sales are final.

CONTENT LIMITS

Abusive, threatening, defamatory, or harassing designs are prohibited. This includes anything that is discriminatory or promoting harm. Show us what you are thinking, we have an open mind.

Nothing in violation of someone else’s privacy or intellectual property rights. No AI-generated art. 

Raw Paw reserves the right to decline any designs for any reason.

SHIPPING

Design Challenge shirts will go into the production queue after the preorder period ends. Please note any orders for shirts that are part of our Design Challenge will take longer to print and ship due to increased demand.

Production begins after the challenge ends, and orders will go out as they are completed.
Updates will be provided via email to artists and customers.

Shipping fees are calculated based on current USPS rates and are applied at checkout.
Standard shipping times apply once shipped.

We are a small artist-run studio that cares about your artwork and our craft. We appreciate your patience as we work hard to print and ship out your shirts as soon as we can.

FAQ

Don't see your question here? Send us an email.

How many shirts must I sell in order to have my design screen printed?

A minimum of 10 shirts must be sold in order for your design to be screen printed.

If less than 10 shirts are preordered upon conclusion of the Design Challenge, we will print the shirts with high quality digital printing.

Check out our "Marketing Tips" section for helpful notes on promoting your design to make that goal.

How many colors can I use in my design?

For this Design Challenge, Heaven or Hell, you are limited to a either a one color print or two color print. Choose 1-2 ink colors from the available Challenge ink options.

How much does the shirt sell for?

Standard Shirt sells for $26
Cropped Boxy Shirt sells for $30

Can I buy my own shirt?

Yes, if you’d like to get a shirt for yourself, just purchase through our site before the Design Challenge ends. As the artist you will be paid out for this sale, the same as you will be for all other orders of your design. Payouts will be at the end of the campaign.

Can I submit artwork I have previously made or does it need to be new art?

You are welcome to either make new work or submit an older art piece. If a previous piece fits the Design Challenge theme you are welcome to submit it. For all new pieces submitted, please refrain from sharing the full image online until the Design Challenge has launched. For old pieces, please refrain from telling your audience that piece will be printed on a shirt for the Design Challenge until launch. 

What is screen printing?

Screen printing works by using a mesh screen, fabric ink, and printing press. Designs are burned into the screen to create a stencil. Then screens are set up manually on the press, and inks are pushed through the screen onto the fabric below.

Screen printing works best with solid flat colors and halftones. Since screen printing requires each ink to get its own screen, the number of color layers in a print are based on screen count.

What is digital printing?

Digital printing works by jetting ink onto the shirt with a printhead similar to an ink-jet printer. Inks soak into the fabric to create an image.

What are halftones?

Screen printing can only print solid areas, so halftones (solid dots) are used to replicate shading.

Make sure areas that need to be halftones (like soft brushes, non-solid brushes or textures, low opacity, gradients, etc.) are on a separate layer from lineart / solid fill colors. Raw Paw will convert these layers into halftones that work best for our print process.*

*If you use a halftone brush, the brush must be solid pixels and on its own separate layer. (No fuzzy edges!)

File Format & Export Info

Save your working file with layers still separated; this helps us easily process the different ink colors (or halftones) for print. Keep the layers you want printed turned on and visible. If you used an uncommon typeface please rasterize text (right click layer and select Rasterize Type) or send over the font file. For vector files (like Illustrator) please outline your fonts.

Photoshop
Photoshop: File > Save As > Format: Photoshop

Procreate
Procreate: Click the Wrench Icon > Share > Share Image > PSD > Click "Save to Files" to save to iCloud or Google Drive
*Please note: Do not select one of the options under "Share Layers" as this will separate each layer into its own image, and the file will have to be reconstructed. And do not select "Save Image" as it will flatten into an image file.

Illustrator
Illustrator: File > Save As > Format: Adobe Illustrator (ai) > "Create PDF Compatible File" should be checked on when saving
*Please outline text and strokes before sending over the artwork.

Clip Studio Paint
Clip Studio Paint: File > Save Duplicate > select Adobe Photoshop Document .psd

ibisPaint
ibisPaint: Click the Share Icon > PSD (Preserved Layers) > Click "Save to Files" to save to iCloud or Google Drive
*Please note: Do not select "PSD (Flattened Layer)" as this will flatten the file.

Send your file to Raw Paw
Attach your art file when filling out the submission form.
If your file is larger than the upload limit, reply to submission email with a google drive link.
*Please make sure Google Drive link sharing permissions are on and shared with us.

Why are the designs run as preorders?

It's more eco-conscious and cost-effective. We have also found that you are more likely to make sales of your designs by focusing your efforts on one strong push.

Minimal Waste: Running a preorder campaign allows us to collect all the orders upfront, so we are able to sustainably produce only the shirts that have been ordered and not create extra waste.

Free Service: The preorder model allows us to offer this as a free service to users to sell their designs on shirts. There are no upfront costs, no money down, and it is completely risk-free to use.

Fulfillment and Shipping: Many artists want to sell their shirts but do not have the infrastructure for fulfillment and shipping. We take care of this for you, along with customer service!

How is my art protected from design theft?

We do our best to protect artists’ intellectual property, and artists’ retain full rights to submitted designs.

In an effort to combat theft of artwork, we have disabled the ability to right-click save images off our website. Images on product pages are lower resolution files and not the original design file. The original high resolution design files sent in via submission are inaccessible from our website, and designs will be printed high quality from these files.

We trust our audience, buyers, and artists, to support and buy from legitimate sources.

Can I see who has ordered my shirt?

In order to protect customer information we do not share personal information of who has purchased your shirt.

Do you ship internationally?

Yes, we ship worldwide. However, please note we ship out of Austin, Texas so international shipping rates will be higher. International shipping costs are set through the post office and are outside of our control. 

Size Chart

For this design challenge, customers are able to choose between two shirt styles. The standard shirt is a classic fit and comes in sizes S-5XL. The boxy shirt is a wider fit with mid-length cut and comes in sizes S-3XL.

Sizes are in inches for shirt laid flat. Chest is measured across the front from side to side. Length is measured from the top collar to the bottom of the shirt. Sizes are approximate and there may be 1-2" of difference.

Unisex Standard Shirt

Unisex Cropped Boxy Shirt