T-Shirt template

.....on a t-shirt contest there is a link  at the bottom of the brief that  says "t-shirt template regular", when you hover over the text it shows as a link,  but clicking it goes nowhere.  Am  I missing something here? Is there a specific template for shirts that I should have? I've designed quite a number of t-shirts in my lifetime and almost  without fail  the silkscreen  shop will  take an Illustrator file or an  SVG and do  their thing with it.  I was once asked to  actually give them JPG,  but never used that  place again. 

Also, in the same contest, the brief states that  they  want their logo  on the back of the shirt.  They  already  have their logo,  so  what  exactly am I supposed to  do  with it? Should I rebuild it as a vector and hand it back  to  them?


....also,  a bit off topic,  but I see a lot of designs in t-shirt contests that  are full color with  no  half-toning. While I am fully aware that  shirts can be directly printed onto  fabric these days,  I also  kow that  by  a large margain  that  silk-screening is still  the go-to choice for the majority of shirts out there. Is there a way  knowing what the final  process will  be,  and what  to  design  for in this aspect? 

Thanks,

-J

The graphic T-shirt production process poses a really good question.

How is it being done and what are the limitations and advantages of each procedure?

Silk screen, airbrush, digital print, embroidery or other?

How many colors, toners (metalics), inks: process, spot, rgb, threads and types etc.?

Are there limitation on the color of the garment?

Each vender seems to just know their own equipment. (One asked me for a high resolution PNG file)

It would be very nice to have an up-to-date overview of this rapidly changing field.

At least it would be nice if the CH could direct the designers to their T-shirt decorating vendor.

Thanks

"At least it would be nice if the CH could direct the designers to their T-shirt decorating vendor..."

Yup,  that would help immensely.  My  standard way of approaching a shirt is to  call  the print shop that the client will  be using and get  all of the details from  them. That way I KNOW that what I am doing is correct.  Right now I'm keeping these files as loose as possible  so  changes can  be made easily if needed. 

-J

When I talk with clients I ask them  to provide the design spec from the print company they are going to use no matter if it is an online site or a site from local area. I also ask the client to include  in the project details how the shirt will be printed, screen print, heat press ect...  any color linits. File format such as vector or raster (then i have to explain what vector and raster is) I ask the lcient to include where the design is to be printed and to upload a shirt template the print company mahe or use if any  

As for the link I am not sure about that. I will need to ask the developers about that

"...then i have to explain what vector and raster is."


...always fun,  always happens.

I was working for a print shop  last year for a while(doing their overflow--team/school shirts mainly),  and the owner had no  idea what  he was doing. He was basically funding it for his wife and oldest son.  I tried explaining to  him once why  you couldn't use a gradient from  white to  black on a silk screened shirt,  his wife pulled me to  the side and basically told me to  not even  bother,  just  set up  the half-toning and do  what I was being paid for.  I'll  never forget  him telling me that "the shirt is white the ink is black,  why  can't you just fade it in?" Facepalm. 

-J