Contest Overview
The OTTO T-Shirt Design Contest invites artists, designers, customers, employees, and fans to create the next official OTTO T-shirt.
The Grand Prize-winning design will become OTTO's official team shirt, worn by employees across New England and offered for sale in limited quantities through the OTTO online merchandise store.
Whether you're a professional illustrator or simply have a great idea, we'd love to see your creativity.
Contest Timeline
- Contest Opens: July 29, 2026
- Submission Deadline: August 30, 2026 (11:59 PM ET)
- Internal Judging (Top 10 Selection): August 31 – September 4, 2026
- Fan Favorite Voting: September 7 – 13, 2026
- Grand Prize & Fan Favorite Announced: September 16, 2026
- Winning Shirt Available: Late September / Early October 2026
Eligibility
The Contest is open to all individuals.
Participants under the age of 18 must obtain permission from a parent or legal guardian before entering.
OTTO employees and members of their immediate family or household are welcome to participate but are not eligible to receive the Grand Prize or Fan Favorite Award.
How to Enter
Each participant may submit one (1) original design.
To enter:
- Visit the official contest page (you are here!)
- Complete the online entry form (at bottom of this page)
- Upload your design.
- Submit before 11:59 PM ET on August 30, 2026.
Required information includes:
- First Name
- Last Initial
- City/Town
- State
- Age
- Email Address
Design Requirements
Your design must:
- Be your own original artwork.
- Reflect the OTTO brand, community, and personality.
- Include the words OTTO, Portland, and Maine (or ME).
- Be created primarily in black and white.
- Use solid lines suitable for screen printing.
- Be submitted on a white background.
- Not contain AI-generated artwork.
- Not include copyrighted or trademarked material you do not own.
Traditional illustration software such as Adobe Illustrator, Procreate, or Affinity Designer is welcome.
Technical Specifications
Accepted file formats:
- JPG
- JPEG
- PNG
- SVG
Maximum file size: 50 MB
JPG, JPEG, and PNG files must:
- Be submitted at a minimum size of 2,400 × 2,400 pixels
- Be prepared at 300 dpi at the intended print size
- Remain clear and free of visible pixelation when viewed at full size
SVG files must be submitted as true vector artwork with scalable paths—not a low-resolution image placed inside an SVG file.
The winning artwork will generally be printed at approximately 8"×8", although final production size may vary. Entrants should retain their original, editable working files. OTTO may request a higher-resolution or original source file before advancing an entry.
Submission Review
Every submission will be reviewed before appearing in the public gallery.
Most approved entries will appear within approximately 24 hours.
Designs may be declined if they:
- Do not meet the submission requirements.
- Contain offensive or inappropriate material.
- Infringe upon another person's intellectual property.
- Cannot reasonably be reproduced for apparel production.
- Are inconsistent with the OTTO brand.
Whenever possible, artists whose submissions need revisions may be contacted before the submission deadline.
Judging
After submissions close, OTTO will review all eligible entries.
Up to ten (10) finalists will be selected based on:
- Creativity
- Originality
- Brand fit
- Wearability
- Production feasibility
Finalist selection is made solely by OTTO.
Fan Favorite Voting
Public voting will take place September 7–13, 2026
A valid email address is required to vote.
Each voter may vote once for each eligible design.
Voting determines the Fan Favorite Award only.
The Grand Prize Winner is selected separately by OTTO.
Fraudulent or automated voting may be removed.
Prizes
Grand Prize
- $500 Cash
- $250 OTTO Gift Card
- Official 2026 OTTO T-shirt production
- Artist Spotlight across OTTO marketing channels
- Five complimentary shirts featuring the winning design
Fan Favorite Award
- $250 OTTO Gift Card
- Artist Spotlight
- One complimentary shirt
Top 10 Finalists
Each finalist will receive:
- Public recognition across OTTO marketing channels
- One complimentary shirt
Questions
Questions about the contest may be directed to: contactus@ottoportland.com
Contest entries must be submitted through the official contest page.
Official Terms & Conditions
Participation in the OTTO T-Shirt Design Contest constitutes acceptance of the Official Terms & Conditions, which govern eligibility, intellectual property, licensing, privacy, prize acceptance, and other legal matters.
Submission Form Below