How to Design T-Shirt? 8 Tips For Better Result

Posted on 19 January, 2023 by Donald Harden

 

T-shirt design is a very well-liked creative activity. If you're an illustrator, graphic designer, or type designer, printing your illustrations on T-shirts may be fun and a great way to promote your work online.

However, the process can seem intimidating if you've never done it before. We'll go over our best recommendations for successful custom T-shirt design strategies in this article, including everything from design considerations to the practicalities of printing your ideas on T-shirts.

This article is helpful for starting a t-shirt business if you need any advice to create any design.

Evaluate your idea

Slow down when designing. A rough draft of your T-shirt design should be created before going for a walk, going through multiple iterations, eating, engaging in a comprehensive brainstorming session, and sleeping on it. then begin over from scratch. Even if the design comes to you right away, take the time to examine alternate creative options.

Set a reasonable print size

Size may not always be an issue in life, but a t-shirt design is not one of them. Setting your design to a standard size is a common error. But the maximum, which can be too big for most designs, is quite near to the standard.

The function of the shirt, the fabric's features, and the design's own attributes should all be taken into consideration when determining the design's size.

Remember that some shapes, like squares and circles, appear better when they are scaled down from their normal size. Pay attention to the print's entire surface area, not just its width and height.

Make the positioning accurate

Print placement and print location are distinct. The area that has to be printed with the design is precisely measured here.

If you select an unconventional print placement, be sure to have a good explanation. Many people who are new to T-shirt design are unaware that the typical full front positioning isn't exactly halfway down the garment. The distance from the collar is actually about 4 inches. A common mistake that is never appealing is the belly print.

Makes sure the placement is standard and will be compatible with your various clothing kinds and sizes if your print will be in a standard spot, such as the full front, full back, or left chest.

Any special requirements or requests for a different print area should be communicated to the creative team. Once your approval has been received, they will confirm that your request is within the parameters, present you with the digital proof, and then communicate those instructions to printers.

Focus on typography and fonts

Typography can be defined as the arranging of words visually. Whether it is done correctly or poorly, typography is always used when text is written or shown.

Typography, or the art of typesetting in graphic design, includes choosing appropriate typefaces (fonts), making sure that letter and line spacing are proper and establishing an eye-catching relationship between the written words and the graphic elements.

You do not need to be a trained artist to employ appropriate typography, though. Simply adhere to a few fundamental t-shirt design guidelines.

Composing caution

You might recall composition from the art class in high school. The overall composition of every design is made up of elements that are positioned in relation to one another. The foundation of good design is composition.

While you might believe that an attractive composition is subjective, there are some fundamental guidelines that can help a design. Learn the rules first, then break them, as the saying goes. If you want to learn how to get better at composition games, there are lots of resources online.

Ensure the image's quality

Images in customer-submitted art files are frequently "poor resolution," which is one of the concerns. They lack the quality and details necessary for high print quality, which implies they don't have enough pixel information to provide us with.

At full size, photos should have a resolution of 200 dpi or more. The ideal resolution range is up to 300 dpi. Web images are typically 72 dpi and not at a size suitable for printing.

Visible artifacts from compression are another issue with low-res photos. Remember that the print will only be as clear as the original image, so starting with a high-quality photograph is essential.

 

Pick the right colors

One of the most crucial selections is color. Making sure the task meets your budget is important, not just for design reasons but also if you want screen printing. More colors result in higher item costs. Usually, solid colors and a small color pallet work best for screen printing.

If you need special colors for your brand, you can choose the precise Pantone color matching in addition to the large variety of in-house ink colors that are available in the Design Studio.

The amount of colors as it relates to the budget is no longer a factor if your print method is DTG rather than screen printing because we will be printing in full color. It's a fantastic option for gradients and mixes, especially with photos.

Avert excessive complexity

K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) is a well-known aphorism that may be applied to everything, including T-shirt design. Probably only to complete the acronym, "Stupid" was added. Though unpleasant, the advice is sound.

The quantity of information that the human eye can comprehend simultaneously, whether it is visual or not, is limited. Additionally, a T-shirt design puts you in a moving target situation in addition to having a short-sight window. So keep things basic.

Sometimes individuals try to be creative and go a little overboard, stacking objects on top of each other, utilizing strange angles and compositions, and making a jumbled mess. Other times, the nature of the design or the number of colors increases the complexity.

Final Words

The newest trends can serve as inspiration, but you should avoid following them exactly if you want to stay ahead of the curve. By the time a particular T-shirt is manufactured, its designers are likely already working on something new. Keep up with the latest developments in pop culture and fashion, but make an effort to carve out your own path.

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