How To Create A T-Shirt Design

design by Coco Nella

Designing a t-shirt can be a daunting task, some will hire a designer and some will take the DIY route. Regardless of how you decide to do it, it’s important that your design translates well on a t-shirt and for this reason, we came up with a checklist for you to follow and make sure you’re on the right track.

Design Checklist

1. What’s your goal?

Before starting your design, it’s important to understand what you are trying to accomplish with your t-shirt. What is your primary goal? Are you trying to raise money for a cause? Are you trying to gain recognition as a new clothing brand? or are you simply trying to sell as many t-shirts as possible? Maybe you’re simply creating a shirt for your team at work or for your family reunion. Establishing a goal will help you narrow down your design and pricing choices.

2. Brainstorm

Brainstorming will help you determine the colors, the fonts, words, and imagery for your t-shirt design. It’s crucial to have a list of guidelines around your design to have a starting point when you begin your creative process. It will also help you make sure you include everything you need, especially if you are designing apparel for a specific event or cause.

3. Gather inspiration

This is the fun part! start googling images or looking through Instagram or Pinterest for inspirational images that best fit the aesthetic and vibe you are going for. There are also tons of books containing great and famous designs from now and past decades that may be helpful to you if you’re trying to create something that is unique to this time period.

Here are some important details to consider once you have settled on a design:

• Size

  The size of your graphic should be based on the design, and the properties of the garment to be printed. Depending on the shape of the design, it can look much bigger than what it should. For example, square or circular shapes tend to look better when they are sized smaller than standard.

  Some may print the design on a sheet of paper and hold it up to the t-shirt to ensure the sizing is right. Others may use an online t-shirt mock-up generator.

• Font

  Some fonts look better than others and if this is an integral part of your design, you will need to make sure it translates well on a t-shirt or sweatshirt. If you are struggling with finding the right way to properly visually represent your brand, typography is a great way to start, Typography can become a voice of design.

• Placement

  With methods such as screen printing, there are a few options for placement. The most common areas are the center of the chest, left chest, full front, oversize front, upper back, center back, and full back. The placement, most of the time, will be determined by the design, the shape, or the purpose. If it’s important for the image or design to be visible, a center chest placement may be ideal. Other less common placements are the sleeves, sides, or back of the neck, which are increasingly becoming more popular among streetwear clothing brands.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

While you may have a great design ready to print, there are common mistakes people make when they are ordering t-shirts to be printed. Here an outline of some of those mistakes to avoid:

• Sizing

  This is the most common and avoidable mistake people make when submitting a design to a print shop. The size of the artwork is important and vital as well as figuring out the cut of the t-shirt that the artwork will be printed on.

• Placement

  This may seem straight forward, however, one common placement mistake is printing the design at belly level which is not flattering. Generally, when the artwork is submitted, the printer will advise on placement and adjust your file to the best fit. Alternative placements such as sleeves or sides are possible and your printer should be able to help you with such requests to ensure the design will translate properly.

• Typography

  There are millions of font types, some better than others and not all will work for a t-shirt design. typography is the art of typesetting or arranging type in a way that makes sense, along with choosing typefaces (fonts) making sure that the spacing is correct, and the way it interacts with the graphic elements is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Your font choice can say a lot about the way your design is received, and convey certain ideas or evoke emotions that may not be intentional. A good rule of thumb to ensuring your design looks good is to never use more than 3 different fonts in one design. Check this site to get a crash course in typography!

• Composition

  Composition in terms of design is everything. Every design has elements that are arranged in relation to each other, and this relation is what makes up the overall composition. Some will say that composition is in the eye of the beholder, but there are certain rules to follow when creating a design. A typical mistake would be the spacing or the entire design could be off-balance, drawing the eye to the wrong thing. Here are a few resources to help you with composition.

• Image quality

  Nobody wants a blurry design on their t-shirt and this is one big mistake people often make when they submit a file to the printer. To ensure your design or image is big enough and is high-quality, check the resolution (pixels). Ideally, images should be 200dpi or higher to guarantee a clear and detailed print.

• Contrast

  Low contrast can lead to very hard to see designs against specific color t-shirts. If the contrast is off, your design won’t shine. So, what is contrast? It’s the degree of visual difference between the darker and lighter parts of an image, or the way shades of colors correspond to each other. The strongest contrast is between colors is black-on-white or vice versa. And of course, bright colors on a dark background are going to also be high contrast.

• Details

  Fine details, small text, or very thin fonts can be difficult to discern on printed t-shirts. What might look good in black and white on paper or even on your high-quality phone screen can be hard or almost impossible to read on a t-shirt. Your design should have thick lines with also bold font or font that is big enough to translate well on a shirt.

• Borders

  This mistake often happens when the design is a photograph. Designs that have a border can often look boring or cheap, that’s why it’s advised to take out any blank border from an image or design. Removing the border can make a huge difference and make the t-shirt more appealing to your customers. You may remove the background using photoshop, or if you don’t have photoshop, our team at Family Industries can help you.

  Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator
  

Family Industries has experts standing by ready to help you with any of these roadblocks. We offer graphic design help and we also consult on print options. Click Here to Contact Us!

Halloween Costume Ideas for 2023

This year Halloween has the potential to be great, as the day falls on a Saturday, which means you can have a late night with the kids or with friends watching scary movies and eating way too much candy until you pass out from a sugar crash. While a lot of things are different this year, we can all still dress up and make it fun. We’ll take you through some simple and on-a-budget costume ideas to stay in the spirit even if there is no Halloween parade this year.

Costume Ideas

If you’re anything like us, every year you get caught off guard once this time of year arrives and you end up panicking trying to find a last-minute costume for a zoom Halloween party. Here are some ideas that you may find helpful in the search for that great costume that took little money, effort, and time to put together.

Custom T-Shirts make great DIY Halloween costumes

While not the most original idea, it’s the perfect last-minute choice and the cost is much less than a traditional costume. So, you will be saving money and time! a t-shirt costume is a simple and practical idea for a costume that, if dressed correctly, can be a big hit at the annual Halloween party. For 2020, especially, you will most likely spend the night at home but this doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun and dress up!

A few things to consider when coming up with a costume t-shirt:

1. Humor - Always be funny! Do you like to make people laugh? find a way to still be funny with a simple t-shirt costume by

2. Cleverness - A play on words is always a hit! a clever way of using a word or phrase will almost always get a chuckle from people.

3. Originality - Make sure you’re the only one at the party with your costume, try to be creative and reference pop culture or current events.

4. Relativity - There is nothing worse than having to explain the joke. Make sure your costume is something people will understand and relate to.
   

Here we will show you a few fun ideas that have all the elements needed for an awesome last-minute Halloween costume for your “chill-at-home Halloween party”.

Nerd Tee

The classic nerd costume. We all have a pair of old thick framed glasses. Buy this shirt and put on the glasses and you’re good to go!

BUY

Clever Tee

Wittiness will always get you brownie points. Everyone likes a clever t-shirt!

BUY

Tuxedo Tee

This shirt tuxedo costume allows for some versatility. You could be a magician or a fancy man at a fancy dinner party. Grab a top hat and some dashing white gloves and you'll be ready.

BUY

Hillbilly Tee

Barbed wire tattoos, flask in the pocket, corncob pipe, and a bandana. All you need is a mullet and a trucker hat and you’re good to go.

BUY

Pregnant Costume Tee

Have a bun in the oven? Most costume won’t fit? No problem! This t-shirt will scare all the little trick-or-treaters.

BUY

Star Trek Tee

Now this is an effortless cool costume! Throw this shirt on, slick back your hair and put on some black pants and you’re in with the trekkies at the Zoom party.

BUY

Costume Masks

As we continue to battle Covid-19, it is important to follow the CDC guidelines for this holiday. Wearing a mask will have to be part of your costume if you are taking your kids trick-or-treating, or if you’re an adult that still enjoys childhood traditions. Whatever the scenario, we decided to list some of our favorite Covid-19 friendly face masks for Halloween.

Fun Halloween Face Masks for 2020

Ron Swanson

Everyone loves the show Parks and Recreation, and Ron Swanson is an iconic character. Just put on a suit, slick back your hair and put on this mask!

Buy

Kevin - Home Alone

You can’t think of a more iconic movie from the 90’s. This scene from home alone printed on a mask is genius!

Buy

Zombie

The classic Halloween costume! get this mask and skip all the special effects makeup.

Buy

Hocus Pocus Witches

The best Disney Halloween movie ever made! The Sanderson sisters are the most iconic witches, and these face masks prove that!

Buy

LED light-up Face Mask

If you’re going for a more futuristic look, this face mask is it! Some of the features are great and you can use it for multiple occasions.

Buy

Plague Doctor Mask

We couldn’t think of a better occasion to wear this than for Halloween during a pandemic. This steam punk mask is great for a simple costume idea.

Buy

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

Different Types of Screen Printing Techniques

Screen printing might sound like it’s a straightforward process but there are many print effects that can be achieved with the right technique. The different screen printing methods are used to create a specific look to fit with the style you’re looking for. In order to achieve certain looks, you may need to adjust your artwork file or overall design. Don’t worry, we will take you through those steps!

In this guide, you will find the best T-shirt printing methods explained, exploring how each method works, the process, and the end results. Each of these methods are widely used by screen print shops around the world.

About Screen Printing

Screen printing is one of the most popular, established, and widely used amongst print shops. The process involves using screens to apply ink to apparel and other various materials. Also known as silkscreen printing, screen printing is a versatile and effective printing method that allows you to produce T-shirts with outstanding quality and a tactile feel. And, because the inks are absorbed deeply into the fabric, it is possible to achieve vivid, bright colors and maximum durability.

This is one of the most traditional methods of T-shirt printing, with experts believing it dates back as far as ancient China. However, it became popular in the 20th century, when Andy Warhol used the technique to create his iconic Marilyn Monroe portrait. It has since been used to create flatstock such as band posters, art prints, and graphic tees.

What Is The Screen Printing Process?

• Design Creation

  • Screenprint designs are often done using various software such as illustrator. You will want to ensure your file is in the right format before you begin creating your design. Size is very important and you will want to ensure the file can be re-sized according to the print surface.

• File Formatting

  • Vector files are needed to create a perfect print. Vector files are mathematical calculations that create lines and figures on our monitors. Unlike working with pixels, you can expand or minimize these vectors as much as you want, without impacting the quality. As well as being saved as a vector, the artwork must also be separated, with each color on a different layer. This is because, in the screen printing process, each tone is printed using a different screen.

• Screen Preparation

  • The screen needs to be coated with a photosensitive emulsion. This creates the green background you might have seen on a screen printing screen. This is a simple process but must be done carefully to ensure that the liquid is distributed evenly.
    For the photosensitive emulsion to work properly, it must be left to dry in a cool, darkroom. If the emulsion is exposed to light at the wrong time, it could jeopardize the full process.

• Stencil Creation

  • Once the screen is dry, the design is placed on top of it and secured in place using an adhesive. The screen is then placed under a strong source of UV light. The parts of the screen that haven’t been covered with the design will harden, while the rest will remain soft. In effect, the design has now been burned into the emulsion. When the screen is fully dry, the design can be removed using a small brush and water. A negative component of the artwork will be left and the artwork is ready to be printed using the preferred ink and technique to achieve the right look.

• Color Separation

  • If your design features more than one color, the process is repeated so that each color in your design is separated into individual layers on different screens. So, if your design has two colors, you’ll need two screens.

• Application

  • Now that the screen is ready, it’s time to start the actual printing. The T-shirt will be placed in the screen printing machine, with the screen carefully placed on top. The ink will then be placed on top of the screen and evenly distributed across the surface using a squeegee.

Learn more about the life of a screen from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

What Are The Different Types of Screen Printing?

With screen printing, you can create different finishes such as crackle or glow in the dark, but there are also different techniques that can be done to create a specific look for your print. These different techniques are used when you have a specific look in mind or you’re looking for a specific or unique aesthetic.

Spot Color Screen Printing

Spot Color Screen Printing is the most common t-shirt printing method. It uses the stock color of the ink by printing it through the stencil of the screen. It produces a vibrant solid spot of color and creates a thicker layer of ink depending on the ink and mesh count used.

Being it is one of the most beneficial in printing darker garments. It is useful for printing 1 – 4 colors; when you have more spot colors, other printing methods such as the simulated process may be a good option.

Because spot colors layer an infinite amount of colors, they can provide a much more vibrant and detailed print. In addition to the variety of options, spot colors provide much better consistency from print to print. When printing a solid color with process inks, there may be slight variations in the color balance that can affect the color’s consistency. While spot colors may cost a bit more, they can add a lot to your project making the extra cost well worth it in the end. Check “How To Screen Print: Spot Color”.

Halftone Printing

Halftone prints are single or multiple colors in which gradients are printed. These tones can range from solid spots to halftones of the same color. This screen printing method is excellent when you want to achieve the look of multi-color printing without actually doing it. This screen printing method emphasizes the use of shading with tiny dots, pictures can be printed using halftone screen printing and only use one single color to do so.

For example, if you want to get a pink radiant color on your white t-shirt, you can print red on a white shirt and include a 50% gradient. The 50% gradient will mix with the white to give it a pink appearance, all using only one screen and one color. It improves the graphics quality and produces a softer feeling print when printed directly onto the garment. Check “How To Get Started Screen Printing with Halftones”.

Grayscale Printing

Greyscale printing is a great way to print full-color images as one-color grayscales or halftones. Full-color photographs can be printed as a one-color halftone. Full-color drawings containing a complete range of different colors may also be produced employing a one-color halftone.

Typically it’s done in black ink on a light garment, but technically speaking, it can be done in any color ink as desired. The resolution will depend on the lines per inch used in the dot pattern.

The more dots a halftone has, the more detailed the print will look. It is a great cost-effective screen printing technique to print black and white photographs on garments. Watch “Convert a full color image to grayscale for screen printing using halftones”.

HOW IS HALFTONE PRINTING DIFFERENT THAN A GRAYSCALE?

Halftone printing is different than grayscale printing for several reasons. The first is the fact that halftone printing involves using one color to create various shades and portray the desired image as a result. Grayscale printing, on the other hand, is the specific use of gray shades from black and white.

Duotone Printing

Duotone printing, also known as multitone printing, is the combination of two halftones for the same image printed with two colors. First, a black halftone is printed on white tees, and then a second halftone will be printed with color ink.

The color halftone combines with the black halftone to produce a duotone color hue. It gives a retro and cooling effect to the prints on light-color garments and gives a full-color print appearance but at a much less expensive rate. It also produces a softer feel print when printed onto the garment.

This process requires that the press be set up with special inks, usually PANTONE-designated colors, instead of the standard CMYK inks used for process color printing. Check out “Creating and Separating Duotone Images”.

CMYK Printing

CMYK is the oldest, color reproduction, print method. Using cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink, screen printers can print designs on white or light-colored garments. For users skilled in CMYK file preparation, Photoshop, and screen creation, this is still a viable print process for light-colored garments.

CMYK printing is the most complex of all screen printing techniques and should be done on an automatic press. It can be done manually, but for optimum results, you need an automatic t-shirt press.

The printing process combines the above four colors to recreate the original image’s full tonal and color range. Moreover, it is an expensive process. Additionally, CMYK is implemented less because simulated printing is more dominant. Watch “How To Screen Print T-Shirts in CMYK”.

Simulated Process Printing

A simulated printing process is a method used to reproduce almost any image on the market. It does so by overlapping and blending colors in a method similar to CMYK through using halftones and spot colors and/or PMS colors. Essentially, it's a way of taking an image that historically would have been printed via CMYK but instead uses more opaque ink to create a more stable color and production-friendly ink that can print almost any design for any garment.

Moreover, it is most often the process used to print complex images on black-colored garments. Designs that are too difficult to separate in a vector program, raster images, photographs, complex tonal illustrations, are all doable with Simulated Process. Watch “How to Screen Print: Simulated Process”.

Learn more about the different screen printing methods “CMYK vs. Spot Color vs. Simulated Process Printing”.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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A Guide To Streetwear Design

Designing artwork for a t-shirt or a hat may seem like a simple task, but when it comes to the technical application of the design; things may get complicated. The road to starting your own streetwear brand does not have to be bumpy! we encourage you to inform yourself before investing time and money, and we will help you by taking you through the different steps to consider when creating and designing your own apparel brand.

In this article, we will walk you through efficient and economical ways to begin a streetwear clothing line as well as the technical part of apparel printing to help you avoid having to re-design your logo or any other artwork you would like to print on t-shirts, hats, or pants.

Photo and T-Shirt Design By NEVER MADE

What Is Streetwear?

Streetwear is a casual fashion style that became popular in the 1990s. It includes comfortable yet trendy clothing such as graphic tees, hoodies, sweatpants, and sneakers. Streetwear brands are inspired by both hip-hop culture and skater style. Followers of the latest trends in streetwear are known as hypebeasts, and many go to great lengths to acquire limited-edition designer hats, hoodies, sneakers, and more.

The first streetwear brands emerged in Southern California in the 1980s, when surfers sold screen printed T-shirts to promote their hand-shaped surfboards. Inspired by the street style of LA skateboarders and surfers as well as hip-hop fashion, small skateboarding shops in NYC started creating their own designs in the 1990s.

In the 2000s, sneaker culture influenced streetwear fashion. Hypebeasts paired their graphic tees with athletic sneakers, and collaborations flourished.

In the 2010s, luxury streetwear was born. As young people and social influencers made streetwear an important part of pop culture, and the fashion industry noticed, from mainstream sportswear brands to high fashion brands, got in on the action.

The Basics

Comfort

As mentioned, streetwear takes inspiration from the hip-hop culture as well as the skater style. When figuring out the fit of your apparel, you will first want to think about whether you’re looking to design loose and comfortable pieces or have more of a tapered look.

Streetwear is generally defined by breaking the rules of proportion by using oversize t-shirts with skinny jeans or dropped-crotch sweatpants, but as the style evolves, it is encouraged to just make cool and interesting apparel regardless of fit.

Ripped pants and distressed jeans are also part of the streetwear style, these details are important to the overall look. Considering what type of fit and style gives you brand identity and consolidates your audience to a specific group, which in turn, will help you narrow down your marketing efforts in the future.

Fabrics & Design

Because t-shirts are one in a million, and cool graphics are being designed and printed daily; good high-quality fabrics will set you apart from the competition and give your brand an edge. If this is something you can afford, we highly recommend going with higher quality cotton.

Cotton fabrics are premium options and ideal for long-lasting apparel. Additionally, the thicker the fabric, the better the graphics will be. The thicker fabric allows for a cleaner and nicer print, whether you’re screen printing the design or opting for a DTG print (direct to garment), a nice cotton blend is what you will need.

The design will depend on what your brand is about. Considering the name and the inspiration behind your brand as well as finding a compelling way to translate your passion for the brand into a cool graphic is key, and that same sentiment should show throughout each article of clothing and each collection thereafter.

We recommend that you stick to one logo and that logo be visible enough on all articles of clothing offered by your brand. The graphic design should be easy to read and recognizable. When designing the graphics, seek inspiration from your life, your surroundings, or the culture within your community. Having a design that directly connects to a certain lifestyle is what makes a streetwear brand successful.

Versatility

When creating your own apparel brand, especially in the streetwear category, you want each piece to be versatile. Versatility means that you can wear that article of clothing with many other pieces to allow the buyer to create their own unique look and keep their originality.

You can achieve versatility by including basic colors such as white, black, or grey. Minimal designs such as your logo embroidered small on the chest or your logo screen printed on the back of a t-shirt.

The Details

Accessories are essential to completing a look. There are simple accessories you can offer, such as hats, beanies, and bandanas to complete a unique outfit.

Screen printing a hat or a bandana is fairly easy and affordable, and are a good way to add accessories to your clothing line. Additionally, embroidering a logo on a hat or a cross-body bag is a good alternative that provides an added touch of customization and quality.

Focusing on the smaller details can make all of the difference in setting your brand apart from others, such as printing on unconventional spots like the sleeves or adding an embroidered element to the design.

Screen Print or Direct To Garment?

There are many differences and similarities between these two methods of printing, and there are a number of criteria to be taken into consideration when making your decision. The following points will help you decide on which print method is better for your brand and more specifically what type of print method is best for your designs such as logo and other artwork you wish to display on the apparel.

1. Quantity: Digital printing allows for a smaller quantity to be printed while screen printing will usually require a minimum.

2. Apparel: Screen printing has more versatility when choosing your fabric. For digital printing, it is advised to print on 100% cotton or other select cotton blends and only certain colors.

3. Design: Photographs or hyper-detailed images with a lot of colors are usually better printed digitally. However, if you have a large number of shirts you would like to print, screen printing may still be an option but it may cost you a little bit more or may require some adapting to make the design work best.

If cost is your main concern, the following criteria will dictate the best print method:

1. Apparel: The type of apparel can range from value to premium options and depends on the style and brand.

2. Print Locations: There is the option for 1 or 2 locations, which would be the front and/or the back (for a t-shirt or sweatshirt).

3. Fabric Color: For screen printing on darker color fabrics, a white layer before your print is necessary and may cost a little bit more.

4. Number of Colors: The more colors your print requires the higher the cost is for screen printing, however, if you have a large quantity, this cost may be a lot lower as you can have access to deeper discounts.

5. Quantity: With screen printing, the number of pieces will dictate the majority of your cost. This is the most important factor that will most likely dictate the right method for you.

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Streetwear Brand Spotlight:

Never Made is a Los Angeles based streetwear / lifestyle brand created by artist Francisco Reyes, Jr.

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Remember!

When people look at you as a “high-quality” streetwear brand, you’ll not only be able to charge more money, but you’ll be much more reputable in the process. Reputation can take you a long way in the fashion industry, especially when it comes to something as urban as streetwear.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

For FAQ, check out our site!

For any inquiries, send us a message!

OR

send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com

Our showroom at 2755 Fruitdale Street, Los Angeles, CA 90039 is open by appointment only from 10 am - 4 pm Monday through Friday.