Creating your own custom t-shirts can be a rewarding experience. Seeing your design come to life and being worn by other folks is nothing short of awesome. One of the most effective ways to promote your brand, organization or event is through custom t-shirts. People may throw away brochures or misplace flyers, but a t-shirt will last a very long time. Creating your product may be easier than you think. With just a few steps, you can be on your way to having a stack of custom t-shirts designed by you!

Create the Logo

This may be the most difficult part of the entire process. You will have to use your own creativity and vision to create the actual design and/or logo. Consider the shapes and colors you will want to use. Do you want the tone of the design to be simple and modest or loud and colorful? Do you want pictures to be a part of the design? What type of text would you like to use?

Start out by sketching ideas onto a piece of paper. The rough draft does not have to be perfect. Make out a few sketches and see which one you like best. Do not be afraid to get inspiration from other designs and logos. Search for popular company designs and take a look at their details. 

This part of the process may take some time depending on your requirements and artistic ability. Once you have established the design, the next step is to create a digital copy.

Put The Design into Digital Format

Once the design has been established on paper, you must make a digital copy of it so it can be transferred onto a t-shirt or other items, such as hats, coffee mugs, etc. 

This step may require professional help from a graphic designer to assist in using computer software, such as Photoshop. If you are acquainted with Photoshop or at least willing to learn, you can vectorize the design yourself. This would require you to pay close attention to the smallest details of the design to create a digital version of its piece by piece. 

Once this has been accomplished, it should be smooth sailing going forward.

Screenprinted or Embroidered

The next phase is transferring it onto a shirt. This can be done by either screenprinting or embroidery, if you want the design to have texture. Contacting a reputable screenprinting company will ensure that the final product is of good quality. Their job would be to ensure that the shapes and colors are vivid and displayed on your garment in their intended form. Also, the design should be able to withstand regular washing cycles without excessive damage.

You should also determine how many units you want printed and the type of t-shirts you will want to use. T-shirts come in a variety of styles, such as v-neck, crew neck, etc. You also need to determine the amount you want for different sizes, such as small, medium and large.

Designing Your Own T-Shirts is Fun!

When you have reached the final product you will feel a sense of accomplishment. Once you have done it once, doing it again becomes easier and easier!