A field guide to
people you already know.

One field-guide plate, printed to order on a tee ($34) or a sweatshirt ($49): the common name, a Latin binomial, four numbered field observations, and the series and plate number in the footer, so it can be filed.

The illustrations are AI-assisted, made under our creative direction, and each plate is reviewed by a person before it is listed. Every word on the plate, the numbering and the layout are written and typeset by us. It is an original Common Specimens work.

The binomial is a joke in the shape of a taxonomy. The numbered callouts are the four observations. The footer names the series and the plate. There is a worked example in the field notes.

The tee is a Gildan Softstyle 64000: 4.5 oz, 100% ring-spun cotton, tubular knit with no side seams, tear-away label. Natural is unbleached cotton and carries tiny dark flecks on purpose; Sport Grey is a 90/10 cotton-poly blend.

The sweatshirt is a Gildan Heavy Blend 18000 crewneck: 8 oz, 50/50 cotton-poly, ribbed collar and cuffs.

Direct-to-garment. Water-based ink is cured into the cotton rather than sitting on top of it like a vinyl transfer, so there is nothing to peel. Wash cold, inside out, tumble low, no bleach.

Unisex classic fit. Tee chest width runs 18 in at S to 28 in at 3XL; the sweatshirt 20 to 28 in. The full chest-and-length table is on every listing. When in doubt, size up.

The tee is preshrunk and the crew is a blend that resists shrinking; a cold wash and low heat keep them that way.

On Navy, Black and Dark Chocolate the type and rules print in cream and the specimen keeps its colours, with a hairline of cream around dark-coated animals so they do not vanish into the shirt.

Dark cotton is printed over a white base, so the plate reads a touch softer than on Natural or Sand. If you want the crispest plate, go light. That is why every card leads with Natural.

Tee: Natural, White, Sand, Daisy, Light Blue, Sport Grey, Navy, Dark Chocolate, Black. Sweatshirt: White, Sand, Light Blue, Sport Grey, Navy, Black. Both in S through 3XL. Every plate comes in every colour.

Both garments are unisex. Eight of the People plates also come as a “for her” twin, drawn as a woman. Adult sizes only for now.

Every plate links to its own Etsy listing. Payment, tracking and messages all live on Etsy; this site never sees your card.

Close, not identical. The plates are printed with direct-to-garment ink, which reads a shade softer on cotton than on a lit screen, and every listing shows the real print on the real garment. If yours arrives looking wrong rather than softer, see the next answer.

Printed in 1–3 business days. US orders have arrived in 7 to 11 days from ordering. US shipping is free; international is a flat rate at checkout with a longer transit, and any import charges are the buyer’s.

Tracking posts to your Etsy order when it ships. Sending a gift? Enter their address at checkout.

Message the shop on Etsy within 30 days with a photo and we make it right: a free replacement or a refund, your choice.

Every shirt is printed for its order, so there are no returns for size or change of mind. That is why the chart is on every listing; message us before ordering if you are between sizes.

Message the shop on Etsy straight away. A made-to-order print can only be changed before it reaches the printer.