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It's sometimes hard to know what to make for Dad for Christmas, but professional looking home made T-shirts are a real winner. Best of all is that all you really need to make a T-shirt at home is your Computer and some great ideas.

To start with you have to get creative. Open up a new image in your desktop publishing program sized 305mm x 305mm or 2100 x 2100 pixels and 100 resolution. It is quite a big space and will fit on the centre front of the T-shirt.

Now you need to fill the blank space with images, photos and maybe some text. You can source images on the Internet. If you visit the Google homepage and type in what you are looking for – for Example 'Rudolf' and them click search - this will show you web results. To see the images of Rudolf that Google has found. However if you click 'Images' at the top left-hand side of the browser, just above the Google logo, it will show you the image results.

If you want to an image to fill the T-shirt, you need to choose a large image. If you stretch the image and make it bigger, it reduces the quality of the finished image design, and you won't have a sharp, crisp image on the finished T-shirt.

To make sure that the images you source on the Internet are big enough to fill your T-shirt design, on the Google Images search results page click '+' next to 'Show Options' at the top left hand side below the Google Logo. This opens a menu of filtering options on the left, choose 'Large' in the size section. Now Google will only show you the large images.

Select images that are personal to your Dad, maybe his favourite Motorbike, his favourite band or singer, his favourite sports person or maybe a formula one racing car. You could use a photo of yourself or your family. You can also use the text functionality on your desktop publishing program to write a funny caption or a message.

Sample T-shirt Designs
Click to view and copy the full sized images

When you are happy with your design save it as a jpg or a Gif onto your computer and visit the Vistaprint website.

On the menu on the left hover over 'Gifts & Fun' and them choose 'T-shirts' from the list. Select if you would like a long or short sleeved T-shirt and them click the big button that says 'Upload your own complete design' this will them ask you if you have a Full Front (which you have) or a Left Chest - Select Full Front.

Then you have to upload your image. Click the browse button on the screen and look into the files for the image that you created and click open. The website will then upload the image and display your design on a T-shirt to the right. If you are happy with your design click the next button and proceed tot he check out. There is a small charge for the T-shirt of £5.49 and this amount can be paid with most leading credit or debit cards or Paypal.

Your personalised T-shirt will take around 3 weeks to arrive, and makes a really professional looking and yet personal Christmas present for your Dad.