Once your design’s ready, it’s printing time! Find one that offers the method you need at a price you can afford. Of course, extra features and discounts to sweeten the deal are great, too. Sifting through printing options to find the best one for your particular project usually requires experience and time… but we’re going to fast-track it for you!

 Our designers create awesome stuff for us, too! T-shirt design by Asael Varas

 Find out if the printer has an in-house art department. Not only does this mean the printer does in-house prints, but it usually means these folks do good work. Only successful printers can sustain an in-house art department.

 Request samples of finished shirts, not design images. Most printing companies love visitors! Stop by their shop to see and touch their shirts. Remember: a printer’s job is to translate design to an actual print, and only a finished product reveals that.

 Start building a working relationship with a printer you can grow with. Find a printer who prints six or more colors. Even if you don’t need that many for your first project, you might need them later.

 If you’re doing a larger order, make sure your printer offers pre-press proofs. You won’t know for sure how the design fits on the shirts until you see a sample.

 Beware hidden charges, particularly with screens, films or Pantone color matching. Just like any other industry, there are a few rotten eggs. Go over all the charges before payment to make sure they’re being up front.

 Every year t-shirt design and printing are becoming more and more accessible. They’re something every business can take advantage of… as long as they know what they’re doing. We hope this guide on how to design a t-shirt gave you everything you need to break into the world of making t-shirts. Got questions? Ask them in the comments below.

 T-shirts are a clothing item that everyone wears; they’re comfortable, stylish, and the perfect medium for creativity.

 Learn how to make a stunning and effortless t-shirt design with this in-depth guide that covers all of the essentials in making a t-shirt—from ideation to examples and how to make it all in PicMonkey. Let’s get started!

 Define your purpose and audience

 Before you go off and get to designing, first think about why you’re creating a t-shirt. Is it to promote a business or brand, an event, or just a cool message? Make sure your t-shirt design supports its main purpose, while also just being an all-around fun shirt to rock in public.

 When promoting an event or brand, keep your t-shirts eye-catching. This encourages passersby to inquire about them—making t-shirts is the perfect marketing opportunity!

 A thoughtfully designed t-shirt doesn’t have to be in-your-face bold and full of colors. By keeping the purpose and target audience in mind, you’ll be halfway there to a great t-shirt design. For example, If you’re promoting a food festival, think of the theme of the festival, incorporate its logo and branding, and keep it simple yet impactful.

 Put yourself in the shirt-wearer’s shoes when thinking of your design. T-Shirt design via Dingbat Co.

 In addition to keeping the t-shirt’s purpose and audience in mind, think about where the shirt will be displayed. Will it be sold on a website to generate sales and encourage customers to rock it, or will it be used to signify the shirt wearer is part of a team or an event member? Shirts designed to boost a brand or business will have a logo treatment, while a shirt designed to be sold won’t need to be as brand-specific.

 Set t-shirt design dimensions

 When getting your t-shirt prepared to print, the print shop will require all components of your t-shirt design in their respective dimensions and file sizes.

 Full Shirt Design Front or Back

https://carabushirts.com/

 If you're ready to make your t-shirt design in PicMonkey, start with a blank canvas. You can choose from preset dimensions, or use the dimension boxes in the top right corner of the blank canvas screen to enter your own, depending on what type of shirt you're making.

 Select a color palette and typography

 T-shirt design via Drew Lakin.

 Less is typically more when designing t-shirts. Whether they’re designed to promote your brand, event, or message, the best t-shirts are kept to one to three colors with no more than three fonts. Keep it simple!

 Your brand colors, if possible, and your target audience will guide the creative treatment of your t-shirt design. A t-shirt promoting a local coffee shop will have a drastically different color scheme and font style than a t-shirt promoting love. Think about the psychology around the colors you choose for your t-shirt and ensure they align with your t-shirt’s purpose and audience.

 While the idea of bright and punchy colors may resonate with your brand or message, many t-shirt wearers prefer more versatile colors, such as white, black, blues, cream, and more. Make sure you pare down your color palette and also think about the t-shirt color you’ll have the design printed on—because some colors just don’t mesh well together. Trust us, we’ve all been there.

 When thinking of the font style you want to use, the best choice is to opt for a readable font style, such as a sans serif or serif font. Think of t-shirts like a walking billboard—you can’t just stop and read the shirt as they are being worn, they are usually seen from a distance.

 When thinking of the font style you want to use, the best choice is to opt for a readable font style, such as a sans serif or serif font. Think of t-shirts like a walking billboard—you can’t just stop and read the shirt as they are being worn, they are usually seen from a distance.

 Need some font help to get your t-shirt design started on the right foot? Master the art of font pairings in no time!

 5 more t-shirt design examples to inspire you

 Arched (or curved) text is a popular go-to for many t-shirt designs. Use this text style for short phrases, such as a short motivational quote or text describing your brand or business. To balance out the arched style, try incorporating horizontal text at the bottom of your arch.

 Create curved text in PicMonkey

 You can achieve the arched (and circular!) text look in PicMonkey in just a single click. Type out your text, then with the layer selected click Curved text on the left Text Tools menu. Select Circle or Arc and define the curvature. All done!

 Curved text elevates simple horizontal text and allows the text to wrap around illustrations and graphics. Who knew something so impactful could be oh so simple?!

 T-Shirt design via Travis Pietsch.

 Retro styles always make a comeback, and for good reason too! They’re a classic style and are especially impactful when printed on a t-shirt. They invoke nostalgia, but in all of the right ways.

 To really make an eye-catching t-shirt, use a single color design that speaks to your business or brand, with retro-style fonts and a simple illustration on the back of your shirt.