Best T-Shirt Design Resources: Where To Buy?

There are several online platforms that allow you to design and print your own t-shirts. These include Custom Ink, Canva, and VistaPrint, which offer a range of customisation options, from uploading your own designs to choosing from pre-made templates. Etsy also offers a platform for independent sellers to provide t-shirt designs, which can be printed onto t-shirts.

Online marketplaces such as Etsy or Canva

Etsy, for example, is a global marketplace that connects you with creative entrepreneurs from all over the world. You can find thousands of unique T-shirt designs on Etsy, with options to personalise your order and collaborate directly with the seller. Etsy offers a range of T-shirt design options, including bundles, templates, and even custom orders. You can find designs for specific niches, such as anime, retro, or sports, and the platform often features sales and discounts.

Canva, on the other hand, is a design platform that offers an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface for creating your own T-shirt designs. With Canva, you can choose from thousands of free templates, millions of images, icons, and graphics, or start from scratch. They also offer a range of tools to enhance your design process, such as a colour palette generator and a one-click background remover. Canva uses sustainable and local production methods and offers free standard shipping.

Both Etsy and Canva provide a range of options to suit your needs, whether you're looking for a pre-made design, a custom order, or the tools to create your own. With their large seller and creator communities, you're sure to find unique and diverse options for your T-shirt designs.

Custom Ink printing companies

Custom Ink is an American online retail company that offers custom clothing and items such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, and tech accessories. The company was founded in 2000 by Marc Katz, who remains the Chairman, and several of his college friends. Custom Ink began as a t-shirt design company and has since expanded to include a wide range of customisable items.

Custom Ink provides an online design lab where customers can create their own designs or choose from a selection of free custom t-shirt designs. The company offers a variety of printing options, including screen printing, direct-to-garment digital printing, and custom embroidery, and carries over 50 quality t-shirt brands. In addition, Custom Ink provides exclusive artwork and fonts, as well as expert help seven days a week. The company's pricing is all-inclusive, with the final cost depending on the type of t-shirt, the number of ink colours, and the total number of shirts ordered.

Custom Ink also offers a Group Order Form to simplify the process of ordering shirts for groups, allowing for easy collection of sizes and payment. The company guarantees high-quality products that meet customer expectations and are delivered on time. They have received positive reviews for their user-friendly design process, timely turnaround, and excellent customer service.

In addition to their custom t-shirt business, Custom Ink has expanded their services to include "swag management" through the acquisition of various companies such as Represent.com, Sidestep, Swag.com, and Printfection. These acquisitions have allowed them to offer an end-to-end ecommerce platform, design support, order production, tracking, warehousing, and distribution for corporate clients.

Design templates

There are many websites that offer design templates for T-shirts, with some even offering free custom designs. Canva, for example, offers a variety of customisable designs, allowing you to make an authentic fashion statement. They have a range of templates for different occasions, from holidays to advocacies, and you can also design front and back prints. Canva also provides a drag-and-drop design platform, making it easy for anyone to create their own T-shirt design.

Custom Ink is another website that offers free t-shirt design templates created by artists, which can be customised in their Design Lab. They also offer exclusive artwork and fonts, as well as expert help 7 days a week.

Other websites that allow you to design your own T-shirts include Custom Ink, which offers a simple process for creating custom T-shirts for teams, schools, companies, or any other occasion. They also provide exclusive artwork, fonts, and expert help. You can also order just one custom T-shirt or a large quantity to outfit a whole company.

With so many options available, it's easy to find a design template that fits your needs and expresses your unique style.

Vector T-shirt designs

If you're looking to buy vector T-shirt designs, there are several online platforms that offer a range of options. These include:

Vectortshirtedesigns

Vectortshirtedesigns.com is a digital asset library with thousands of design ideas for print-on-demand businesses. The platform offers editable vector T-shirt designs in bundles, with themes such as Video Games, Police, Summer, and Dogs. The designs are compatible with multiple platforms like Photoshop, Illustrator, and CorelDraw.

TheVectorLab

TheVectorLab provides graphic design resources and tutorials for T-shirt creators. They offer a range of product bundles that include graphic templates, fonts, textures, and tutorials. Their website features customer testimonials and a rating of 5 out of 5 stars for their T-Shirt Design Bundle (XL).

Custom Ink

Custom Ink is an online custom T-shirt printing company that allows users to design and print their own T-shirts. While they focus on custom designs, they also offer a selection of free customized T-shirt designs that users can choose from if they don't want to create their own. Custom Ink offers various printing options, including screen printing, direct-to-garment digital printing, and custom embroidery.

Canva

Canva is another online platform that enables users to design and order custom T-shirts. They provide a range of free design templates that can be customized using their drag-and-drop design tools. Canva also offers a wide selection of images, icons, graphics, and fonts to enhance T-shirt designs. They use sustainable and eco-conscious Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing with certified safe-for-children inks.

Vecteezy

Vecteezy offers a collection of free and premium vector graphics, icons, and clipart that can be used for T-shirt designs. Users can browse through their extensive library of royalty-free vector art related to T-shirts and download the designs that suit their needs.

DTG printing

Direct-to-Garment (DTG) printing is a process that uses a specialised printer to reproduce a digital image directly onto a garment. This is done using inkjet technology and inks formulated specifically for fabrics. DTG printing is ideal for those wanting more colour, higher detail, more customisation, and quicker turnaround times than screen printing.

The DTG process involves several steps. Firstly, submitted artwork is checked for any issues that may negatively impact the final print. This includes checking for compression artefacts, colour profiling, and colour correction. Secondly, the fabric is pre-treated with a solution to help the ink bond to the fabric. This is typically done with a machine that sprays liquid onto the fabric. Thirdly, the design is printed onto the fabric using an inkjet printer. Finally, the garment is cured using a heat press to set the ink and make it permanent.

When choosing a fabric for DTG printing, it is recommended to use 100% cotton or blends with a high proportion of cotton. Polyester fabrics should be avoided. DTG printing is also suitable for printing on dark-coloured garments, although it is recommended to use a relatively dark print over a light-coloured garment for the highest-quality results.

Frequently asked questions