How to Design Perfect Printed T-Shirts

Creating the perfect design or logo isn’t easy and certainly shouldn’t be rushed. If you’re considering apparel as an option for your art, then take these handy tips into consideration for a top-notch finish.

Don't rush the design

The first and possibly the most important tip to consider when creating a logo for printed t-shirts? Do not rush your designs.

For a high-quality piece of artwork, you’ll want to take your time and not only contemplate what you love to create but also what will be aesthetically pleasing for others to wear. Merging your love of creativity and the needs of the market is a great way to get the best of both worlds and will ensure that people take a shine to your designs.

Try to keep up to date with the latest printed t-shirt trends around the country and consider what works and what doesn’t. Making something unique is important but if you’re trying to make money, it’s important to think logically too.

Think about how it will look

Next, you’ll want to try and imagine what the design will look like once it has been printed onto a t-shirt.

Some designs look fantastic on paper but once transferred to a garment, tend to lose their magic. Try cutting out and laying your design onto a plain t-shirt, or use a cheap transfer on an old piece of material to see how the design works with the movement of the cotton.

Another tip to consider with regards to the paper-garment transition is the detailing. Detail is beautiful but can be lost once transferred and finding the right balance between simplicity and fine detailing is the key to a great batch of printed t-shirts.

Finishing Touches?

Eventually, you’ll want to start considering the finishing touches. These are the things that will ensure your design or logo has an easy transition from the computer screen to the printing lab.

For example, if your technique of choice is screen printing, try to use pantone colours in Photoshop and Illustrator so that they can be matched exactly when it comes to the print. Outlining words and expanding your strokes on a design program will also help to speed up your printing process. If you’re not sure how to do this, a printing professional should be able to point you in the direction of a good tutorial.

Finally

The most important thing is to make sure your design reflects who you are. Making something popular is great but it needs to be original too.

If you’ve considered all of these tips, you’re sure to create a great logo that looks good both on paper and on your very own collection of printed t-shirts.