Designing t-shirts, while fun, can sometimes seem daunting. You want your shirts to look good but maybe you’re just not sure where to start. We’ve rounded up these 5 simple tips to help your t-shirt designs reach the pinnacle of quality! Here are our Top 5 T-Shirt Design Tips.
1. Keep It Simple
Good t-shirt design starts with a simple message. Big bold text that’s easy to read from a distance is key when designing shirts. Also, if you’re using art on your shirts make sure the art looks good. Like the text, your artwork should be readable from a distance and not confuse the person who’s looking at it. Finally, don’t use too much text in your design. You’re making a shirt, not writing a novel. Make your statement in as few words as possible.
2. Consider Your Colors
When you’re working on your designs, it’s important to consider the colors that you’re using. Your design should ‘POP’ off the shirt and catch the viewer’s attention. Using garment colors that are similar to the colors in your design (color on color) will lessen the effect of your print or make it impossible to see. Simple color theory, contrasting colors, complementary colors, etc., can make a huge difference in your design. Try experimenting with the colors in your design!
3. Scale & Size
What does scale & size mean? Basically, it means your design should be proportionately sized on the shirt and centered or balanced. Avoid stretching and distorting your image to make it fit. A properly sized, scaled, and centered design is your ticket to awesome tees.
4. Quality Uploads
The best part of on-demand direct to garment (DTG) printing is the ability to easily print beautiful, vibrant, full-color photos on to almost any kind of shirt. That is, as long as you’re using large high-quality images in your designs! Try to avoid low pixel count, blurry, or generally poor quality images when making your shirts. They’ll look equally low quality once they’re printed! We recommend at least a 1000×1000 pixel upload when using your own artwork, logo, or photograph.
5. Fabric Matters
When you’re choosing which shirt to get your print on, take some time to read the product information. 100% cotton produces the best prints, it’s the fabric that most inks are designed for. However, if you want something that’s a little more comfortable and you’re willing to sacrifice a little vibrance with your print, a tri-blend tee may be what you’re looking for. We use filters in our design center to simulate how your image will print, so if it looks faded when you’re designing, expect it to look faded when it arrives!
