A t-shirt is one of the most versatile pieces of clothing you could create with the various customisable elements including the graphics, the fitting, collar, and material! Designing a customised t-shirt may seem simple enough, but you’ll be surprised at how easy it is for it to go wrong. On that note, here are 5 mistakes to avoid when customising your own t-shirts!
What to Avoid when Designing Custom T-Shirts
Unsuitable Colour
It’s usually quite simple to choose the right colour for your t-shirt. If your brand has a logo, that’s the first place to start from. Unfortunately, it is also easy to go wrong with it. One thing you have to consider is the colour combination, whether one colour complements the other(s) or they don’t work well together. If your logo has more than one colours and they already work great together, perfect! You can simply use all these colours together and just add a simple base colour. One thing that is not always considered is whether the colour of the t-shirt matches skin tone. Of course, everyone’s skin tone is different and it can be pretty hard to make sure the t-shirt will match everyone’s skin. However, you can still play it safe but choosing a colour or shade that suits a neutral tone. This way, you reduce the risk of making it look unappealing on either warm or cool skin tone.
Poor Fit
It can’t be understated how important it is to get the perfect fit when customising your own t-shirts. It’s a very straightforward solution but sometimes the problem isn’t so easy to fix. It’s a common mistake to make, especially if you’re getting some feedback on the design for the first time. One of the biggest mistakes that we make when making t-shirts is the lack of accuracy in the fitting. Learning both your body measurements and the t-shirt measurements are important to the final look of the t-shirt. Don’t be afraid to ask your team members, colleagues, or whoever you are printing the t-shirts for to confirm their sizes. Share the measurements of the t-shirt too so they could visualise how it will look on their body. Generally, the fit of a form-fitting t-shirt should be loose in the shoulders and upper chest, and tight around the waist, without an unattractive droopy back or tightness in the neck area. This is the key to making your custom t-shirt perfect.
Unattractive Graphics
Choosing a graphic that isn’t something that you really want to wear is a no-no, and so is anything too gaudy or vulgar. Have a look at a standard t-shirt and then look at it after you’ve customised it. The most common mistakes to avoid are misspellings of the word, logos on the wrong part of the shirt, and flamboyant graphics. If you have a less mainstream graphic, it’s best to either draw it on the shirt, or create a shirt with the graphic printed onto the fabric, or simply consider another customised t-shirt option.
Too Much Text
While you can certainly incorporate as many text elements as you wish, think carefully about how they will impact on your design. If you’re working on a shirt with multiple different colour patterns and patterns on the sleeves, you might wish to either go with a single large print on one side and multiple small text on the other or instead utilise a variety of designs to reflect the mood of your client. A mix of tiny prints and larger fonts will also allow you to ensure the text sits neatly without sacrificing the overall design of your t-shirt. Too much words of similar sizes (on top of the colour combinations and image) can make the t-shirt look too ‘crowded’ and people who look at it may not know which area to focus on. Remember, be creative but simplify where you can! All elements can’t be loud at once.
Styles That Don’t Align With Your Brand
One of the most common design mistakes is choosing a font and colour that doesn’t align with the brand image. While you can’t change your brand’s own font or colour, you can still work out something even better with the t-shirt. The best font choice is usually the one you’ve used for your logo or website so it doesn’t stray too far from your image that people know of. It’s a very small element, but it can be the first thing that a customer sees when they pick up your customised t-shirt. Of course, just because you feel restricted in terms of colours and fonts, that doesn’t mean you can’t be creative about it. After all, customising t-shirts is a no-holds-barred matter, so why not have some fun and design some colourful graphics?
All in all, designing and finding a custom t shirt printing Singapore service doesn’t need to be complicated at all! The key is to design a t-shirt that will be both recognisable as your own and appealing to other people too. The most common mistake is in fact not considering how the t-shirts would be perceived by the people who are going to wear them. So, start by listing down what makes a good t shirt design Singapore people would love to don!In case you need a more personal help, we offer free t shirt printing Singapore consultation service so you could learn the fabric and printing method to go for with your custom tees!