First, who is your market? Who is going to buy and wear your t-shirts? Will it be both boys and girls? What colors will they prefer? What styles to they like to wear? Before you start the design process, poll your group to figure out what colors, styles, and features they are willing to buy and wear. For example, the Girl’s Tennis Team might prefer lilac v-necks. The boys baseball team wouldn’t be caught dead in one of those. However, they might love multi-colored raglan tees. Your entire student body might like vintage throwback t-shirts in your school colors. Know your audience!
Double and triple check spelling. Save yourself the embarrassment and expense of misspelling a simple word or name. Before approving your artwork, proof-read spelling and grammar… twice. Better yet, have two others proof the grammar and spelling also. It is very embarrassing to finish passing out 200 shirts only to find out you misspelled the name of your school. Trust us, it HAS happened. When you have a list of student names you are printing on the back of the shirt, have each student look for and proofread their name. What’s the only thing worse than misspelling a student’s name? Accidentally leaving off their name! Trust us, it HAS happened. Don’t let it happen to you.
Look at the trends. Keep it Classic. Most fashion experts advise against following trends. Not this time. You know students are prime targets for what is hot and popular. Watch the latest viral trends to maximize your design’s appeal. Make it the go-to garment for the school year. You can’t go wrong with the quintessential tee boasting school spirit, the school colors, and the school mascot. The classic school tee never goes out of style.
Use a professional designer. Don’t be afraid to ask your screen printing company for help. They will probably have graphic designers on staff or as consultants. Either way, they will be willing to help you bring your ideas to life. Whether you have a specific design in mind, a rough sketch, or not a clue, a graphic designer will help you create a good looking t-shirt.
Ask permission. When designing a t-shirt that represents your school or is intended to be worn during school hours or activities, it’s a good idea to run your design by the proper authorities. These days many school logos are trademarked while others are public domain. There have been circumstances in the past where some designs have been prohibited on campus. You don’t want to be stuck with dozens of shirts that can’t be bought or worn.
You’ve now passed T-shirt Designing for Schools 101. To get started with your custom screen-printed apparel, see us at Greek Corner Screen Printing and Embroidery in Springfield, MO. We offer full-service screen printing including free art service. We would love to work with you on your next tee shirt, bag, hoodie, short, and screen printed sportswear order for your school. Call us at 417.865.8011 or get a free quote today.