InkForm Tee Fit, Sizing and Quality: Do They Shrink?

Do InkForm tees run small, and do they shrink? InkForm tees are a relaxed fit, so most people should order their usual size, or go up 1-2 sizes for an oversized look. The shirts are 100% ring-spun cotton and pre-shrunk, so they shouldn't shrink much, though any cotton tee can still shrink slightly if it's washed hot or tumble dried on high heat.

That's the short answer. The rest of this page is the size chart, the reasoning, and some laundry advice from a company that prints yokai on shirts and is now, somehow, giving laundry advice.

Quick facts

• Fit: relaxed, unisex
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL
• Fabric: 100% ring-spun cotton, pre-shrunk
• Colors: black, pepper (a washed charcoal), ivory, white
• Print method: direct-to-garment (DTG), printed to order in the US
• Care: machine wash cold, inside-out, gentle cycle; tumble dry low or hang dry
• Returns: 14-day return window

InkForm size chart (in inches)

Width is measured armpit to armpit. All measurements are in inches.

The most reliable way to pick a size is to compare against a shirt you already own and like. Lay it flat, measure straight across from armpit to armpit, and match that number to the Width column. This takes about a minute and is more accurate than any guess we could make about your shoulders.

Do InkForm shirts run small or big?

They run relaxed. That means a bit roomier through the body than a fitted or "slim" tee, but not cut oversized on purpose.

• For a regular, relaxed fit: order your usual size.
• For an oversized look: go up 1-2 sizes.
• If you're between sizes: check the Width column against a tee you like, then pick the closer match.

All InkForm tees are unisex, so there's no separate men's or women's sizing to decode. One chart covers everyone.

Do cotton shirts shrink?

Yes, cotton can shrink. Cotton fibers tighten up when they're exposed to heat and agitation, which is why a cotton shirt that goes through a hot wash and a hot dryer can come out a little smaller than it went in.

Pre-shrunk means the fabric was shrunk during manufacturing, before it was made into the shirt you get. Most of the shrinking has already happened by the time it reaches you. That's why a pre-shrunk tee holds its size much better than untreated cotton.

It doesn't make cotton shrink-proof, though. A pre-shrunk tee can still shrink slightly if you wash it in hot water or dry it on high heat. We'd love to promise otherwise, but cotton doesn't take instructions from us.

How to stop a cotton tee from shrinking

The fix is mostly about heat:

1. Wash cold. Cold water is gentler on the fibers and on the print.
2. Use a gentle cycle. Less agitation, less wear.
3. Dry low or hang dry. High dryer heat is the main thing that shrinks cotton. Hanging it up is the safest option.
4. Skip the iron on the print. If you need to iron the shirt, iron it inside-out and stay off the design.

If you follow those, your size on day one should still be your size later on.

What is ring-spun cotton?

Ring-spun cotton is cotton yarn made by repeatedly twisting and thinning the cotton fibers into a fine, tight strand. The result is a yarn that's smoother, softer and stronger than cotton spun with faster, cheaper methods, which tend to make a looser, rougher yarn.

What that means for a T-shirt:

• Softer feel, because the yarn is finer and smoother against your skin
• Better durability, because the tightly twisted fibers hold together well
• A smoother surface to print on, which helps a printed design look crisp

Every InkForm tee is 100% ring-spun cotton. No blends, and no polyester quietly pretending to be cotton.

What is DTG printing?

DTG stands for direct-to-garment. It works a lot like an inkjet printer, except the paper is your shirt. The printer sprays water-based ink straight onto the fabric, the ink soaks into the cotton fibers, and the print is then heat-cured so it sets into the shirt.

What that means in practice:

• The print is part of the fabric, not a thick layer sitting on top of it, so it stays soft and breathable.
• Fine detail and color gradients come through, which matters for designs with linework, brush strokes or kanji.
• Each shirt is printed when you order it. Nothing is pulled from a pile of pre-printed stock.

All InkForm tees are printed to order in the US with DTG. Your shirt doesn't exist until you order it, which is either very efficient or slightly unsettling, depending on how you think about it.

How do you make a DTG print last?

DTG prints are durable when they're treated reasonably. They're also not invincible, and the things that hurt them are the same things that shrink cotton.

• Wash inside-out. The print rubs against the drum and other clothes less.
• Wash cold, gentle cycle.
• No bleach. It breaks down both the fabric and the ink.
• No fabric softener. It can coat the fibers and the print.
• Tumble dry low or hang dry.
• Don't iron the print directly.

Like any printed cotton tee, a DTG print will soften and fade gradually over a lot of washes. Following the care steps slows that down. Washing it hot with bleach every day speeds it up, and also raises other questions.

What colors do InkForm tees come in?

Four: black, pepper (a washed charcoal), ivory and white. Every current design comes in all four. The same care instructions apply to every color.

Wear it

Now that you know your size and how not to boil your shirt, the full lineup is in T-shirts. Same fit, same fabric, same printer, a lot of cats, frogs and yokai.

Two places to start: the Out of Office Cat T-Shirt, a cat that hung a "closed today" sign and went to sleep, and the Not My Problem Frog T-Shirt, a frog on a lily pad who heard you and doesn't care. Both fit exactly as described above. Neither will help with your laundry.