6 Dos and Don’ts of Designing T-Shirt Graphics – How to Make the Right Impact
The business world has long accepted the incredible success of organizing t-shirt campaigns for advertising. Whether you’re promoting a small or large commercial enterprise, charitable organization, any kind of event, or even, a family vacation, ordering a bunch of customized t-shirts to give away as free swag works like a charm. However, when designing t-shirt graphics, you must make sure that the free gift makes the right impact.
Send Across the Right Message with Smartly-Conceived Layouts
A poorly created logo with amateur prints and colors can take away from the attractiveness of the garment. Jagged lines, improperly-placed slogans, and boring fonts can send across the subtle message that the company does not really care about attention to detail in all of its products. Considering that a marketing campaign can make or break the image and reputation of your business, it makes sense to devote additional time and effort when designing t-shirt graphics. Should you talk to the expert designer, Imri Merritt at RushOrderTees, he’ll explain how small nuances like adding a border or lending a distressed look to an icon when ordering affordable custom shirts can make a huge difference in its overall appeal
Here are some more dos and don’ts of designing t-shirt graphics to keep in mind. Of course, the agency where you place the order for your tees will help you with practical pointers for the design elements.
Do Keep Your Target Demographic in Mind
Check out this feature on CreativeBloq that advises you to keep your target audience in mind when designing the apparel. Who are the people who will be wearing the tee? What is the general age group, young or old? Are men or women? Are you reaching out to say, sports enthusiasts or book lovers? Or, are you selling products for kids? Then, you’ll need tees that will appeal to their parents. The graphics and logos you choose should be successful in making a connection with the people receiving the tees, so they’d happily accept the giveaway and want to wear the garment proudly.
Do Pick Out Vibrant, Eye-Catching Colors
When you’re designing t-shirt graphics, chances are that you’re organizing a marketing campaign around it. If you have a defined palette of colors to choose from, know that it is possible to pick out variations and a combination of light and dark hues to make the ultimate pattern stand out. The t-shirt company taking orders will give you ideas for the colors that will look best, using them in the perfectly-sized fonts, and aligning them against each other so they end result looks fantastic.
Do Place the Designs Carefully
The cardinal rule about designing t-shirt graphics is using the correct placement and fonts to convey the right message. For example, you could be choosing images along with a group of words. Many artists make the mistake of assuming that the apparel can have a message broken up into sections placed on the front and back. However, at any given time, only one part of the tee will be visible. Accordingly, each part of the message should be complete in itself. But, also enhance the effect if both sides are viewed at one go. Using different fonts can also change the meaning of the message you’re trying to convey, which is something you need to watch out for. You’ll find a bunch of tips on what not to do with tees in this article on Ranker.
Do Check for Men’s and Women’s Design Placement
Unless you have a different image for tees for men and women, make sure the print is relevant to both genders. Often times, tees that are perfect for men could come across in bad taste when women wear them. Further, check that the design is placed at the correct distance from the neckline. For instance, if the t-shirt has a round neckline, the top of the design should begin at two to three inches from the collar avoiding the seam. But, if you’ve chosen a Polo neck or V-neck, measure an inch from the point where the neckline ends, and print the design. The placement can also vary according to the size of the tee. The online t-shirt printing store will offer you practical suggestions you can adopt.
Don’t Finalize the Order Without Checking the Sample
At the time of taking your order, the company will provide you a digital preview of how the printed tees will look. But, before you place the finalized bulk order, a smart move is to request for one sample, to begin with. Examine the garment carefully from all angles. If needed, make the desired changes and then, request that the remaining tees are printed. Often times, a style that looks good on paper may lack appeal once transferred onto fabric.
Don’t Compromise on Fabric Quality
Every marketing campaign has a preset budget. At the time of designing t-shirt graphics and choosing the material, you’ll learn that the final cost can vary because of the fabric you choose. A whole bunch of factors can influence the ultimate pricing of the products you choose just like the folks on the HuffPost outline for you. Higher quality cloth may cost you more, but it is always advisable to pick out the material that will last the recipient of the free swag for a good long while. The reputation of your business is closely tied to the durability of the tee. The longer the apparel lasts, it will continue to advertise your brand. On the other hand, cheap giveaways reflect on the reputation of the company distributing it and can take away from the positive impact of its promotional campaign.
Designing a t-shirt and giving it away as a freebie may seem like a simple advertising strategy. But, a lot of practical nuances go into producing a great promotional item that creates a lasting impression in the minds of the audience. Choose your designs with care!
