A size chart that just repeats S, M, L, XL tells a buyer nothing they didn't already know, and it's a large part of why print on demand sellers deal with more sizing complaints than retail stores do. Retail shoppers can try a shirt on before buying it. Your buyer is guessing based on a letter, on a listing photo of a model they've never met, and on whatever assumptions they've built up from other brands' sizing. A real size chart, built from the specific blank's actual measurements, replaces that guess with a number.
The short answer
Build your size chart from the exact blank's measured chest width and body length, by size, not from generic S/M/L labels, and never reuse one chart across different garments. State how you measured it (laid flat, armpit to armpit, in inches and centimeters) directly on the chart, because that single sentence prevents most of the "this doesn't match what I expected" messages.
For most print on demand sellers, pull the current measurements from the blank manufacturer's own spec sheet and put them in your listing as a labeled image, not buried in the description text. Skip building a custom chart only if your print provider auto-generates an accurate one for the specific blank and color you're selling, since the generic chart in a provider's default template doesn't always match the exact product you picked.
Why do print on demand shirts get more sizing complaints than retail?
Because the buyer can't touch the product before paying for it, and the shirt is made specifically for them after they order. A retail store absorbs a bad-fit purchase by restocking the shirt; a print on demand order is printed once the order comes in, so a wrong size is usually a loss, not a shelf return. That asymmetry is exactly why providers like Printify tell sellers to treat sizing information as a cost-control tool, not just a nice listing feature.
The other driver is that shirt sizing isn't standardized across brands. A size L on a fitted Bella Canvas 3001 and a size L on a boxier Gildan 5000 are close in this specific case, but that's a coincidence of these two blanks, not a rule. Comfort Colors, Next Level, AS Colour, and Gildan all set their own size blocks, and a buyer who normally wears a large in one brand has no reliable reason to expect the same fit in another.
What should a print on demand size chart actually show?
Two numbers do most of the work: chest width and body length. Chest width is measured armpit to armpit with the shirt laid flat, so the real chest circumference is roughly double that number. Body length runs from the high point of the shoulder, at the collar seam, straight down to the hem. For long sleeve shirts and hoodies, add sleeve length, measured from the center back of the collar to the cuff.
State your measuring method on the chart itself. "Chest width, laid flat, armpit to armpit" is one line of text, and it's the difference between a buyer correctly comparing your number to their own shirt and a buyer assuming you mean full chest circumference, then ordering a size that's too big.
A real example: comparing three popular blanks
Here's what this looks like with actual manufacturer measurements, for three of the most common print on demand blanks. All figures are laid flat chest width and body length, in inches, from each brand's published spec sheet.
| Size | Bella Canvas 3001 (width / length) | Gildan 5000 (width / length) | Comfort Colors 1717 (width / length) |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 18 / 28 | 18 / 28 | 18.25 / 26.6 |
| M | 20 / 29 | 20 / 29 | 20.25 / 28 |
| L | 22 / 30 | 22 / 30 | 22 / 29.4 |
| XL | 24 / 31 | 24 / 31 | 24 / 30.75 |
| 2XL | 26 / 32 | 26 / 32 | 26 / 31.6 |
| 3XL | 28 / 33 | 28 / 33 | 27.75 / 32.5 |
The Bella Canvas 3001 and Gildan 5000 line up almost exactly in this range, which is a coincidence worth knowing but not a rule to build on. The Comfort Colors 1717 runs a touch wider at some sizes and consistently shorter in body length, around an inch and a half shorter at S and roughly half an inch shorter through most of the rest of the range. That length difference is exactly the kind of detail a generic S/M/L chart hides and a specific one catches.
Always pull current numbers from the manufacturer's own spec sheet before publishing a chart, since these figures can shift slightly between catalog updates, and a number that's a year out of date is worse than no number at all.
Should the chart match the fit, not just the blank?
Yes, if you sell more than one cut. A fitted retail tee and a boxy classic tee at the same size label can have meaningfully different chest widths, and a buyer comparing your fitted shirt's size chart against a boxy shirt they already own is going to size wrong even with good numbers in front of them. If your shop sells both a fitted blank like the Next Level 3600 and a boxier one like the Gildan 5000, build two charts, not one with a footnote.
Where should the size chart go in the listing?
As its own labeled image, early in the listing's photo set, not as a wall of text at the bottom of the description. Buyers skim. A size chart that only exists in paragraph four of your description gets read by almost nobody; a size chart that's the second or third image in your gallery gets seen by nearly everyone who's actually considering buying.
This is one of the few places a mockup does real work beyond showing the design: a flat lay or ghost mockup shown at consistent scale across sizes gives a buyer a visual sense of proportion that numbers alone don't. We build Drop Studio for generating those mockups, and a size chart image is worth producing with the same care as your hero shot, not as an afterthought graphic pasted in at the end.
Does a size chart actually stop returns?
It reduces the number of buyers who guess wrong, which is the realistic goal. It won't eliminate sizing complaints, because some buyers won't check the chart no matter how clearly you present it, and some will measure their own shirt incorrectly. What it does is remove the excuse for your own policy: if a size chart with real measurements was in your listing and a buyer didn't use it, you're on much firmer ground pointing to your return policy than if the listing only ever said "runs true to size."
Pair the chart with a plain statement of your policy, limiting exchanges to manufacturer defects or print errors rather than buyer's remorse on sizing. That combination, a specific chart plus a clear policy, is what print on demand providers consistently recommend, and it's the most you can reasonably do before the order prints.
A simple checklist for building your chart
- Pull the current spec sheet for the exact blank and color you're selling, from the manufacturer or your print provider.
- Record chest width and body length by size, and sleeve length if relevant, and note how each was measured.
- Build one chart per blank and fit, not one chart reused across your whole shop.
- Show inches and centimeters if you sell outside the US.
- Put the chart as its own image, early in your listing photos, not buried in the description.
- Re-check the chart periodically, since manufacturers do revise spec sheets, and a stale chart is a liability, not a convenience.
Related reading:
- How to Choose a T-Shirt Blank for Your Print on Demand Shop
- T-Shirt Print Placement and Sizing: A Guide for Print on Demand Sellers
- Etsy and Shopify Listing Image Size Guide for Print on Demand
Sources: manufacturer and distributor spec sheets for the BELLA+CANVAS 3001, Gildan 5000, and Comfort Colors 1717, cross-checked against size charts published by Printify and Blankstyle. Printify's knowledge hub guides on handling print on demand returns and zero-return sizing. Measurements vary slightly between catalog updates, always confirm current figures against the manufacturer's own spec sheet before publishing a chart.