How to Stop Printing When You Carry Concealed

Nobody should be able to tell you’re carrying. Not the barista, not the guy next to you on the train, not your coworkers. When the outline of your gun shows through your shirt, that’s printing, and it gives the game away fast.

It’s almost always fixable, and it’s rarely one thing. Usually two or three small problems are stacking up: a belt that sags, a holster that isn’t tuned, a shirt that clings. There’s no holy grail fix, but there is one that works for your body and your wardrobe.

Here’s how to find the cause and how to stop printing for good.

Printing vs. flashing vs. brandishing

Printing means the gun is holstered and covered, but its shape still shows through your shirt or jacket: the corner of a grip, the outline of a slide, a hard bulge at your hip. It’s different from flashing, where your clothes ride up and actually expose the gun for a moment, and very different from brandishing, which is deliberately displaying a gun in a threatening way and is a crime.

The rules on carrying and on accidental exposure vary from state to state and city to city, so know yours. Our concealed carry laws by city cover the places our readers carry most.

Why your gun is printing (and where to start)

Put your setup on with an unloaded, double-checked gun and look at where it shows. Where it prints points you to the fix:

• The grip pokes out at the top. The holster isn’t pulling the grip in. Start with the belt (Fix 1), then the claw, wedge and ride height (Fix 2).
• The whole holster tips away from your body. Your belt is sagging under the weight. That’s Fix 1.
• It’s fine standing, but shows when you bend or reach. Look at your carry position (Fix 3) and how you move (Fix 5).
• Every edge shows, even standing still. Your shirt is too thin, tight or light-colored (Fix 4), or the gun is too big for your frame (Fix 6).

Fix 1: Start with the belt

Everything else sits on top of this. A dress belt isn’t rigid enough to hold a holster tight against your body, so the gun sags outward and the grip starts poking at your shirt. A purpose-built gun belt keeps the whole setup snug.

It also matters for the next fix: a holster claw only works when there’s belt tension pushing on it. Our gun belt guide breaks down leather, nylon and stretch options and how to size one.

Fix 2: Tune your holster

Modern holsters have a few features built specifically to fight printing:

• Claw (or wing): a small arm that sits under your belt. Belt pressure on it rotates the grip in toward your body.
• Wedge: a foam pad on the body side near the muzzle that fills the gap and tucks the grip in even more.
• Ride height: how high the gun sits. Too high and the grip pokes out; too low and it’s hard to grip and, in appendix carry, digs in when you sit.
• Cant: the forward or backward tilt of the holster. On the hip, a little forward cant tucks the butt of the grip under your shirt instead of letting it stick straight out.

If your holster has adjustable ride height and cant, change one setting at a time and check the mirror after each. Our appendix vs. strong-side guide goes deeper on claws, wedges and ride height.

Fix 3: Match your carry position to your body

Where the gun sits changes how it prints. Appendix carry follows the curve of your stomach and tends to print less on slimmer builds. Strong-side, on the hip, is often more comfortable for bigger midsections, but the grip can print when you bend over. Neither is right for everybody, so if one position keeps printing no matter what you do, try the other.

Fix 4: Dress around the gun

You don’t need to dress like you’re about to rappel out of a helicopter. You just need clothes that don’t cling to the hard edges. A few rules that work:

• Loose, not baggy. A slightly relaxed fit at the waist drapes over the grip. Skin-tight athletic tees are printing machines.
• Patterns and darker colors. Plaids, prints and dark solids break up outlines that a light, plain tee shows off.
• Thicker fabric and layers. A heavier tee or an open overshirt hides edges that thin fabric won’t.
• The right length. Your shirt has to cover the grip even when you raise your arms.

Our concealed carry clothing guide rounds up pieces that look like regular streetwear.

Fix 5: Move like you’re carrying

Most printing happens in motion, not standing still. Bending at the waist stretches your shirt tight over the grip, so squat to pick things up instead. When you reach for the top shelf, notice where your shirt hem goes. And stand up straight: slouching bunches your clothes around the gun.

Fix 6: Think about the gun itself

If you’ve tried everything and your gun still prints, it might just be too big for your frame and wardrobe. For city carry, we lean toward compacts with barrels around 3 to 4 inches, and a shorter grip makes the biggest difference since that’s the part that sticks out. Our concealed carry pistols guide compares the popular options.

The mirror test

Before you trust a new setup, check it with an unloaded, double-checked firearm (ammo in another room) in front of a full-length mirror:

1. Stand naturally, then look from the front and both sides.
2. Bend over, squat, and reach overhead.
3. Sit down, then stand back up and check that your shirt didn’t catch on the grip.
4. Ask someone you trust to look. They’ll spot things you won’t.

Keep some perspective: you’ll notice a little printing way more than anyone else will. Most people aren’t studying your waistline. Aim for “nobody can tell,” not “invisible from every angle.”

Gear that helps

Disclosure: the Arrowhead and Rounded links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That never changes what we recommend.

• Arrowhead Concealment Training Shirt: a lightweight athletic shirt with a busy, dazzle-style pattern designed to break up the outline of a holstered gun, for workout days when regular athletic shirts would print.
• Arrowhead EDC ConcealTee: fitted through the chest and shoulders, looser at the waist to drape over a holstered gun.
• Arrowhead Covert IWB Kydex Holster: adjustable cant, so you can tune the angle for appendix, strong-side or behind the hip.
• Rounded by Concealment Express: US-made Kydex IWB holsters, including tuckable models. Code RGSAMMIE gets you 15% off.

Code URBANCARRY gets you 10% off at Arrowhead.

Find what works for you

If you only change one thing this week, make it the belt. Our gun belt guide shows you how to pick and size one. Then check the carry laws for your city and build out the rest of your setup with our concealed carry gear guide.

Try things on, move around in them, sit down in them. Find what works for your body and your day.

Title photo courtesy of Arrowhead Tactical Apparel; overshirt photo by Jean-Daniel Francoeur on Pexels. Sources: Concealed Nation, Concealed Carry Printing; LAS Concealment, How to Choose a Gun Belt; ConcealedCarry.com, Clawing and Wedging; PHLster, Appendix Carry Guide; product details from Arrowhead Tactical Apparel and Rounded product pages.