Graphic t-shirts are a great way of conveying the perfect message for your business, social event or hobby. Maybe you have a special event coming up that you want a custom t-shirt for, like a birthday or an anniversary; perhaps you want to create merch for a side project you have going on or maybe you want to find an alternative way of promoting your business and a bespoke t-shirt is the answer. Whether you have an incredible t-shirt design, or you want to get into designing but aren’t sure how to go about it, here are some tips on creating the perfect t-shirt design.
Figure Out Why You Need the T-Shirt
The reason behind designing your t-shirts will influence the type of design you come up with, so it’s an important first step in the creation process. For example, if your main goal is branding then your logo and brand name needs to feature prominently, whereas if it’s for an event or a celebration, you can perhaps be a bit more creative in terms of the colours or fonts that you use. List out the key themes, styles and traits you want your t-shirt to convey and then this will guide you in the right direction when it comes to actually creating the design.
Determine Your Budget and Quantity
You can focus on your design better once you know how many shirts you need and how much you can spend. For example, your budget will determine the number of colours you can use and the printing method will affect the cost as well. Some printing methods work well for printing in bulk while others are more suitable for smaller batches, so knowing the number of shirts you need will help with these decisions.
Brainstorm the Concept
Now the fun begins, and you can start brainstorming the ideas for your t-shirt design. Think about the type of t-shirt you’re designing for and the space you have to work with, so you can get the proportions correct. Once you’ve drawn up your design, consider how it will look on larger or smaller sizes as different sized t-shirts may affect the overall look of your design. Consider the types of colours you want to use and how they will work together, as well as how they will work with different coloured fabrics.
Also, it’s important to remember that while your design may work well on paper, people’s bodies are not flat – they will be worn on various body types so an uncomplicated sketch will work for everyone. The fonts you choose say a lot about the overall look of a t-shirt – if you’re creating this design for your business, for example, you may want to choose a more professional-looking font such as a serif or script font, while sans-serif fonts are great for creating a more contemporary look. And if the words are important to communicating your message, make sure they aren’t overshadowed by the typography or colour choice.