Custom t-shirt printing has become exceptionally popular over the last years finding its fans among people of different age, professions and backgrounds. Individuals treat it as a way to express themselves, get clothes that will be truly theirs and unique. But there’s a group that makes t-shirt printing a huge and profitable business – marketers.
More and more people working in advertising are now beginning to realise the power of custom t-shirts. It’s a great way to promote your brand, services or products – it sparks interest and conversation. That’s why it’s so important that your t-shirts are well-designed.
Some t-shirt printing companies, like TeeJunction, can offer you an extremely helpful tool to let you create your own design, but if you don’t feel up to it, here’s what you should do to find the right t-shirt designer:
1. Think about why you need a t-shirt
Even if you know that you want it for your company, you need to realise what you want to achieve with a custom t-shirt – this will help you design it or express your needs and maintain realistic expectations. It may be about brand values, like communicating about products and services that you have to offer, or simply to promote your company, make it visible and somehow memorable.
Some say that custom t-shirts can help your employees feel more connected to your brand and to each other, hence increased loyalty and motivation. Others use them as leave-behinds – it’s never a bad idea to bring a custom t-shirt for your potential clients and investors.
2. Crowdsource your ideas
There are websites, like 99designs, that allow you to share your ideas for a t-shirt and set a price that you’re willing to pay for the project. The amount and the quality of designs will depend on the price, but artists will be able to contact you with their ideas and solutions, and you may just end up with a hard choice to make. That’s because many sites allow a wide range of designs to be submitted at the same time, even for different prices.
3. Get on freelancers sites
A lot of graphic designers and other artists work as freelancers and they’re constantly looking for a job – in pursuit of both money and professional, artistic satisfaction – or they simply want to expand their portfolios. You can log into several websites and post a job ad with all necessary information – details on your project, price and deadline.
Don’t be surprised if designers start responding immediately and in large groups – this is not an unusual way for them to find jobs. It’s an easier and cheaper way to find a designer, but it comes with a risk – it’s not always the best quality and the people are not necessarily honest and fair.
That’s why it’s so important to read comments and observe ratings – most designers will already have some experience and recommendations. Be sure to talk to them and ask about portfolios – just like you would in the case of a job interview.
4. Find a second-hand design
You can find good designs basically anywhere so it’s good not to limit yourself to finding a designer, and don’t ever look specifically for a t-shirt designer. When you see a poster or an image that you particularly like and you think that it will go well with your brand and on your t-shirts, you should go for it. However, remember to always message the artist to obtain all necessary licences and permissions to avoid trademark and copyrights conflicts.
Even if it’s something that’s not displayed to be sold, write to the artist anyway – maybe you will get this design or even start a long-term partnership with a designer.
5. Look for a designer locally
Not everyone likes to look for a partner online and work with a complete stranger. If you look for someone in your area, you will get to know them before and after you decide to hire them – this will give you peace of mind and maybe ensure the quality of a design as you will be constantly in touch with a designer.
You can check websites that limit your searches to a location, it’s also worth trying to see in a job section in a newspaper or use pages like Craiglist – it’s not entirely safe, but free of charge, so you may sacrifice some time for research. Then, don’t underestimate the possibilities of social media; use Facebook and Instagram to find freelancers in your area or maybe a designers club – yes, it’s a thing.
Now you know some of your options and you can get to work. It really is possible to find someone who won’t cost you a house and who will be able to satisfy your needs and provide you with the perfect design.
Remember also that you can always do it yourself – with all the online tools and generators it’s easy to design something simple, yet catchy. The most important thing is to define your needs, know your goals and your audience; to be absolutely sure that custom t-shirts are something you need. Get inspired by the trends, but don’t ever copy anything. Be creative!
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Interesting related article: “Custom logo cookies for your next corporate event.”