Designing T-Shirts: A Beginner's Guide To Getting Started

T-shirts are a versatile and comfortable garment, but how do you go about making your own? Whether you're printing designs onto an existing T-shirt or making a T-shirt from scratch, there are several steps to follow.

If you're printing a T-shirt, you'll need to start with a design, decide on your quantity and budget, choose a printing method and fabric, and then find a printer. If you're making a T-shirt from scratch, you'll need a large piece of craft paper, fabric for the shirt, and an existing shirt that fits you well, which you can use as a template.

There are several printing methods to choose from, including screen printing, vinyl graphics, and direct-to-garment (DTG) printing. Each method has its pros and cons in terms of cost, appearance, production time, and materials.

If you're making a T-shirt from scratch, you'll need to fold the craft paper in half, lay the existing shirt on top, and mark the top and bottom. You'll then need to cut out a pattern for the body and sleeves, cut the fabric, and sew the pieces together.

Whether you're printing a design or making a T-shirt from scratch, careful planning and preparation are key to ensuring a successful outcome.

Choosing a printing method

There are several methods for printing designs on T-shirts, and it is important to understand these methods to make the right decision for your business. Here are some of the most common T-shirt printing options:

Screen Printing

Screen printing is a great option for designs that are darker or have high vibrancy. It involves using stencils or screens to apply layers of ink on a T-shirt, with different stencils for different coloured inks. While it is ideal for bulk printing with five or fewer colours due to its labour-intensive setup, each new colour or design revision requires a new screen, which can increase costs.

Heat Transfer

With heat transfer, an image is placed on heat transfer paper, cut from the paper, and then placed on a T-shirt. The heat transfer paper is applied to the T-shirt using a heat press, melting the design into the fibres of the fabric. Heat transfer is a good option for producing colourful images on T-shirts relatively easily and quickly.

Direct-to-Garment (DTG)

Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing involves applying ink directly onto a T-shirt through an inkjet printer. This method is ideal for small print orders and designs with high amounts of detail and many colour choices. However, it works best for light-coloured shirts, and the printing time per shirt can be longer.

Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV)

Heat transfer vinyl, or HTV, is a polyurethane material that allows for unique layered designs. HTV is typically smooth and produces high-contrast, clean-cut edges. It is a good option for creating multi-colour or multi-layered designs, but it can be more expensive and may not be suitable for rubbery or stiff materials.

Dye-Sublimation Printing

Dye-sublimation printing is a direct-to-garment digital printing technology that uses full-colour artwork to transfer images to polyester and polymer-coated substrate-based T-shirts. This method allows for printing with unlimited colours and produces highly vibrant designs that are permanently dyed into the fabric, ensuring they never fade. However, it requires synthetic fabrics for the ink to take hold.

Selecting a fabric

The type of fabric you choose for your T-shirt is important. Most T-shirts are made from knit fabrics, which are softer than woven fabrics and allow for more breathability. However, knit fabrics can be more difficult to work with as they stretch more easily.

If you're making a men's T-shirt, a mid-weight jersey cotton is a good choice as it's stretchy, comfortable, and easy to sew with. If you're using a stretch jersey fabric, it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with some tips and tricks for managing this type of fabric before you start.

Before you begin sewing, it's a good idea to wash and dry your fabric. This will prevent any issues with shrinkage after you've made your T-shirt. You should also press your fabric so that it's as smooth as possible before you start working with it.

Creating a design

The next step is to brainstorm your design concept. This is where you can let your creativity flow, but it's important to keep your audience and goals in mind. Consider the type of T-shirt that would appeal to your target market and ensure that your design translates well to the actual size of the shirt. Use an 18" x 18" canvas to sketch your ideas and place them on a shirt to get a sense of proportion. Think about how the design will look on different body types and sizes, and opt for flat, uncomplicated designs to ensure it looks good on everyone.

Additionally, pay attention to the fonts and colors you choose. Serif or script fonts have a classic look, while sans-serif fonts are more modern. You can also experiment with fun, crazy display fonts, but always keep readability in mind. When it comes to color, consider the fabric color(s) and print color(s), and use your fabric color as the background for your design ideas. Keep in mind that colored fabric can affect the appearance of ink colors, so communicate with your printer about this.

If you're looking for a cost-effective option, you can design your T-shirt yourself using online tools like Adobe Express or Canva, which offer customizable templates, or you can hire a freelancer to bring your vision to life.

Finding a printer

When it comes to finding a printer for your T-shirt business, there are a few options to consider.

Third-Party Companies

One option is to use a third-party company with heavy-duty T-shirt printers and screen-printing facilities. This is a good choice if you need bulk orders or highly accurate, high-resolution images. However, it can be expensive, especially if you're only doing limited-run prints.

Direct to Fabric or Garment Printer

You could also invest in your own Direct to Fabric or Direct to Garment (DTF/DTG) printer. However, this option can also be costly, and may not be the best choice if you're only doing small print runs.

Inkjet or Laser Printer

Most home or small business setups choose a dedicated inkjet or laser printer that is compatible with transfer paper designed for heat transfer applications. This option allows you to print your design onto the transfer paper, which can then be heat-pressed onto the T-shirt.

When choosing an inkjet or laser printer, consider the following:

• Print speed: If you're doing bulk orders, a faster print speed can save you time.
• Paper capacity: A higher paper capacity will allow you to print more designs without having to reload paper.
• Paper size: Consider the size of the T-shirts you'll be printing on and choose a printer that can accommodate larger paper sizes if needed.
• Ink refills: Choose a printer with inexpensive ink refills, as creating T-shirts can consume large amounts of ink.
• Heat transfer compatibility: Ensure that the printer you choose is compatible with heat transfer paper.
• Image quality: Look for a printer that can produce high-quality, high-resolution images.
• Auto-document feeder: If you're doing multiple T-shirt designs, an auto-document feeder can speed up the process.
• Epson EcoTank ET-3850: This printer provides a lot of ink in the box and has inexpensive refills. It is designed for heat transfer printing and can handle multiple heat transfer sheets at once. While it may not be the fastest printer, it produces excellent image quality.
• Canon Pixma Pro-100S: This printer uses an 8-ink dye-based system to produce high-quality prints. It supports printing on transfer paper and printable vinyl and can print directly from cloud-based and online photo storage services. However, it is quite expensive.
• HP OfficeJet Pro 8034e: This inexpensive printer offers great value for mass T-shirt production and can churn out pages at a fast rate. It also has the option to sign up for HP's "Instant Ink" service, which automatically orders more ink when you're running low.
• Brother HL-L2300D: This small, reliable laser printer is perfect for home or small business use. It is fast and can produce sharp-looking images. However, it only prints in black and white, and does not have wireless printing capabilities.

Heat Press Machine

If you're looking for a more hands-on approach, you could consider investing in a heat press machine. This option allows you to print your design onto transfer paper and then use the heat press to apply the design to the T-shirt. There are a variety of heat press machines available on Amazon that range in price and features.

Online Platforms

If you're looking for a more convenient option, you could consider using an online platform or print-on-demand company such as Printful, Printify, or Gelato. These platforms allow you to upload your design and choose from a variety of T-shirt options.

Screen Printing

For a more traditional approach, you could try screen printing. This method requires more specialized supplies but allows you to print multiple shirts from a single image.

Iron-On Transfers

Another option for one-time printing is to use iron-on transfers. This method involves printing your design onto transfer paper and then using an iron to apply the design to the T-shirt.

Inkodye

Inkodye is another option for quick, one-time printing. It involves painting the dye onto the T-shirt, exposing it to direct sunlight, and then washing the shirt to remove any excess dye.

Ultimately, the best printer for your T-shirt business will depend on your specific needs, budget, and the volume of T-shirts you plan to produce.

Uploading your design

Make sure you submit your design files in vector format so your shirt turns out the way it should. You will need to submit your T-shirt design in vector format. This will likely be an AI, PDF or EPS file. Any of these formats will work, but if you’re unsure which one to send to your printer, choose a PDF since it’s the most versatile. Your designer will provide you with a file in one or several of these formats (depending on the program your design was created in, such as Adobe Illustrator or InDesign). You’ll need a separate file for each T-shirt design you’re creating.

Additionally, you might need the specific colour codes, if your printer does custom colours. Make sure you have the Pantone or CMYK colour codes so that everything turns out looking like you want.

When you’re ready to print, you’ll need to send your design files to your printer. Communicate directly with your printer and ask them about specific file types, colour requirements and file sizes. Ask in advance to avoid any miscommunication down the road. Relay this information to your designer so they can supply you with your final files.

If you’re using a print-on-demand service, it’s simple to connect your products to a Shopify store. Customers can browse your shirts and make a purchase. Then, print-on-demand apps handle the printing and shipping. Here are some T-shirt printing apps that work directly with Shopify stores:

• Printful
• Printify
• Teelaunch
• SPOD
• T-Pop
• CustomCat
• Gooten
• Printy6
• AOP+
• Gelato

Frequently asked questions