# T-shirt design: Killer combinations that work



## Printsome (Jul 31, 2013)

With the range of tools available for digital graphics, almost anything goes when creating a design. T-shirt printing, on the other hand, has technical limitations that need to be considered before bringing the creations to light.

Getting quotes and deciding which style to go with should be part of the creative process as well, so it makes it important to know how printing onto T-shirts works (and you can always call us at 0800 012 4505 if you need help!). Here are some of the best combinations which can help you when creating your design, and some tips about their most suitable print methods:


*Faded garment + vintage lettering*

Everybody loves a new vintage T-shirt that looks 20 years old, so you’ve probably seen this a lot! One important thing to consider if going for this kind of design is to make the lettering work beautifully with the selected colours; a good tip is to use complementary colours for both garment and design. Organic cotton T-shirts give a soft touch as well. Printing can either be done with screen printing or DTG, though this last one has a high price on big quantities.


*Make it simple + good ol’ typo*

This style is about colours and contrast, but, above all, about the message written on it. A simple quote from a philosopher, a movie or even one you came up with yourself written in helvetica and that’s it! This kind of tee usually prints awesomely with screen printing (for big quantities) and in cad cut vinyl as well for small print runs, since there are usually just one or two solid colours involved in the design.


*Geometric + black & white*

It’s all about being basic, so there’s no way to go wrong with this one. Though these T-shirts can be seen a lot more at electronic music concerts than any other places, they’re about to become a modern fashion trend. The important thing is to find the right, slim and fit garment so the design can be complementary. And keep it one colour, that way it remains cost-effective and suitable for screen printing.


*Big photos or collages*

Probably the favourite with fashion brands, everything is basically allowed! Those big celebrity faces (wearing moustaches!) or colourful collages with words and shades can be found at 9 out of 10 stores. Its most suitable printing technique is DTG, which comes with a maximum print size of 29.7x42cm (or A3, if you prefer); with time it gets a bit faded just like that cool T-shirt you loved when you were a teenager. The tricky part with this one is creating the artwork with resolution enough to print with a photographic quality at 300 d.p.i., if you’re using Photoshop; that means no low res images from the Internet, so go ahead and take your own or look for a stock photo website!


*Use funny + keen illustrations*

Everybody loves a funny T-shirt; especially if it has animals on it wearing sunglasses and a tuxedo, maybe even drinking tequila! The important thing is to be original and keen about what you’re printing on this one. The most suitable methods would be DTG as well as screen printing, if you’re serious about having those for sell and knows how to manage vectorial files to separate the colours into layers.


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## Citizen Jim (Oct 27, 2013)

Very good stuff. Just starting out in Tee biz.
Citizen Jim


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