T-shirt design is a very popular medium for creatives and designers. If you are an illustrator, graphic designer or typographer, the idea of designing t-shirts can be very attractive (especially since you can sell your designs online).
However, the process can be daunting. Here, we will review our best tips for designing custom t-shirts and printing your own personalized couple t shirts.
11 Pro Tips to Design T-Shirts
- Take time to explore your concept
Draw the design of your shirt, go for a walk, create some variations, eat something, do a complete brainstorming process. Then sleep with those ideas in your head and review your design again to add, change or delete part of the design best friends t shirts online.
- Imagine the design on a shirt
After working for print and web over the years, we know the great difference between the design on screen and a printed piece. Do not be afraid to try your shirt design on a photo of a model. Print it if necessary and put it on a real shirt. Make sure you see your work of art in real size.
- The detail is king but keep things simple
We all appreciate the great ability to draw and attention to detail. There is nothing better than seeing a masterpiece very well executed on a T-shirt.
But, equally, some of the most classic shirt designs are the simplest, and convey the message through its simplest form.
- Consider your market
This is very important. Are you designing for men or women? Young people or old people? At the end of the day you are designing a product that you want people to use.
As a good brand designer would do, write the exact person you want to attract to the design of your shirt: who they are what they like, what other brands they like and continue from there.
- Keep a subtle mood
If you are looking for a humorous shirt design, you do not want it to look like a cheap and inexpensive joke. Even the most noisy and discreet designs have a subtle mood.
Humorous t-shirts done correctly can attract attention.
- Choose the right colors
Use the colors of the shirt effectively and try to choose complementary colors. If you are using Adobe Illustrator, activate Global Colors. It’s an absolute lifesaver and it will save you a lot of time. (You can get Adobe Illustator here ).
You can also use halftones to make the most of the colors.
- Prepare your artwork correctly
Use Pantone colors when you are finalizing your design, the person or company responsible for printing your shirts will love you for that. They will also love you if you trace the text and expand any outline you may have. There are many good tutorials, depending on whether you are using Illustrator or Photoshop.
- Choose a good printing site
Now your design is finished and correctly illustrated, the next step is to find a good place to print your shirts. Try a reputable company. It is important to take time to choose the place of printing and learn what type of shirts you want to print.
The weight, the sizes, the labeling options, the cost, etc. they affect the final product. This takes time and will require talking to several companies, but one thing is certain: deal with a company that wants to treat your shirts as a final retail product and that handles your work with care. Screen printing is an art.
- Online stores can help you
If you want an easier way to print your shirts and not have to think about printing details, you can send your design to an online store where they are responsible for printing, materials, sales and marketing, the only thing you will have to do in the design and then get the benefits of sales. This all sounds great but you have to know that the company that sells your products will charge you a small percentage for each sale. However, it is very worthwhile to take into account this type of companies.
If you want to know what online stores can help you, you can check out our post 12 Great Places to Sell Your Designs online where we give you a couple of ideas of where to sell your T-shirts and shops that help you with the whole printing process and sale.
- Get an education
To understand anything well, you must study it and understand its context. T-shirts have emerged from all subculture phenomena that have ever existed, be it music, skateboarding, street art, sports or pop culture in general.
Find out about them and have an appreciation for everything.
- Prepare for the game
Be inspired by the latest trends, but do not copy them. Most likely, when you have seen that shirt produced, other designers are designing new and more original models.