# Text or graphics - which sells better?



## Ross B (Apr 28, 2006)

No doubt this question has been posed on the forum before, but I'm interested in the answer in *commercial* terms - not personal _opinions_ on which is better.

Does anyone know of any data showing which tends to sell better?

Just to clarify my terminology, of course there are T designs that feature a combo of text and graphics - I'm including those in the "Graphics" category.

By "Text", I mean designs with ONLY text.

Note: My suspicion is that good designs sell best, regardless of whether those comprise text, graphics, or a combination. But still interested in the commercial trend, if there is one.


----------



## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

I personally don't know of any studies that have been done based on actual sales. I'm not sure how they would measure it.

I'm sure threadless might have some data on this, since they now sell both graphical and text tees.

I guess if I think about my own store that has both graphical shirts and text shirts, I would say that the text only t-shirts outsell the graphical ones, but my guess is that varies from company to company. 

Like you said, the "good" designs will always rule out.


----------



## Fluid (Jun 20, 2005)

I as well haven't come across any studies and can see this being a hard one to study.

Some text will be better than some graphics and vice versa.


----------



## Ross B (Apr 28, 2006)

Thanks, Rodney and Fluid. It is a hard thing to research, I guess. Thanks for your feedback on your experience with your own Ts. Maybe I should have asked for that sort of feedback in the first instance.

The reason I posed the question is that I always have the feeling that I HAVE to conceive a good graphic to go with text, or to replace text. I have been having a debate with a friend, who thinks the best T designs he's seen are text only.

Of course, "best" is highly subjective and depends on your criteria for assessment. 

The bottom line for me is that I don't have a lot of trouble coming up with smartarse and "clever" text, and I also find I am able to dream up good graphics ideas (this is my feedback, at least) that communicate through symbolism and visual metaphor. My challenge is in creating really good graphics using Illustrator - or any graphics software. I don't have the technical expertise to transform my ideas into reality, although I can get close enough some of the time through settling for simple graphics designs. 

I suppose I have to admit to feeling impatient at the prospect of learning bit by bit about the capacities of Illy. I do have the Adobe Classroom In A Book for both Illy and Photoshop, and I have progressed. Just not fast enough!

Anyway, thought I should explain my motivation for posing the question in the first place. It's interesting to me that both you guys, who are clearly experienced in the business, should not come out with a categoric statement in favour of graphics, as I expected you would. 

My assumptions may be off the mark here, then. Good for me, in one sense, since I can now feel a little more content with having text only designs sometimes, rather than sensing that I am taking an easy way out that won't appeal to the buying public.

I suspect my wording in this post opener may have put a few people off commenting. I guess I was trying to filter out the theoretical opiners who have no real practical experience in the business and are therefore no better informed than I regarding the answer to my query. So, if anyone else who *does* have plenty of experience retailing Ts can contribute their findings appropriate to the graphics vs text-only issue, would really appreciate your input.

Thanks.


----------



## ino (Jan 23, 2007)

where i come from, black t-shirts with with text outsell grafics 5 to 1
regards ino


----------



## Ross B (Apr 28, 2006)

5 to 1? Well, let's have a bit more info to establish some credibility:

1. What is the source of your data? 
2. Where DO you come from? 
3. How reliable is that assertion? Is this 5:1 ratio just your finding - and if so, based on how many sales over what period?


----------



## ino (Jan 23, 2007)

i come from Malta, it is not an exact figure but its approx what i see on the streets. Most girls and older guys seem to prefer text


----------



## monkeylantern (Oct 16, 2005)

This might be entirely spurious, but i suspect the demographics that graphical t's can be sold to has a much much higher "glass ceiling" in terms of price.

It's a rare text shirt indeed that can compete in the $50+ market, whereas graphics reign their aplenty.

What's 100 $12 text shirts at $8 profit verses 30 $40 graphic shirts at $32 profit?


----------



## Ross B (Apr 28, 2006)

OK, thanks ino.

Yes, that's a excellent point, ML, and one I was not considering. As you point out, it's not just about numbers of Ts sold. I think your "glass ceiling" theory makes good sense.


----------



## maddog9022 (Sep 5, 2006)

monkeylantern said:


> This might be entirely spurious, but i suspect the demographics that graphical t's can be sold to has a much much higher "glass ceiling" in terms of price.
> 
> It's a rare text shirt indeed that can compete in the $50+ market, whereas graphics reign their aplenty.
> 
> What's 100 $12 text shirts at $8 profit verses 30 $40 graphic shirts at $32 profit?


not so sure lines like rocawear and some other lines can sell a shirt that just has a company name on it for $30 plus


----------



## Ross B (Apr 28, 2006)

I suppose if the branding is strong enough, you can sell any T for $30 plus. Sadly, that is not the situation most of us are in.


----------



## maddog9022 (Sep 5, 2006)

Ross B said:


> I suppose if the branding is strong enough, you can sell any T for $30 plus. Sadly, that is not the situation most of us are in.


i wish you sould sell any t for 30 plus


----------



## MotoskinGraphix (Apr 28, 2006)

I personally see text and graphics in the same light. With the thousands of different fonts available, distortions, filters, textures, inline, outline and the list goes on, why not? Creative design of text elements is graphic design.


----------



## vctradingcubao (Nov 15, 2006)

Is it also relevant to note that text only designs can be easily "copied"?


----------



## maddog9022 (Sep 5, 2006)

MotoskinGraphix said:


> I personally see text and graphics in the same light. With the thousands of different fonts available, distortions, filters, textures, inline, outline and the list goes on, why not? Creative design of text elements is graphic design.


 
true i was at work last night and we were slow so i was going to do alittle research and just mark down the types of shirts people had. it was way to hard to try and figaur out what was a graphic what was text and whats a combanation. they are so mixed together and people like that.


----------



## kak9288 (Jun 22, 2007)

With a large part of my customers being teenagers I find that my custom graphic shirts outsell "plain text". Although I agree with the previous post that some text only shirts are pretty much considered a graphic tee because of the unique fonts and designs. I also get more money for my graphic designs. Sorry I dont have any hardcore data. In this business it's about having the right design, in the right place, at the right time. Sometimes its text sometimes its graphics.


----------



## sweetsridhar (Jul 15, 2007)

it is always the visula appeal.....it can be either graphic or text and a good design 

but right now the trend in india is mostly for text..that too handwritten


----------



## sweetsridhar (Jul 15, 2007)

it is always the visula appeal.....it can be either graphic or text and a good design 

but right now the trend in india is mostly for text..that too handwritten


----------



## sweetsridhar (Jul 15, 2007)

it is always the visula appeal.....it can be either graphic or text and a good design 

but right now the trend in india is mostly for text..that too handwritten


----------



## DBT (Feb 20, 2007)

text - graphics... it's so relative. it really depends on marketing i think. clever text tees marketed well will sell well (thats a lot of l's ). I've noticed that stores selling text shirts generally market quite cleverly online, with targeted advertising campaigns. Tshirt companies that really on artistic graphics tend to market differently, usually by getting press coverage (blogs, magazines, etc...), sponsoring bands or atheletes and trying to build up a cool factor or a desirability.

also, at the moment clever text with the ironic/smart arse/humorous quotes seem to be really popular, especially in the US. I think this will pass eventually... so i guess you have to try and stay ahead of the game a bit. following the pack might bring you some success...

and in australia graphic shirts are definitely more popular - 10 to 1 i'd say easily...

oh and with the threadless thing, they had that site going with the text tshirts (was it called omg or something?) for a bit and then they merged it into the threadless site... that - and the number of text shirts compared to the number of picture shirts on their site - should say something.


----------



## Ross B (Apr 28, 2006)

DBT said:


> in australia graphic shirts are definitely more popular - 10 to 1 i'd say easily...


And that assertion is based on what evidence, exactly?


----------



## vctradingcubao (Nov 15, 2006)

Ross B said:


> And that assertion is based on what evidence, exactly?


I knew you'd pop that question!


----------



## Ross B (Apr 28, 2006)

Haha - yeah, well I did try to start the queries out with a definite filter against mere personal perception, simply because I am capable of that myself. 

I was after informed comments from experienced players, which have been forthcoming (and thanks a lot to those posters). Can't help being wary and a bit dismissive, though, of those "10 to 1" type declarations that don't appear to be based on much apart from personal opinion, which may be informed or may be just a guess based on assumptions and projection of personal preference.

I live on the west coast of Australia, and my perception based on the Ts I see people wearing around the streets here does not support that 10 to 1 comment, although it seems that graphics (ie: pictures, patterns etc - although I do take the point made by Motoskingraphix that artistically treated text is graphic art) are more popular than just straight text. On the other hand, I cannot make that comment with any real confidence that it applies to other regions of Aust, or other countries. A lot of people, it seems to me, assume knowledge that they don't really have.

The conclusion I am forming after reading all the contributions here is as I suspected - that a good design will sell, whether it comprises solely text or graphics, or both. Which leads to the great unanswerable: what IS a good design? And do all good designs actually sell? 

The marketplace is the measure of such things to an extent, but as with all genres of art, popular does not necessarily mean best (just have a look look at the pap that's big on the music charts, or the pulp on the best-seller book lists...more than ever before, marketing is everything).


----------



## COEDS (Oct 4, 2006)

maddog9022 said:


> not so sure lines like rocawear and some other lines can sell a shirt that just has a company name on it for $30 plus


I agree that grahics will demand a higher price.i think this is because text would be easier to duplicate.A good graphic will sell a garment quicker than text . ...God luck..JB


----------

