Why the community is designing this one
Ten years ago, the Toronto Machine Learning Society brought together researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts to push the boundaries of AI. The people who showed up were curious, technically serious, and uninterested in polish for its own sake. That has not changed.
So when it came time to design the 10th anniversary shirt — the one that gets worn at the summit, the one that marks a decade of Canadian ML — it made sense to open it up. A design team can produce something clean. The community can produce something that actually means something.
That is what this contest is.
The Challenge
To celebrate this milestone at the TMLS Summit, we want YOU to design the official 10th anniversary t-shirt.
AI tools are not just allowed — they are encouraged. This is a machine learning community, after all. Use whatever tools inspire you: Midjourney, DALL·E, Adobe Firefly, Canva AI, Stable Diffusion, or any combination of tools and manual editing.
What We’re Looking For
There is no single right answer — but great designs will typically reflect one or more of these themes:
- The spirit of the Toronto ML community — collaborative, curious, cutting-edge
- A nod to 10 years of progress in machine learning and AI
- Something people will actually want to wear — bold, clean, and memorable
- Creativity that makes the community proud
💡 Design Tip: High-contrast designs with bold, simple shapes print best on t-shirts. Avoid tiny floating pieces or very thin lines — they may not survive washing. Think bold.
Technical Requirements
The winning design will be sent directly to VistaPrint for professional printing. Your file MUST meet these specifications or it will not be eligible for the prize.
✅ File Format — PNG with fully transparent background (no white or coloured fill) — your design will be printed on a black t-shirt
✅ Resolution — 300 DPI — essential for a crisp, non-blurry print
✅ Dimensions — At least 2500 x 2500 pixels
✅ Color Mode — sRGB
✅ Max File Size — Under 50 MB
❌ No soft edges — All pixels must be 100% opaque. No glow, smoke, or gradient fade at edges — these print with a white halo.
❌ No thin lines — Avoid lines thinner than 1mm. Very thin lines may peel after washing.
❌ No gibberish text — All text in the design must be legible and correctly spelled. AI-generated garbled letters will disqualify your entry.
❌ No borders/frames — Do not add a bounding box or frame around your design unless it is part of the artwork itself.
How to Submit
All submissions are made through our Google Form. You will need:
- Your PNG file (meeting all specs above)
- Your placement choice: Front Center, Back, or Left Chest
- All designs must be created for a black t-shirt. Please design accordingly (e.g. avoid dark colours that won’t show on black fabric).
- A short description of your design concept (2–3 sentences)
Key Dates
Contest Opens: Apr 1, 2026
Submission Deadline: Apr 15, 2026
Winner Announced: May 6, 2026
Prize & Recognition
- $100 VISA gift card
- Your design printed on the official TMLS Summit 10th Anniversary t-shirt
- Recognition at the summit itself in front of the TMLS community
Eligibility
This contest is open to Canadian residents only. To claim the prize, the winner must provide a valid Canadian shipping address. Entries from non-Canadian residents are welcome for community participation but will not be eligible for the prize.
Questions? Contact: info@torontomachinelearning.com
Good luck — we can’t wait to see what you create!