Getting shirts printed

Printed T-shirts and polo shirts turn up at charity runs, hen parties, club matches and staff days. The first decisions come before the order goes in, starting with the artwork.

Whose artwork it is

GOV.UK explains that copyright protects a person's work and stops others using it without their permission. Nobody has to apply for it. It applies automatically to original artistic work, including illustrations and photographs.

So a photo, drawing or design found online belongs to whoever made it. Ask them before it goes on a shirt. For small businesses and individuals, the Intellectual Property Office has written a copyright notice on digital images and photographs.

Logos and names

A brand name or logo can also be a registered trade mark, which is a separate right. GOV.UK describes registering a trade mark as a way to protect a brand, such as the name of a product or service.

A club badge, a band's logo or a company's name belongs to its owner. Get the owner's say-so before you have it printed.

If the shirts arrive wrong

Buying from a business without seeing the goods first gives you 14 days to cool off and change your mind, with some exceptions. Citizens Advice gives the exception that applies here. That right leaves out anything bespoke or made to measure, and its list of items with no cooling-off period includes an item that was personalised or custom-made for you. Shirts printed to your own design will normally fall outside it, so a change of mind is not a reason to send them back.

The seller still has a duty here. Citizens Advice says a business selling an item with no cooling-off period must tell you so before you buy.

A fault is different. Shirts that arrive damaged, that cannot be used, or that differ from what the seller advertised can entitle you to have them repaired or replaced, or your money back. Citizens Advice names two cases where those rights fall away: damage caused by wear and tear, an accident or misuse, and a fault that was known to you before buying.

Citizens Advice links from these pages to its own advice for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

If you plan to sell them

Selling shirts brings in the textile labelling rules. GOV.UK says special rules apply to anyone who manufactures, distributes or sells textiles, and the label has to give the fibre content. When two or more parts of a shirt differ in fibre content, the label must show each part's content. Responsibility sits with the manufacturer and the retailer.

If you print shirts as a business

For printing businesses, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) keeps a set of pages covering screen printing and digital inkjet printing among other methods. They deal with dermatitis, noise and manual handling, and with machinery and fire risks.

Useful links