Personalized T-shirts, custom accessories, and things that generally allow you to showcase your style; are trendy items of fashion lately. This is because creating your own shirts is very cost-efficient, enabling you to match any style you want in a couple of moments.
According to Printful, T-shirts have become a simple and modern way for people to express themselves. Many choose to customize and print their own T-shirts to combat the adverse effects of fast fashion.
Printed designs and custom artwork has never been as accessible as it is today. There are many techniques, technologies, and shops that you can use and collaborate with to create your own designs, either for personal use or to start an online business.
And you can do all of this from the comfort of your home! However, you must know the basics of the process before beginning. Embrace your creativity, and let’s find out how you can start creating your own shirts.
Decide Why Do You Want To Create Your Shirts
There are many reasons why you would want to create personalized shirts. Are you a content creator that wants to make merchandise for your community or just an average citizen that wants to create a unique souvenir for your loved ones? No matter the reason, you need to know what you want and why.
For example, if you are having a special event, like a birthday party or a wedding, creating special T-shirts for the guests may be a very sustainable and humorous idea. In this context, you need to set a budget and a quantity.
It would be best if you also made sure that your thoughts are realistic and that they can be transferred to a shirt. Keep your message clear and if you want artwork or photography, make sure the design is clear and copyright free.
Suppose you are an event organizer, a tourist guide, or even a content creator. In that case, your customizable T-shirts will serve a different purpose. The message behind the design needs to relate to a community, so look into artists that can help you professionally design your ideas or create them yourself.
Then you need to look for an online printing website and discuss with them their offers. Do your research for this industry and work with professionals that can help you create amazing products for your clients!
Find Your Ideal Design And Shirt Style
Now that you decided why you want to make these shirts, you need to determine what you will put on those shirts and what type of shirt you will use. There are plenty of ideas available, each differing in style and texture. You need to ensure that the design you will use will look good on a regular T-shirt and a shirtless one.
Your primal goal is that your audience enjoys the whole product, so pay attention to small details. When it comes to design, it entirely depends on your audience, their age, and interests. You cannot create punk rock designs for a kindergarten event or generic T-shirts for your internet community.
One safe tip that you can use is to stylize common phrases that are usual in your group. For a corporate event, use classic branding, like the convention’s name. Or, for a gaming event, internal jokes and fanart are way more appropriate. If you feel unsure about what to put on your shirt, ask a printing expert for previous ideas used in similar contexts and find your inspiration.
Understand What Printing Option Is Best For You
Depending on your expectations, budget, and quantity of product, different printing options will work for you. The first thing you can do is look at the finish of each type of printing offers. Here are some options:
• Vinyl Heat Press
This type of printing can work very easily for you if you have a small order that only requires a simple design, such as names, numbers, or logos. The digital cutter will cut the design from the vinyl material and will transfer it by heat to your material. They are handy if you need individual personalization and if you only need 1 or 2 colors. This method creates durable designs that look good and last a very long time.
• Screen printing
If you want to place a large order of custom shirts, screen printing is your choice. It is the “go-to” printing method, offering great prices for bulk orders. The quality of the shirts will depend on your design, as the mesh screen will transfer the ink onto the shirt in rounds. Simple designs for bulk orders will turn out great if you decide on this method.
• DTG Printing
Direct-to-garment printing refers to a method of printing that allows for complex and colorful designs of all sorts. It uses new technology to insert ink into the shirt’s fabric rather than sitting on top. This is your best choice if you require photography, colorful artwork, or detailed pieces. The only downside is that it can get quite expensive if you place a large order of over 50 shirts.
• Embroidery Printing
Embroidery printing is beautiful and will never get old! You can use it to create some unique artworks. Just be sure they aren’t big or too complex. The design may distort in such cases.
