We will begin by printing a paper template of our design to use for placement and centering.

Many embroidery software programs allow you to print templates. Contact your embroidery machine dealer to see if there is any special software that is needed to load the designs. If not, here are a couple of recommendations: Embird, Buzz Tools, or Wilcom TrueSizer.
 

Once the template has been printed, trim around the design for easy placement.

Lay the T-shirt flat, and place the template on top about 2 1/4 inches from the top shoulder seam, or, where you think it looks the best.

To find the center of the T-shirt, measure between the sleeve seams and divide by two.

Place the center point of your template right over that center point, and use a bit of masking tape to keep the template in place.

Using an air-erase pen (or other marking tool), mark the center point on the shirt as well as the horizontal and vertical axis points. We will mark the top of the shirt a bit later. Remove the template.

To stabilize the shirt for embroidery, turn it inside out. Cut a piece of cutaway stabilizer a bit larger than your hoop (we are using mesh cutaway by Floriani).

Then, spray the stabilizer with a bit of adhesive, and smooth it onto the inside of the shirt, on the area to be embroidered.

Turn the shirt right side out.
 

Let's finish marking the shirt so that it can be hooped correctly. Draw lines to connect the axis and center points. Also, extend the vertical axis line onto the stabilizer and above the neckline.

Place the outer hoop inside of the T-shirt with the tab facing the bottom of the shirt. Place the inner hoop on top, aligning the marks on the hoop with the lines on the fabric. Press the hoop in place.

Roll the excess shirt up around the hoop and clip it out of the way (we used hair clips).

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the design. Move the hoop so that the needle is directly over the center point on the fabric.

Embroider the design.