Last updated on February 1st, 2023
Designing a t-shirt requires you to practice a lot in order to get some amount of perfection. And it requires you to invest your precious time. But with some easy tips and tricks, the entire process becomes a lot easier when you design your own t-shirt.
We generally take t-shirts as versatile casual apparels. Most people find t-shirts convenient at what they do outside of their office work. Taking advantage of this, marketers have turned these clothing into a branding tool. Company names, marketing slogans, and motivational phrases about a social cause, etc. appear on various funny t-shirts.
But the quality of t-shirt design is the determining factor for the success of your marketing efforts using the apparel. A well-designed t-shirt can take your brand message to people successfully due to the impact it creates. But designing is not easy especially when you want to try your hand without professional knowledge of it. However, with some easy tricks, designing becomes much easier as well as cost effective.
Designing custom shirts is a roaring business worldwide. Many new entrants in this field have made a name and are now an established brand. Some entrepreneurs started with a unique t-shirt design idea that turned into a big business. You can also be in the league of those businesses provided you learned the tricks of the trade.
Here Are The Design Hacks That Will Significantly Help You Design Your Own T-Shirt
01. Sketch Your Design
Before you start designing on the drawing board or computer, do some sketch work. Drawing some sketches quickly on paper is a great way to have your own ideas. Your creative mind has already stored some hidden ideas subconsciously. This is because you have been thinking about the design.
Quick sketching of ideas gives you access to many rough drawings. Then, you can pick one of two sketches to your drawing board or t-shirt maker software to develop them further.
02. Learn To Use Design Software
Design software is part of today’s designers’ working life. They use Photoshop, Illustrator and other such design programs. You should also know how to handle the software when you design your own t-shirt.
The t shirt maker software makes designing an easy task due to drag and drop features. There are tutorials that you can access online to learn these programs.
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03. Keep It Simple
Every design expert advises keeping the design as simple as you possibly can. T-shirt designs can also become complicated for viewers due to the many elements mix together. If there is not aim behind creating the piece, it may go directionless. The success of your design is in getting the point across in a simple way.
You should have the basic knowledge of minimalistic design principles that advocates using fewer elements of colors, typeface, etc. to convey a message. A simple design will also bring your t-shirt printing cost down to your budget.
04. Use A Grid
Although t-shirt designs come in all varieties of shape, still the use of a grid system is advisable. One of the advantages of the grids is that it helps keep different design elements in proportion. It also lets you create a visual hierarchy.
The grid is useful in avoiding unaligned images which confuse viewers. It helps a lot in giving a nice layout for design. You can proportionally create a logo using the grid system.
05. Don’t Use More Than Two Colors
Another thing to consider when you design your own t-shirt is the use of fewer colors. Involve multiple colors or a rainbow of colors only when it reflects your brand. Make it a rule of thumb to pick not more than two colors.
Pick those colors that can help highlight other design elements. Choose a color scheme carefully; but it is essential that you use only those colors that help in reinforcing your brand identity.
Use of the right colors is also important from a marketing point of view. While color theory says that color evokes a certain set of emotion such as the red evokes passion and aggression. But the impact and association of colors vary from culture to culture and person to person. Keep that in mind when applying colors when creating your t-shirts.
06. Use Vertical Lines For Effect
There are several ways to create a visual hierarchy. But the use of vertical lines is one of the best hacks to establish the hierarchy. By using these lines cleverly, you are able to give the eyes some visual break as well.
07. Add Depth
Can you add some depth when you design your own t-shirt? There are a lot of ways to do it. But one of the ways you can exercise easily is the use of some complementary fonts. There is no need to using a wide range of fonts.
All you need to do is to pick two to three complementary fonts from shirt maker design software. Then, these fonts are enough for you to create many levels of design. Make sure that the fonts vary in size and weights. This tactic will help in creating an impression that professionally created design make.
08. Get Inspiration
It is essential that you get some inspiration for designing your t-shirt. You should first take a good look at some inspiring design ideas of great masters. Such great works stimulate our creative minds. It encourages us to come out with unique ideas. So, first scan the web for a wide range of t-shirt designs for designers.
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09. Learn From Tutorials
The web is full of tutorials on almost every subject including designing. Use these tutorials to learn the art of designing. You can gradually upgrade your skills this way. Make sure that you save and bookmark the tutorial resources on sites like Pinterest for quick access. Bookmark all the graphic design content so that you can go back to it when you have the time.
When learning from different resources, do not forget to gather some information about shirt printing as well. That will help you design your t-shirt in such a way that its printing cost is affordable.
10. Practice Regularly
As they say, practice makes perfect. That applies to learn t-shirt design as well. You need to practice this art more often. Regular exercise will make you a better designer. You should think of working on some demo projects that you can include in your portfolio.
Another way to practice is to volunteer work on some design project. You can also hire a professional graphic designer to learn some essential design skills.
These hacks will surely help you a lot when you design your own t-shirt. You need to devote your time and attention to learning the skills. With more practice, you can create a stunning design on your own. But there are many other hacks too that you should try out to be more efficient in your endeavor to create stunning t-shirts.
But if you are thinking of outsourcing t-shirt design ideas, then Designhill can help. At this leading marketplace, you launch a design contest. Many designers will come to work to win the contest. You get many unique design ideas at one affordable price.
Conclusion
Even if you are not a professional graphic designer, it is possible that you design your own t-shirt. You can do this by considering some basic tips of design hacks that help you deal with the design easily. You should keep the design simple, learn how to use design software, pick the right colors and typeface, make sketches, and so on. With such basics in place, you will ultimately be creating great t-shirt designs by practicing your craft.