There is a particular kind of branded t-shirt that lives permanently at the bottom of a drawer. There is another kind that people wear on weekends by choice.
Same budget, usually. The difference is in a handful of decisions.
MAKE THE LOGO SMALLER THAN YOU WANT TO
This is the hardest advice to accept and the one that changes everything. An enormous logo across the chest turns the wearer into a walking billboard, and people can feel it.
A small logo on the left chest, or a modest one between the shoulder blades, reads as a brand rather than an advert. People wear those.
PUT THE IDEA ON THE FRONT, NOT THE SALES PITCH
If you want a big front print, make it something somebody would wear even if they did not work for you. A phrase your customers recognise, an illustration, an in joke from the industry.
Your service list is not a design. Your slogan usually is not either, unless it is genuinely good.
GET THE GARMENT RIGHT BEFORE THE PRINT
Nobody ever wore a shirt twice because the print was lovely and the fabric was horrible. Spend the extra on the blank.
- Choose a decent cotton weight, around 160 to 180gsm for a shirt that holds its shape
- Offer both a straight cut and a fitted cut, and let people pick
- Check the collar, because a collar that goes floppy after three washes ruins the whole shirt
- Think about the climate, because a heavy shirt in a Durban summer will not get worn
MIND THE COLOURS
Dark garments need a white underbase, which changes how the design looks and feels. Light garments show every mark, which matters for staff who work outdoors.
Also remember that your brand colour printed on a coloured shirt will shift slightly. If exact colour matters, print on white or get a sample first.
PLACEMENT IS NOT AN AFTERTHOUGHT
A chest print that looks centred on the artwork can sit too high on a real person. The usual rule is roughly 7 to 9cm below the collar seam for an adult front print.
Sleeves, the back of the neck and the hem are all underused and look considered rather than cheap.
USE THE BACK FOR THE BORING INFORMATION
If you genuinely need your website or phone number on there, put it on the back or a sleeve. It will still be seen, and it will not be the first thing the wearer sees in the mirror.
ORDER A SAMPLE
One shirt, printed properly, before you order a hundred. Wash it twice. Wear it. Then decide.
It feels like a delay and it is the cheapest insurance in this business.
THE TEST THAT MATTERS
Would you wear it to the shops on a Saturday if you did not work there? If the answer is no, the design is not finished yet.
Have a look at what we have done on our branded apparel page, or tell us what you are thinking and we will help you shape it.