Express Your Style: Designing Your Perfect Custom T-Shirt

Custom t-shirts are fun and give you a chance to be creative. You can design them for yourself, work events, clubs, and so much more. There are an infinite number of reasons to make a custom shirt online.

Aren’t you sure where to start? We put together this guide to help you express your style. You can design the perfect custom shirt with these tips. All the steps are below. Let’s jump in!

Consider Why You’re Making A Shirt

First, you should think about why you’re designing a custom t-shirt. You can always just make one for yourself, but you still need to consider why you’re making it.

This information can influence the design, so it’s essential when trying to make the perfect tee.

Is this shirt going to be for an event? If you’re making it for a party, work event, family reunion, or something else where everyone will wear the same shirt, you need to keep that in mind. The reason you’re making the shirt will alter your design choices. 

If you’re making it for a corporate party, you want it to match the theme. It should also be appropriate for the work setting. 

You can have more creative freedom if the shirt is for something personal or for friends and family.

Finally, if you’re designing the shirt for a brand, you need to keep that brand’s identity at the front of your mind while you design it. 

Choose colors from the logo and use designs from the brand. Keeping everything consistent and in line with the brand will make it more recognizable, no matter the size of your company.

Choose The Fit And Fabric

Next, you should consider the actual shirt. You can make the best design in the world, but if the shirt’s material isn’t right, you still won’t want to wear it that much.

So, you need to think about how the shirt will fit, plus the fabric it’s made from.

Cotton is a good choice for a T-shirt. It’s comfortable, breathable, and durable. You should choose a blended material if you want the shirt to be stretchier or have moisture-wicking properties.

Polyester is especially good for moisture-wicking, so you should use that material if the shirt’s for an athletic event where you’ll sweat a lot.

You want the shirt’s fit to match the event as well. You can choose between oversized, fitted, crew necks, long-sleeved, and v-necks. Depending on where you order from, you could have even more options.

Don’t forget to consider the material’s color as well. It should match with the rest of the design, so you can choose the color. 

Think about the event; the material and fit of the shirt will follow naturally. You can get the perfect shirt that way.

Create Your Shirt Design

Now it’s time to design your perfect t-shirt. Start by getting a blank piece of paper and doodling on it. 

Don’t worry about your artistic skills at this step. You just want to start forming your design plan. Worrying too much will stifle your creativity, and you should get all of your ideas down.

You can also start the design planning on the computer. Open a design program and start arranging your photos and images around until you see something that inspires you. You can always make changes later, so don’t think of it as your permanent design just yet.

You can also look for inspiration online, like Meowprint custom t-shirts, for the most excellent outcomes. Pinterest is a great place to start because you can make boards with all of your favorite art ideas.

Lastly, consider whether you want text on the shirt. Depending on why you’re making it, text could add or detract from the overall design, so think about it carefully.

Always Do A Test Print

Once you’ve picked your design, shirt material, and shirt fit, you should have the printers make a test shirt for you. 

You never want to place a bulk order for a custom t-shirt without having a physical mockup in your hands. There could be spelling errors on the shirt, or the design might not look the same in person.

You can always tweak the design after you get a test print. Then, you can make another order. Once you’re satisfied with the mock-ups, you can order the custom shirts in bulk.

Use this as an opportunity to check the quality of the shirt, too. You want to ensure the material is high-quality and that the shirt’s color is what you expected. 

Sometimes, there can be a difference in shade between your computer’s monitor and real life.

If you end up with multiple t-shirt mock-ups, don’t worry. You can still repurpose them. Try turning them into a tote bag, quilt, or even rags for cleaning. Headbands and scrunchies are other ways you can upcycle a misprinted t-shirt.

Related: How To Build A Successful Fashion Brand: Step-By-Step Guide

Wear Your Custom Shirt With Pride

Finally, it’s time to wear your custom shirts. You can amplify the design by wearing it with matching accessories. 

T-shirts are simple, so they won’t always be fashionable on their own. You can pair them with jewelry, sunglasses, hair accessories, cardigans, jackets, and much more.

Layering is another outstanding way to customize your tees. You can wear them over a dress, a long-sleeved shirt, or under an unbuttoned flannel. 

There are so many different ways to wear a T-shirt.

How To Start The Designing Process?

Fun though it may be, there are a few things to decide before you hit print on that design.

Here are some essential questions to consider when creating your masterpiece.

1. What’s The Message?

Whether your T-shirt design is for a cause, a brand, or an event, consider what message it is trying to send.

Do you want to make a statement, or does your design speak for itself? Write down the concept behind what you’re designing.

Ensure your message is simple, especially if you use text in your design – potentially along with an image.

2. Who Will Wear It?

Are you designing for a specific group, like a club, team, or family? This factor shapes everything – from the style and color scheme to the theme.

Consider age, gender, and the vibe of the group. A t-shirt for a tech conference has a different feel from one made for a family barbecue.

Crowdsourcing opinion from the group. A quick poll can have new ideas coming in, and you can end up with a design everyone loves.

3. Have You Explored Trending Designs?

Your shirt should reflect your creative process, but it doesn’t hurt to check out what’s trending.

Bold fonts, simple/minimalistic icons and patterns, and retro/vintage styles are trending.

You can easily browse millions of designs on Pinterest or online t-shirt marketplaces.

4. Want To Play With Colors?

Colors also say a lot. Do you want to go for a high-contrast or monochromatic look? Test by rendering your artwork to an online t-shirt designer. Iterate until it’s cool.

Also, how do the colors look on different screen devices?

Don’t worry—these questions will help you get specific and ensure that you’re designing a shirt everyone will love!

Okay, now it’s time to actually start designing. Enjoy!

Express Your Style With A Custom Shirt

Designing a T-shirt is a lot of fun. Once you’ve finished this one, you’ll want to make another. You can create them for any event you want.

If you have an idea, you can always make a personal shirt. You’ll know for sure that no one else has the same one, so you’ll always stand out and make a fashion statement.

As long as you consider why you’re making the design, everything will fall into place. You’ll end up with the perfect design.

So, why not get started with designing your custom t-shirt today?

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