How Much Money Should I Pay An Artist To Design A Shirt
It's stained, it'south ripped, it's total of holes… But you but tin't seem to throw it out. For a lot of united states of america, our favorite t-shirts are a way to express who we are. (And for others, they're free advertising!) But how to pattern a t-shirt that ticks all the boxes? You'll notice out below.
Do you accept an killer t-shirt idea and suspect others volition feel the same way? Are y'all looking for an culling means of promoting your business, or making some side income with merch? Do you desire to commemorate a special result, like a family unit reunion or bachelorette party?
We've but sent you your gratuitous t-shirt design ebook.
Whatever your reasons, the fundamentals of t-shirt pattern remain the aforementioned; it'south what you exercise with them that counts.
In this Ultimate Guide to T-Shirt Design, we'll run through the each step of the design process, from the inception of an idea to getting your shirt mass-produced. No matter how much (or how little) experience you have, these t-shirt design tips will requite y'all everything y'all need to know.
How to design a t-shirt in 7 steps
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- Effigy out why you need a shirt
- Define your budget at quantity
- Know your printing options
- Screen printing
- Vinyl graphics
- Direct-to-garment
- Begin your pattern concept
- T-shirt types
- Style and imagery
- Typography
- Colour
- Specialty press
- Find a designer
- Evaluate your design
- Get the correct files
- Find a kick-ass printer
1. Figure out why you need a shirt
No thing your reason for designing a t-shirt, information technology'll always involve a little bit of branding. If you're using t-shirts for promotional purposes, branding is your main goal. Fifty-fifty if information technology's strictly way, you lot'll nonetheless need to weave consequent brand themes into all your products. For personal utilise—like commemorating an event, for example—you desire to make sure your t-shirt design communicates clearly.
If you haven't already, write out a listing of the fundamental themes, styles, and personality traits you desire your brand and shirts to convey. Is your brand playful or serious? Edgy or conservative? Luxurious or affordable? A focused t-shirt pattern can answer all of these questions at a glance.
Take a quick peek at the example above. What does it tell you about the Brewmasters company? For starters, they don't take themselves too seriously, and the wooden instruments suggest a more than traditional brewing mode that hints at a classic taste. That's a lot of information from a cartoon.
To go the near constructive blueprint, move abroad from your personal preference and rely more on existent, quantifiable information. Who are your target clients/customers? What brand traits do they desire to do business with?
Here are four goals to help guide your t-shirt blueprint procedure by helping you understand why you demand a shirt and what you want it to practise.
Promotional gifts
Your t-shirts are something you lot give away for costless to continue your brand in the minds of prospective clients/customers.
This could be something given away at conventions, conferences, other promotional events or even a get out-backside at a business concern coming together.
Internal company usage
Employees get shirts for solidarity, appreciation or mayhap even a visitor uniform.
The goals are similar to promotional gifts because there's a strong need for branding.
Merchandise
Your t-shirts are a product you plan on selling, so brand sure to gene in style, marketability and concern strategy.
You'll need to understand your shirt's place in the marketplace, so consider conducting research to discover the tastes of your customers. Your ain personal tastes are a proficient offset, but when it comes down to selling to the masses, quantifiable data ever beats guesswork.
Result souvenirs
Special events need special souvenirs, and t-shirts are always a great pick.
These share many of the aforementioned goals as shirts for internal visitor usage (solidarity, appreciation) merely for a more than casual, less restrictive audience.
Regardless of their use, almost t-shirts are promotional in some fashion. Even if y'all're designing t-shirts as merchandise, include your brand logo then observers know who made the shirt if they want something like. Information technology should have a strong, even dominant, presence on the shirt.
Apply the aforementioned design quality and cleverness as you would a billboard advertisement. More than just clothes, t-shirts provide exposure every time a person wears them in public, especially if the possessor likes the shirt and wears information technology oftentimes.
Once you've determined your goals, you lot tin can then prioritize the different aspects of your t-shirt blueprint. For case, fashion might be a high priority for merchandise tees, simply not for employee gifts. Yous want to tailor your blueprint in a mode that best suits your needs.
2. Define your budget and quantity
You're anxious to get to the actual t-shirt designing. We become information technology. Simply let's settle some details get-go then you tin focus your design better: namely, your budget and quantity. How much you can spend and how many t-shirts you demand will touch your blueprint.
For example, budget and quantity will assistance determine how many colors you can employ. Depending on your printing method, boosted colors may cost more money. If your budget is tight, a good mode to save is conserving colors.
The number of shirts you need will too influence your printing method. Some methods are ideal for press in bulk. Others accept a college cost per shirt and are amend for small-scale orders.
Earlier you begin to think about designing or press, plan your budget and quantity accordingly.
iii. Know your printing options
There are a lot of things to consider when you're looking for the best t-shirt press method for you. Toll, appearance, production time, materials—they're all important. The more than yous know about each method, the easier information technology will exist to decide which i is best for yous.
Screen printing
This is the gilt standard for t-shirt printing. Your printer makes original screens of your pattern (ane for each color) and so you can print in bulk.
Pros : Reliable standard for printing. Affordable and high quality. Platonic for large orders over 20.
Cons: New screen required for every new color or pattern revision (which gets costly). Colorful designs end up being expensive.
Vinyl graphics
Another method of heated transfer, vinyl printing uses more durable vinyl instead of simply ink.
Pros: Extremely durable and loftier quality. Platonic for when you want your design to stand out (literally).
Cons: Additional colors cost more, so complicated designs get expensive. Not great for big orders.
Direct-to-garment (or print-on-demand)
A newer option, DTG printing uses the liberty of inkjet printing, merely prints directly on fabric.
Pros : Highly customizable designs with maximum detail and extensive color choices.
Cons : Use for small-scale batches or perhaps a single sample. The more you lot're printing, the less viable it becomes. Doesn't work well on dark-colored garments.
Accept a look at our guide to t-shirt printing for more information.
four. Begin your design concept
Here comes the fun stuff… At present y'all get to first figuring out what's really going on your t-shirt! Make sure y'all don't jump to this pace first. The more time and endeavor y'all put into preparing for this, the amend.
Your design could go in a million different directions. As you're brainstorming, hither are some tips to help focus your creativity.
T-shirt types
All this talk well-nigh t-shirts, and it's easy to forget that at that place are lots of dissimilar types of shirts. Just to proper name a few…
Remember well-nigh your audience and intended goals before deciding the right type of t-shirt. A revealing crop elevation might non exist the best promotion for a law firm.
As you outset sketching out t-shirt blueprint ideas, brand certain it will translate to the bodily size. Design using an 18"x18" canvas and physically place your designs on a shirt. That doesn't mean you have to make full the whole infinite (like if you're keeping information technology minimal with a pocket-size logo), simply a realistically sized sail will help you get the proportions right.
In one case you have your design, consider how it volition look on larger and smaller shirt sizes. If you cull a screen printing process, different sizes may crave different screens, which ways additional costs.
Way and imagery
At this stage, you lot have to rely on your artistic and artistic instincts to communicate the messages yous want to say. Don't forget these questions we talked about before:
- What is your brand?
- Who is your market?
- Why are you designing a shirt in the first place?
Put all of that together, and you're ready to start designing a t-shirt that'southward perfect for you lot.
For example, take a look at Prim's dinosaur t-shirt pattern. This is a kid's merchandise make, so the style is cute and cartoony, appealing to its market.
Compare that to the winning entry for the Pumpkin t-shirt design competition, by 99designs creator DiditRed.
This High german hardcore music festival is definitely not marketed to kids. That opens upward their designs to edgier fabric, which suits their prospective clients meliorate.
Of course, there are more options than being terrifying or sugary sweet.
Alex Lalove shows us how to design a professional, risk-free t-shirt without existence tedious. His winning entry promotes the Datafinity brand with its logo front end and middle, but spices up the look and experience so it seems more stylish than a standard business organisation tee.
Too, remember that your design is being displayed on bodies. Lumpy, bumpy bodies that aren't e'er as symmetrical equally we'd similar. Think almost flat, uncomplicated designs since there'south no telling where the nooks and crannies will land on your epitome.
For similar reasons, you also want to avoid detailed imagery, such equally subtle color gradients and intricate linework. Always err on the side of unproblematic.
T-shirt typography
The fonts you choose say a lot about your brand. Serif fonts (the ones with little artillery) or script fonts expect more classic. Sans-serif fonts make it more modern. T-shirts offering more of an opportunity than other areas of graphic pattern to play with fun, crazy brandish fonts, but do go on readability in mind. If the words on your shirt are important to communicating your message, make sure they don't get overshadowed by swirly, grungy, loopy typography.
Colour in t-shirt design
The element of blueprint that is all-time at instantly communicating personality is color. Each shade, hue and tint evokes an emotion, acting as a shortcut for you to portray something nearly your brand at but a glance.
T-shirt designs have two sets of colors to keep in listen: the material color(s) and the print color(s).To make sure that these two complement each other, always utilize your cloth color every bit the background of your design ideas. (And also note that a colored canvas can accept an impact on what inks expect like, then make certain yous talk to your printer near that!)
Considering of the way t-shirt inks work, press colors can get a little tricky. The least expensive mode to impress your design volition exist to approximate the colors. Simply know that your "teal" might not lucifer your printer's "teal."
Exact colour matches are possible with Pantone (PMS) or custom blended CMYK inks—but they're more than expensive. PMS uses predefined, exact ink tones that your printers can buy. CMYK printing creates about any color past combining Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black) inks. Cheque with your printer to determine what'south available.
Specialty printing techniques
We've just sent y'all your free t-shirt pattern ebook.
Similar any other press medium, t-shirts have their own fix unique ink options.
- Plastisol— The standard ink used in screen-printing
- Foil — Shiny and reflective
- Novelty — Glitter, hologram or even a fuzzy feel
- High-density — For a dimensional appearance that pops out from the shirt
- Gel — Like high-density, but with a "wetter" look
- Water-based — No feeling at all; ingrained in the fabric
five. Detect a designer
Got blueprint skills? Get crackin'! If y'all don't, d on't worry. There are tons of pros out there set up to turn your design concept into a reality.
The DIY route
The chief reward of designing a t-shirt yourself is the price. If your budget is tight, the decision is already fabricated for y'all. Design liberty is a huge advantage, but don't forget that professionals know the technical concerns of t-shirt design (plus a whole lot more). If you broke out into a cold sweat when we mentioned acronyms like CMYK, y'all might slumber better handing this off to a pro.
Hiring a pro
Rather than didactics yourself marketing, branding and graphic design, why non pay someone who knows all them already?
Collaborating with a freelancer can be catchy, but besides a lot of fun. Practise your best to find a designer that thinks similar yous and understands what you're looking for. Consider the designer's personality, design style and expertise. Yous can also try working with multiple designers at one time by launching a T-Shirt Pattern Contest on 99designs.
Once you've found your designer(s), you have to clearly communicate your vision. Tell them what about your pattern ideas, messaging, and intended audience. Include details about colors, logos, visual style, t-shirt type and printing specifications. Send them images of designs that match the manner you lot're looking for. Requite them everything they need to know then you can go the perfect t-shirt design.
6. Evaluate your blueprint
As your blueprint options showtime rolling in, browse through every version and select your favorites. Don't forget your marketing and technical requirements. Will your blueprint fit on a tank summit? Is the amount of color within your budget? Is the messaging correct? This isn't simply an art contest, but a business determination. Communicate your feedback clearly to your designer to make sure your next ready of options look even amend.
So, make sure to run it by both key stakeholders and people who don't have any connectedness to what you're doing. Even if it's simply your neighbor across the street, people non closely associated with your t-shirt design will notice things you never did.
Consider asking them:
- What is the 1 key bulletin you get when you look at this shirt?
- Who is this shirt for?
Their answers to these questions will help you determine if the t-shirt is communicating what you want it to. If it's non, get back to your designer and figure out what you can change.
7. Become the right files from your designer
You've got the perfect t-shirt design. Hell yes! At present go dorsum to that information y'all got from your printer and cheque to make sure you have the right files.
Y'all probably need:
- Your t-shirt design in vector format. This will probable be an Adobe Illustrator (AI), PDF, or EPS file. Yous'll need i for each unlike t-shirt design you're creating.
- Color codes. If your printer does custom colors, brand sure you have the Pantone or CMYK color codes so that everything turns out looking like you want.
8. Discover a kick-donkey printer
Once your design'southward set, it's press time! Find one that offers the method you demand at a cost you tin afford. Of form, extra features and discounts to sweeten the bargain are great, too. Sifting through press options to find the all-time one for your particular projection usually requires experience and time… but nosotros're going to fast-track it for y'all!
- Find out if the printer has an in-business firm art department. Not only does this hateful the printer does in-house prints, just it commonly means these folks practice good piece of work. Only successful printers can sustain an in-house fine art department.
- Asking samples of finished shirts, non design images. Most printing companies love visitors! Stop past their shop to encounter and touch their shirts. Recall: a printer's job is to translate design to an actual impress, and just a finished product reveals that.
- Start building a working relationship with a printer you tin can grow with. Find a printer who prints six or more than colors. Even if you don't need that many for your first project, you might need them later.
- If you're doing a larger order, make sure your printer offers pre-printing proofs. You won't know for certain how the pattern fits on the shirts until yous meet a sample.
- Beware hidden charges, particularly with screens, films or Pantone color matching. Just like whatever other industry, there are a few rotten eggs. Go over all the charges earlier payment to make sure they're being upward front.
Time to design an astonishing t-shirt!
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Every yr t-shirt blueprint and printing are condign more than and more accessible. They're something every business can take reward of… equally long as they know what they're doing. We promise this guide on how to design a t-shirt gave you everything you need to intermission into the world of making t-shirts. Got questions? Inquire them in the comments beneath.
Looking for the perfect custom t-shirt pattern?
Piece of work with our talented designers to make it happen.
Source: https://99designs.com/blog/design-other/how-to-design-t-shirts/
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