Check out Spreadshirt in this article from the Baltimore Sun.
Fitting you to a ‘T’ - Event he most casual of fashionistas can make a statement through custom-made T-shirts
Baltimore Sun, June 30
The article has a nice list of tips from Jana, Spreadshirt CEO and other t-shirt experts on creating your own custom shirts. I think these apply to anyone who is creating custom apparel.
• DO block out some time to pick the right style, color and design features you want. Rushing through the process could result in an ugly T-shirt. And who wants that? “Go in and think through things,” says Jana Eggers, U.S. CEO of Spreadshirt Inc. “We have a whole bunch of different fonts. Try a bunch of them. See which one you like best. Don’t just pick the first one.”
• DO use spell-check. If you’re using text, please check and double check your spelling. Nothing says “I’m-a-dork” better than a T-shirt that reads, “I’m Too Sexy for This SIHRT.”
• DO try selecting an interesting color, especially if the shirt is a gift. “There’s nothing wrong with the plain white shirt,” Eggers says. “But you want to think, ‘Hey, do I want this to be one of their mow-the lawn shirts?’ or do I want it to be something that they look in the closet and say, ‘I want to wear this.’”
• DON’T overload the shirt with too much text. It may be tempting to try to print on a baby tee the chapter in Jane Eyre you were supposed to read for your summer school English class, but that’s just wrong.
• DON’T put the date on your family reunion shirts. Everyone knows what year it is; try to make the shirt stylish enough that people will want to wear it again. “Everybody gets these shirts, and they throw them away,” says Michael de Zayas, founder of Neighborhoodies.com. “And nobody’s proud wearing a shirt three years from now that says, ‘July 2006 Johnson Family Reunion.’”
• DON’T throw out any ideas — no matter how boring they may seem. “Are you a sports fan? Where do you live?” de Zayas says to ask yourself. “Do you want a silly shirt. Do you want a serious shirt? What are you passionate about? Think about things that interest you. Really make a message that is different from everyone else’s.”
If you have created custom t-shirts before, what is your best piece of advice for someone who is just getting started?
Lindsay Patross
Dave
To me I pay very close attention to what’s popular @ the current time, then I put a twist on it. Also alot of people find out that I kustumize shirts and they tell me what they would like on them….and I make it with a twist!
I had a t-shirt business once, way back three years ago.. I found out that people usually look for popular designs and themes, then request a unique twist on them. For example, girls loved cartoon characters on their customized t-shirts, so I put some of the popular cartoon characters on them, but with unique and even weird poses, like Tweety Bird holding a gun, etc.
I do the who shirt thing once and a while, especially if I have a really good design that people like. I usually ask around first about who likes the design I get them made.