5 simple questions to ask yourself when designing a t-shirt

Published on 11 August 2016

1. What is my main goal? Do you want to tell a story? Do you want it to represent your brand? Do you want it to start conversations? Design for something.

2. How will I use the shirts? There are a number of ways you can use your custom printed t-shirts: customer acquisition, team building, giveaways, free trial sign-up, holiday gift, sell a new style, etc. Figure out what you and your users needs are, then meet them.

3. Am I familiar with the various shirt styles, fabric blends and printed results? There are plenty of options when it comes to blanks and styles. Some of the most popular options are American Apparel, Next Level Apparel and Bella and Canvas apparel. Fabric blends play a huge role in the outcome of your print. Decide the look you want, then find a shirt that will provide the perfect outcome!

4. Do I have all my design details ready? It’s your shirt, make it what you want. However, keep in mind there’s more planning that goes into the design then just designing. You’ll need to know the placement, image size, pantone colors and have send the right file type. Here’s a t-shirt printing checklist that will keep you on track.

5. When do I need my shirts by? Standard turnaround times can vary, but here it’s 10 business days. Additional services like adding hem tags or folding and bagging can add a few days. Sometimes it’s best to set an in-hands date for yourself and then work backwards from there giving yourself plenty of time to successfully complete each step of the process.