Creating a custom shirt is a great way to promote your business, celebrate a special occasion, or show off your custom artwork. But if you're not familiar with designing custom shirts, this may seem like an overwhelming task.
If you're wondering how to make a shirt that will impress, we've got you covered. This quick guide will walk you through the things you need to think about when designing and creating custom shirts.
Refine Your Concept
If you're looking to design a shirt that looks professional, you'll need to put some serious thought into your concept.
Why you're making the shirt is core to your concept, so start by thinking about the purpose of the shirt. If you're making a shirt to promote your business you'll probably want your business logo, the name of your business, and maybe a motto on the shirt.
Next, think about how you'll incorporate all these elements into your shirt. Will your logo be on the front of the shirt across the chest or will it be a small logo on the breast pocket area of the shirt? Will your business name be on the front or the back of your shirt? Will the logo be larger or smaller than the name of your business?
When you're thinking about all these questions, it helps to sketch out different designs. Compare the designs and choose the one you like best.
If you're going to be using multiple designs to make multiple styles of shirts, it may be worth it to invest in t-shirt design software. This will ensure that all of your shirt designs are professional-quality.
Shirt Style Matters
Once you've picked the final design for your shirt it's time to think about the styles of shirts you'll be producing. The style of the shirt will impact the design you've made because your design will look different on a women's cut tank top than it will on a men's crew neck t-shirt.
This is where t-shirt design software programs become helpful. These programs allow you to preview how your design will look on different styles of shirts. This will help you determine how you might need to change your design so it looks great on each shirt style.
If you don't have access to shirt design software, you can test your design manually. Buy one of each style of shirt you'll be producing. Then print your design as on special iron-on paper. Iron the design onto each shirt style and see what adjustments might need to be made.
So Does Color Selection
When you're designing your shirt, remember that color choice matters. This applies to both the shirt color and the colors you use in your design.
Make sure that the colors you're using in your design don't clash with the color of the shirt you choose. Also, make sure that the colors you use in your design will show well on the shirt color you choose. For example, you probably don't want to use a light shade of any color on a white shirt because it won't stand out.
When choosing the colors in your design, make sure to use Pantone colors since almost all shirt printing methods use Pantone colors. If you choose to use another color palette, the colors may not come out the way you expected on your final product.
A Note About Image Files
Whenever possible, save your shirt design as a Vector file. This is the file type that a lot of shirt printers use and it's a file that's easily transferable to other image software programs. This means that you'll be able to use your design for things other than shirts.
How to Make a Shirt That Impresses
Every detail is important when you're designing a custom shirt. Hopefully, this quick guide has demystified the question of how to make a shirt that's guaranteed to impress.
For more information about software that could help in your design endeavors, check out the technology section of our website!
