Apart from promoting the standardization of appearance, corporate t-shirts also encourage unity when everyone from the company ladder wears the same apparel and works for the same goal. As for the external campaign, however, it would be easier for customers to get in touch with the employees when there is an identifiable symbol of the company and at the same time, show the sense of profession.
If you are planning to get your company with the standardize apparel, you might be stuck in designing it when starting from scratch. Fret not, you may get more ideas on it after reading the step-by-step guideline below.
Why a company needs their own t-shirts
Every action starts with a reason. The same goes for designing a corporate t-shirt – there must be a purpose for you to have the idea to do so. The results of the t-shirt design would probably be more satisfying when you stick to your intention along the process of coming out with the apparel.
Let’s say if the t-shirt is designed for the promotional events, then you should start by considering the theme of the events and your target customer – a professional or casual one? If the corporate wear is for internal informal events, you can add the element of solidarity. Other than donning it, selling corporate t-shirts as the merchandise can be another source of revenue.
Brainstorm on the design idea
Once you know why to have apparel, it’s time to brainstorm on a design. If you are not a design person, you may start by gathering inspiration online from other companies and websites, such as Pinterest and Google Images. Another offline way to go is to get the employee’s opinion as they are the one wearing it.
The story of your company, type of industry and the brand guidelines tell you which colours and elements to be applied to the t-shirt. If your company usually uses blue on the brochure, logo, and product packaging, then there is no way to use the colour that has no relation, like red.
Besides, you would also need to think of the t-shirt types – crew vs v-neck, long vs short-sleeved. This requires the consideration of t-shirt usage and flexibility.
Understand the printing and fabric options
After having your design draft, now you need to know how the design can be applied on the garment as it affects the cost. One of the printing options is screen printing, also known as silkscreen printing. It is suitable for one-colour design and mass production. It is a popular choice due to the cost efficiency and the long lasting durability.
If you opt for a small quantity of t-shirt printing, vinyl graphics and heat transfer is a good choice. It is an affordable option for low order volume and the colour doesn’t fade over time. It undergoes the process where the heat softens the dye on the paper until it dipped into the cloth.
The other method you might have heard off is the direct-to-garment. The ink is thin so it gives a soft feel on your hand. However, this method cannot be applied to dark fabric as the thin ink won’t look well on it.
Embroidery is another way to go. Of course, it is done by machine but not hand embroidery, so it can be applied to more than 100 pieces of garments. It is the best option for elegant finishing.
Another element to consider is the fabric used. Cotton is the most common type of fabric of t-shirt. Cotton is a breathable natural material and is great for sensitive skin. Other types of fabric you may refer to include the polyester, linen, rayon and lycra.
Find an apparel printing company
Unless you have the printing machine, you definitely need to rely on a garment printing company to get your final pieces. To select the printing company, you can take a look at the apparel projects each of them have done for other companies. You can also enquiry the price and get design consultation based on your initial design idea.
The consultant would assist in the final design and you can always have the design review on the tshirt printing before taking it to the printers.
If you are still at a loss in coming out with the desired corporate t-shirt, hit the enquiry button and the consultant would guide you step by step.
