So, you've finally been convinced that custom t-shirts can be instrumental in building team culture, sharing your message with the world, raising money, and more—what took you so long? 😉

Now that you're here, though, you've probably got a lot of questions—and want to make sure that you get all of the details just right. Luckily, we're kiiiiind of experts at the whole t-shirt printing thing, and we want to make sure you feel confident and comfortable placing your order. Simply follow these tips and you'll be on your way to wearable works of art in no time.

- Each individual design you create is considered a separate order—which means that you'll need all of the details listed below for each unique design/order.

- As you move through the checklist, keep in mind that we don’t need every piece of information right away if you don’t have it (or don't know the answer). Our team is here to help guide you through the decision-making process and clear up any confusion.

We're firm believers in the fact that context is everything—which is why we want to make sure you have all the resources you need in order to understand how the screen printing process works, how the look & feel of water based inks differs from other print methods, and how you can expect your finished product to look.

We'll get into some more important considerations—like when you need your finished shirts by, how many colors are in your design, how many add-ons you're going to incorporate, etc.—later, but for now, these are some basic things you should understand: 

What water based ink is—and difference it will have on the look and feel of your completed design

The most popular fabric compositions—and how they may impact the final result of your garment

What Pantone colors are, and what we mean when we say we "Pantone-match"

First things first: it's likely that when you begin a custom apparel purchase, you've already got a design in mind. Not so much? No problem—we can create one for you! Simply reach out to our team to get started, but be sure to include as much detail as possible when explaining what you’re looking to have generated. Rough sketches and pictures are always a great way to help convey your ideas to us. The more information you can provide us with, the quicker we can get your art together and get some t-shirts in your hands! 

Once your design concept is squared away, you'll run into some other important things to consider—one of which is the size of your design. T-shirt design can be rather subjective—meaning, the intended use may have an impact on which route you decide to pursue regarding the size and placement of your design on the garment. Standard placements include: front & center, left or right chest (or on the pocket, if your tee of choice has one of those), back, sleeve, etc. Depending on the type of design you're going with, either of these placements may serve you better than the others.

It is important to note that the size of the garment you are printing on can be a factor in this decision—as your design will likely not look the same on every single size you print (for example, a left chest logo print on a size XS will take up a great deal more real estate than it does on an XL).

Trying to determine how many of each size you should account for when placing your order? Our Size Breakdown Calculator is pretty clutch. We created it using tons of historical order information so that you can feel confident placing your order, even without passing out a T-Shirt Order Form and gathering sizes manually.

Another important consideration pertaining to your design is the number of colors it contains. Screen printing works in a way in which each individual color your design has requires a different screen to be burned—so if you've been wondering why your price goes up when you add more color, that's why! In this way, being aware of the ways in which color influences your total investment may end up influencing the direction you choose to take with your design.

Choosing the garment you print on is arguably the most important decision of all. The fabric blend you choose can have a major impact on the final result of your design—whether it looks more crisp, more vintage, etc.—and will also affect the overall feel/wear of your shirt.

Knowing who you’re selling to is a big factor in determining what shirt you should decide to print on.

You’ll know this better than we will—however, we can help guide you if you’re unsure, need some insight on current trends, or just are curious about what your design would look like on different garments.

Have you printed in the past and are looking to go in a different direction with this order? We always suggest asking your customers/employees/shirt-wearers first—they’ll tell you the truth! Maybe it’s time to switch brands or continue moving forward with what already works.

With all of that being said, before deciding on a brand or garment, it's always good to research your options.

Here’s what we need to know:
Manufacturer Name
Style #
Color

‍
Here’s an example using the above template:
Next Level Apparel
3600
White


If you want to use two, three or even four different shirts for the same design make sure to list them out like so.

The print style you choose (AKA the ink you choose to use to bring your design to life) is another huge factor to consider before placing your order.

Are you going for a more vintage look/feel? 

Are your prioritizing bold look over comfortability and longevity? Or vice versa? 

Do you want your design to soak into the fabric of the shirt itself? 

Are there any current trends you'd like to consider? 

Once you've answered these questions, you'll be able to communicate the look you're going for to our team, and they'll be able to help determine the best print method for you.

Looking for maximum impact and texture? Puff ink or metallic ink(or even metallic foil) may be a good choice for you.

Going for a more subdued look that will last forever and get softer with every wash? Our SuperSoft Ink is a winner.

Need more information before making a decision or starting an order? Check out our Custom T-Shirt Buyers Guide, or simply reach out to our team for support. We'd love to help you feel confident as you approach your order! 

Preparing to place a custom t-shirt order? Make sure these boxes are checked, first. 

The T-Shirt Printing Checklist You Never Knew You Needed

Printing over the seams is a specialty print style service that can take your custom t-shirt to the next level—but it's also a pretty tricky method that can yield some inconsistent (or unideal) results. Printing imperfections are definitely a possibility—so it's good to know what you're getting yourself into when you opt for this style. We consider ourselves screen printing experts—and for us, a big part of that is being completely upfront with you about technical limitations, and how your vision may not translate exactly the way that you want it to.

Anytime an image hits a seam, or is very close to hitting a seam, ink deposit inconsistencies are possible and should be expected and understood as acceptable. Certain seams may cause worse inconsistencies, but all seams run the risk of causing imperfect prints.

The style of seam (and the design you're printing) can definitely influence your final product. We'll break that down a bit more below.

‍There are five main over-the-seam print locations—each with some risks to be aware of when making the decision to print over seams.

This is the most common seam that people run into printing imperfections. At Real Thread, we see a lot of rather large designs hit the press; the kind that where people want the entire body of the shirt printed on, but not the sleeves. When printing a size run of XS – 2XL, it’s always important to understand that the amount of print space varies. This means your design may print over the seam on sizes XS – S, but not on M – 2XL.

COLLAR SEAM - moderate risk (depends on the garment!) ‍

This seam is frequently printed over when using an all over printing method. Shirt collars are constructed in a variety of different manners, so some print much better than others. Being that this is also a much thicker seam, printing imperfections tend to be a little more drastic here than other places.

This seam generally yields a nice smooth print result. It’s usually only two layers of fabric thick and has a nice smooth stitch. Inconsistencies are still common, but far less dramatic.

SIDE SEAMS - moderate risk (depends on the garment!) ‍

This seam is often times a hit or miss. Some shirts are manufactured using “tubular construction” and therefore won’t have any side seams. Others aren’t made this way, which yields a print imperfection. If you work with an experienced printer, there often times isn’t a problem printing over side seams.

This seam comes into play most often when using an all-over printing method (in which the design literally covers the entirety of the garment). Being that this seam is thicker than most others, printing imperfections tend to be more drastic—which is why we don't usually recommend using this method.

So how can you avoid printing imperfections? There are a few different ways.

One over-the-seam print method is to work with the seam (and its design limitations) instead of against it. What does this mean? Create a design that has a decent amount of distress on it so a number of breaks throughout your design already exist. This will make any printing imperfections a lot less obvious, and make them seem like an intentional part of your finished product.

Another way to avoid printing imperfections is by working against the seams—but helping to lessen the amount of imperfections that can occur by using a Seam Setup. This method includes adding a layer of foam to the pallets on a screen printing press to absorb some of the pressure and help disperse the ink across the shirt in a much smoother way. It's important to note that using this method requires a bit more setup and labor time—which means that it may end up increasing the unit price on your order.

Let us help you make the best decisions when it comes to printing to yield the highest quality product possible. We believe in quality over everything—from the experience that you have with our team to the finished product you receive. A big part of quality assurance is making sure that you understand the potential risks of your chosen customization method—and that you are given alternative options for bringing your vision to life! Have questions about how to make your design dreams come true? Contact our printing pros today and we'll have you set up in no time.

The risks and rewards of over-the-seam printing—a tricky but cool print style. 

Printing Over Seams: Everything You Need to Know

Tea infused with quality & care—just like our t-shirts. 

We all have our itch. Whether it’s to get a new haircut (I’m repeating “you do not want bangs, you do not want bangs, you do not want bangs” to myself as I write this, battling the urge to do something “crazy” even though I already have a total of four failed bangs attempts on my resume), or to switch out your wardrobe, or to go on a trip…

It’s just human nature that every once in a while, we’ve got to try something new to shake things up a bit.   

Which is why, as we head into fall, we decided that we wanted to do something…weird. And silly. And cozy. And just plain ol' fun. We wanted to do something that would simultaneously feel like an extension of Summer and a segue into Fall. 

Which is how we found ourselves sourcing some warm and hopeful and bright and cheery tea from our lovely friends at Color Theory Tea Co… 

Because if you like custom tees, you may like custom , you may like custom teas, too. 

If you’ve landed here, it’s likely because you received some of our tea in the mail. The SuperSoft Blend is a black tea with notes of cranberry, peach, and rose. 

Follow the instructions on the package to brew your perfect cuppa, OR check out some of these tips from the Color Theory crew: 

You’re in luck. Not only are we craft t-shirt makers, but we also fancy ourselves cocktail connoisseurs in our downtime. This lil number was crafted specifically with our speciality tea blend in mind. It’s best enjoyed in a coupe glass as you curl up in a cozy window-seat, wearing your softest t-shirt and with a well-loved book in hand.    

Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake. Strain into coupe glass. Express orange peel oils onto surface of cocktail and rub around rim of glass. Add orange peel and lemon peel for garnish. (For added wow factor, add a sprig of rosemary for additional garnish.)

Don’t worry. The tea thing is just for fun—our main gig and our biggest passion is still bringing you the custom t-shirts you’ve come to know and love from us. Want to get a new order rolling? We’ve got you covered (literally). Just reach out to our team of printing pros and we’ll have you on the path to custom apparel enlightenment in no time. 

A Different Kind of Custom T - We partnered with our friends at Color Theory Tea to create something fun as summer comes to an end. 

Here's the Tea: Something Fun, Just For Kicks

Not the kind of custom t(ea) you're used to from us, we know. 

If you haven’t heard, Pantone just announced its color for the year for 2022: PANTONE 17-3938, or, as it is affectionately known, “Very Peri.” Cute. 

As per usual, there was a lot of excitement around the announcement of Pantone’s decision (especially amongst the design community)...

This year's choice is a bit historic in its own right, as—for the first time ever—Pantone created this color anew, rather than pulling from its existing archive (an archive that is kiiiiiind of massive, by the way).

We are big fans of Pantone (but who isn't)—and utilize their color-matching system when mixing inks for custom t-shirt designs and beyond. It's a helpful way of all speaking the same language and ensuring consistency.

With that said, let's dive a little deeper into this year's choice—and how you can use it in your designs throughout the year.

Some Context on Pantone and Their Color of the Year 

For 23 years, the Pantone Color of the Year selection process has taken place—and happens as a result of a tonnnn of trend analysis and forecasting. Pantone taps into their team of color experts (imagine that being your job title) to search through history, architecture, design, art, film, fashion, etc. all throughout the world for inspiration.

The decision is a big one, because Pantone's choice carries a lot of weight. The Color of the Year often ends up influencing design across multiple industries. Remember when so-called "Millennial Pink" was all you saw, EVERYWHERE? Many credit that trend to Pantone's choice of "Rose Quartz" as the 2016 Color of the Year.

While the Pantone color of the year generally serves as a forecast/setter of trends to come, we've noticed that the group has lately seemed to lean more heavily into meaning and metaphor when landing on a color than ever before. Obviously, color always communicates emotion—but Pantone's decision to dive into that even deeper in recent years communicates something interesting about our overarching cultural values, interests, and feelings.

Last year, the choice of two colors (a dull, neutral gray and a bright, poppy yellow) communicated a ton about the larger emotional state of the the world and the people in it. It's rare that, across the globe, we're all going through the same thing at the same time—but the past few years have changed that. The meeting place of the two 2021 Pantone colors attempted to communicate that overarching feeling of simultaneous isolation and unity, depression and hope.

Pantone describes Very Peri as a symbol of transition, "displaying a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit." 

With this color being created rather than chosen, there's a ton of meaning and intention behind both that decision and the color that was created.

“Creating a new color for the first time in the history of our PANTONE Color of the Year educational color program reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place." —Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute

As we move into a new year, one filled with cautious hope about coming out of the dark hole that has been the entire 2020-2021 stretch (sigh), the complexity of the "new red violet infused blue hue," that is Very Peri feels right. It may just be us, but it also seems to harken back to some nostalgic feel (think tumblr in 2014 or something), which is nice. It's unconventional and unexpected, but in a good way—unlike a lot of other "unprecedented" things we've dealt with over the past year (again, I say: sigh). 

Knowing that the intention of the Color of the Year is to inspire designs across multiple disciplines and industries, Pantone is kind enough to provide a really helpful Palette Exploration that helps you use the color in context.

Based on their proposed palettes, Very Peri is surprisingly versatile—working well as a standout amongst neutral tones, or as a complement to other bold hues. Our personal favorite of Pantone's recommendations is "Balancing Act," pictured below. The colorful, but muted tones allow Very Peri to stand out, making the entire palette feel a bit brighter and more approachable.

Our recommendation: Allow the inventiveness and ingenuity that are at Very Peri's core to inspire you as you approach your next design—even if you don't opt to go with the color itself.

Channel the Very Peri energy, adding a pop of unexpected color to an otherwise standard design. Incorporate a bit of texture, or bring your design to an unconventional place on the garment (a side seam, a sleeve print, the lower left of the garment, the back...). Embrace the differences, the nuance, the oxymoron, the balance (I know, I know—I sound like I'm about to teach a yoga class or something, but Very Peri has me feeling ✨inspired✨, ok?!).

Very Peri is a reminder that the design possibilities truly are endless—and an encouragement to experiment and think outside the box. On its deepest level, Very Peri seems to say: "When joy isn't easy to find, create it." And that's a message we can get behind.

Ready to take your designs to the next level? Whether you're excited about bringing Pantone's Color of the Year to life or want to create something different, we'd love to talk about how to bring your vision into the world. Reach out to the team and we'll have you on your way to design magic in no time.

Pantone's new Color of the Year was just announced. Learn how to use it in your next custom t-shirt design.

Everything You Need to Know About Pantone's Creative and Courageous Color of the Year

Pantone just released their latest Color of the Year—here's the rundown. 

Today, we’re stoked to be going live with a Real Thread makeover that’s been in the works for the better part of a year now—good things, as they say, take time. 

Since 2009, we’ve been giving other brands a wearable platform—a t-shirt that they can emblazon their logo on and wear proudly. We built a company that is rooted in trust, authenticity, and real relationships. We’re real-ly proud of that.  

Over a decade later, we’ve been able to see—time and time again—that what we’ve always known really is true: quality matters. How it’s made matters.

As we started to sit with that awareness, we realized that we want the core of who Real Thread is to be more apparent when anyone stumbles onto our website, or across one of our boxes, or sees our logo on a t-shirt. We’ve been helping other brands tell their story for so long, that we kind of started to notice that we’d lost sight of how to tell our own story well.

So: to better reflect our growth, our values, and the beating heart that propels the business forward—and to convey what makes us different from the rest of the custom apparel industry—we felt like it was time for a refresh. 

Since the very beginning, we’ve known how make-or-break a good brand can be. 

To those who knew it, the Real Thread brand was already pretty highbrow—especially compared to a lot of competitors within the custom apparel industry. But to those of us on the inside, it still felt like there was something missing. 

We wanted a way to maintain the fun personality of the old Real Thread while also emphasizing some of the qualities that we felt were really core to the brand that weren’t shining through as much as we’d like: namely, our commitment to quality, service, and being a “force for good” in the apparel industry. Back in 2009, industry peers called us crazy for ditching the environmentally burdensome plastisol inks and in favor of our lighter treading (and feeling) water-based inks, but we've been committed to both high-quality printing AND sustainability from the beginning and have remained such.

In our initial rebrand strategy calls with our amazing partners Focus Lab, we started to really hone in on the idea of “returning” to the things that had always been true about Real Thread, but that had maybe gotten lost in the noise and hustle & bustle of becoming a capital-B Brand rather than a small-town local business. 

Real Thread’s origins are rooted in the idea of “elevated simplicity.” Our founder and fearless leader, Dru Dalton, was responsible for ordering shirts for his fraternity in college. Unsatisfied with the quality (and the unsustainable print methods that relied heavily on plastisol inks), he said “there’s gotta be a better way,” and here we are today. Through Dru’s research and passion, Real Thread became a pioneer in the water-based screen printing space, and thus became known for our super-soft shirts and eco-friendly processes. 

“Profound and powerful things can also be simple.”

That we know who we are. We knew that we had a strong understanding internally of what we do, who we do it for, and why we do it the way that we do. 

That our existing customers know who we are. Existing business is our bread-and-butter. Why? Because we develop lasting relationships with our customers and are genuinely passionate about bringing their designs to life in the best way possible. Generally, once someone works with us, they continue to do so for apparel projects long into the future. 

That if we could just get new customers to give us a chance, we’d wow them. We know that our commitment to quality and service set us apart from the pack—but we also know it's hard to know that until you really experience us.

Who our actual “ideal” new customer was. We love everyone and just want to make every shirt in the world! But we also know that our methods, products, and quantities may not be the best choice for certain shirt-buyers.

What potential new customers in that category thought about us—or if they even knew about us at all.

How to make our differentiators feel real and tangible. We're confident in our differentiators, and that they've valuable, but how do we make our commitment to product/process quality and our hands-on customer service model feel practical and tangible enough to that audience that they would be willing to give us a shot? 

Together, with Focus’ help, we started to gain more—well, focus. 

We realized that we were unwilling to give up the things we felt most strongly about, and that in some ways, that would have huge ripple effects for the business. It would mean some hard “no”s and some “yes”es that would require time and intentionality—but we all agreed that it would be worth it. 

We also realized that we couldn’t be everything to everyone—but that if we stopped trying to water ourselves down, we could be the very best for the audience that we serve. This means honing in on our core customer base of businesses and brands, and churches and non-profits, rather than entertaining the idea of moving into a “print-on-demand” model that moreso serves individuals and smaller groups. 

Through research, hard conversations, and a lot of back and forth, we realized that we wanted our new brand to reflect that focus. So, this new brand will retain the commitment to excellence, proven quality, and consistency Real Thread is known for—but packaged in an elevated, authentic way that clearly articulates: how it’s made matters. 

Throughout the rebrand process, we kept coming back to a few core characteristics that we really wanted this new brand identity to exemplify. Time and time again, the biggest words that kept coming up were “trust,” “quality,” and “authenticity.” We kept coming back to the fact that we’re so humbled and honored to get the chance to come alongside brands and be a small part of their bigger story.


“When you care about your brand, you care about the way you tell its story.”

…And we take great pride in being a trusted partner who works with our customers to bring their story to life in a way that we can all be proud of. 

“Your brand matters. How you tell its story should too. Real Thread unites quality shirts with quality stories, told with care.”

We also wanted to communicate that every single person who works at Real Thread is part of something bigger than themselves, too—that the “how it’s made matters” mentality doesn’t only apply to our processes, but our people, too. 

We kept running into this question though: 

What does quality really mean? How do you take a word that’s become a bit of a buzzword and something that anyone can claim at surface level, and make it feel really… real? How do you communicate it in a way that feels genuine and tangible?

Our brand strategy, and the entire rebrand process (both visually and verbally) sought to answer that question. 

Here's a peek into some of the details that make our new brand what it is.

The logotype was inspired by a “common thread” concept—the idea that we’re all connected and part of something bigger than ourselves, and that t-shirts (as simple as they are) can be a tangible reminder of that connection to the bigger whole. 

“We honor the common thread that pulls us together.”

Through our exploration with Focus Labs, we decided that a simple and handcrafted script felt like the best way to exemplify that concept—and speak to the idea of “elevated simplicity.”  

Building on the attributes of the Real Thread brand, Focus created a secondary mark that conveys the common thread (it kind of looks like a thread with a loop when separated out from the rest of the logo) while putting visual emphasis on “real” by calling out the letter “r.”  

For the visual language, we worked with Focus’ talented designers to try to find a way to visually emphasize quality. After some exploration, we started to hone in on the idea of using the natural texture of fabric—especially using zoomed in, close-up shots of real garments—as a primary component of our new visual language. Another utilized texture is the squeegee: a reference to screen printing that balances clean lines with a suggestion of the messy behind the scenes. The clean, neat, and elegant look of the fabric texture combined with the messy, organic look of the squeegee/ink texture symbolized something that we feel is super representative of what we do: it’s gritty, but it’s also extremely artful, technical, and precise. 

Real Thread's new color palette is limited: black, grays, and a signature yellow. Previously, we’ve had a very color-heavy brand (to play up the fun side of our identity)—but we’ve always felt like that ended up being a bit more restrictive than anything else.

We see hundreds of amazing, colorful, and unique designs come through every single week. One of the primary things we wanted to get out of a rebrand was the ability to share these designs freely, without worrying about things clashing or looking busy. A color palette that leans heavily on shades of black and gray gives us the freedom to lean into (and showcase!) the colors present in featured designs whenever we want: 

The pop of yellow becomes our only real “brand color”—one that is used sparingly, but signifies the optimism, authenticity, and FUN inherent to Real Thread. 

This piece from our new brand story (a project we went through with the Focus Labs team that feels a bit like a more emotional/more involved elevator pitch) says what we want this rebrand to solidify, more than anything: 

A passionate bunch who love making exceptional things, we’re not just toiling away on a line somewhere. We show up as friendly partners, here for the journey, avid about your vision, and always wearing our purpose on our [short] sleeves. With us, it’s not just about leaving your closet better than you found it. It’s about leaving the world better. Better working environments and practices and relationships. Doing the real work toward social and environmental change. Leading that charge. So go ahead, take a closer look: You’ll see our shared values, poured into every product. Our maker’s spirit, brought to every batch. We say looking good doesn’t have to come at the cost of doing good. If your story matters to you, share it in a way that will matter to the world.

We’re still about making super high-quality custom apparel. We’re still about doing so sustainably, and doing so with a “partnership mentality” that ensures quality and customer satisfaction. It’s still baked into our business model (and the very ethos of our brand) to go above and beyond for our customers. 

What you can expect to hear more from us on, moving forward: 

Sustainability (or the lack thereof) in the apparel industry—especially the custom apparel side 

The “why” behind what we do and the way we do it

Why our water-based inks are superior (and the different types of water-based inks that we offer) 

Information on the importance of the garments themselves (stay tuned for some fun updates on this front 😈) 

Customer stories, case studies, and interviews that elevate our customers and increase their platforms

Other apparel items, outside of just t-shirts 

Behind-the-scenes videos, pictures, stories, and more

So yeah, we look a little different now, and we like to think that we are a little different now, too. We feel like this rebrand, at its core, signifies a new era of Real Thread—one of increased focus and increased excellence. And we really hope you’ll join us as we walk into this new era, looking (and feeling) a little bit cooler 😎

Side note: If you’re thinking about going through a rebrand yourself and have questions, feel free to reach out! We’d love to talk through what the process looked like so that you have more context before making a big decision. We highly recommend Focus Lab, though—they are an incredible team of highly-talented individuals who truly push the brands they are working with to be better. We’re big fans. 

Real Thread looks different, but we're still the go-to for super soft custom apparel—from custom t-shirts and beyond.

Join us as we walk into this new era of increased focus looking (and feeling) a little brighter 😎 

Water-based inks are the eco-friendly, stylish, sweat-proof, and SOFT alternative to industry-standard plastisol inks—which basically means, they're a summer staple.

If you're looking to design a custom t-shirt (or other apparel) fit for the heat of the summer, there's no other way to go.

What are you waiting for? Dip your toes in.  

Never miss a touchpoint*—with custom apparel that makes a splash 

*this advice applies to both your brand and sunscreen application.

With so many opportunities for customization, there's no reason why this summer can't be your most stylish one yet. It's the perfect time to deck your whole team out in branded hats, totes, tees, and more—so that everywhere you go, you're bringing your brand with you.

Totes made for lugging around all your beach essentials*

Whether you're hanging by the pool or stuck in an office, you can find ways to stay (and look) cool, all summer long.

Roll your windows down and vibe to some fresh, summery tunes:

And then, if it feels right, get started on a new order of custom apparel with us. We'll make sure it's as easy and stress-free as possible—so that nothing can come between you and the peaceful, chill summer you deserve.

Water Based Inks are the eco-friendly (and more comfortable) alternative to industry-standard plastisol inks. That's why it's custom apparel's BFF. 

Real Thread's Water-Based Summer Essentials

Everything you need to know about staying (and looking) cool for the summer 😎 

The what, the why—and more importantly, the how-to:

Earlier this month, Pantone announced that it had chosen not one, but two colors of the year for 2021: PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating—an interesting combination of a familiar, homey gray and a vivid yellow that is reminiscent of sunny days, cold lemonade, and highlighters. 

While the Pantone color of the year is traditionally intended to serve as a forecast of trends to come (as opposed to a summation of the year prior), we can’t help but feel that this year, the metaphor and meaning packs more of a punch than the actual color combination itself. After a particularly hard year in which we saw long-simmering social and political turmoil come to a head, a pandemic turn the entire planet upside down, and way too much of the inside of our houses, it seems that now no one is a stranger to the grayness of life—from the dull, to the melancholy, to the downright depressing. However, hope for the new year comes in the form of the bright yellow coming through—the eventual light at the end of the tunnel, the sun peeking through the clouds. 

Some have poked fun at the color combo, with one Twitter user noting the resemblance between the pairing and Maurizio Cattelan’s viral sculpture of a banana stuck on the wall with duct tape, entitled Comedian:

While the contrast between the colors may feel a bit jarring—even bordering on ridiculous—at first, we’re all about embracing the absurdity and the message, and riding this strangely monochromatic-yet-also-bright wave into the new year. It is, to put it plainly, “a mood,” and we’re here for it—having been taught by 2020 to find joy and comfort in even the most menial of life’s offerings, so that the mountaintop moments shine even brighter. To us, this color pairing speaks to balance and the power in unlikely combinations coming together to support one another. So... How does this translate into your custom t-shirt designs in the new year?

Designing with the 2021 Pantone colors: 

Even beyond this year’s chosen pair of Ultimate Gray and Illuminating, the message of sharp color contrast (the meeting place of the dull and the vibrant) is a huge takeaway from Pantone’s selection, offering powerful insight into design trends in the year ahead. 

A simple way to embrace this concept when designing your next piece of apparel is to opt for minimalism in design that allows your message to pack the real punch. Go for a basic, neutral-colored shirt with your message/logo/design in a bright pop of color. 

If you want to really switch things up, flipping this color concept on its head is guaranteed to turn heads, catch eyes and start conversations. Consider playing around with a design that utilizes a bright, unconventional base color and a monochromatic print. 

Want to take a page out of Pantone’s book and go for something bold in the new year, but not sure where to start? We’re here to help. 


Pantone's color of the year is always a big reveal—here's how to incorporate 2021's colors into your custom t-shirts. 

Designing With Pantone's Iconic 2021 Colors of the Year

A breakdown of Pantone's 2021 Colors of the Year—and how to use them effectively in design. 

While we’re no Vogue or Vanity Fair, we try to keep a finger on the pulse of apparel/fashion trends—because we think incorporating current trends into your designs (for custom t-shirts and beyond) can make a huge impact for your brand. 

One thing we’ve been seeing a ton more of lately: puff, everywhere. From puff screen printing to puff embroidery, texture and dimension have seen monumental growth lately. We touched on it in a recent blog post on Winter fashion trends—but since publishing that piece, we’ve had multiple puff orders come in and felt that it may be worth diving into a little bit more. So with that: here’s everything you ever wanted to know about puff, and how to incorporate it into your next design. 

Puff ink is a type of screen printing ink that has been mixed with a heat-activated foaming agent. The ink gets printed on flat, just like a standard print—but then, as the garment goes down the dryer, the ink expands and begins to puff upward. This puff method is especially effective on custom t-shirts, hoodies, and crewneck sweatshirts. 

Puff ink printing works pretty similarly to standard printing (and you can use it on most base garments/fabrics), up until the drying process. However, it presents some unique opportunities for customizing your design. Let’s say you have a 2-color design—perhaps you choose to print one color in standard water based ink, and the other color in puff for emphasis/impact. Contrasting your puff design with other flat elements can make the puff elements stand out even more! 

A good rule of thumb when it comes to puff ink is the bigger/thicker the better. Puff shines in larger applications—chunky text with heavy lines, larger design elements, etc. Smaller elements and thin lines may be more susceptible to warping, and won’t have as much 3D impact as a larger design. The rewards of printing puff on a fine-line design may not outweigh the risks. 

One additional (potential) challenge to note regarding puff ink: color-matching. The additive that makes your design puff up off of the fabric can also slightly alter the color of the ink—making it hard to create a perfect Pantone match in some cases (although it’s still really close).

Have concerns about this aspect (or any) of puff printing? Feel free to reach out to our team to ask questions about your specific intended result. 

A puff embroidered look is accomplished through the use of a foam cut-out in the shape of your design, covered in a thick layer of embroidery using standard thread in the color of your choice. The thread weaves over and around the foam, covering it completely and creating a sleek 3D effect. This method is especially impactful on custom hats, polos, and zip-ups.  

How to use puff embroidery in your next design

The same advice that we give for puff ink usage applies here as well—the thicker the lines, the better. We also find that using puff embroidery in small doses tends to achieve the best results—think the front of a hat, the left/right chest of a shirt or sweater, etc.—although we’ve produced custom sweatshirts with full-front designs in puff (like the hoodie pictured above), as well! 

Bold & unique - In a world where competing to stand out is harder than ever, puff is perfect for statement pieces and for taking a simple design to the next level. 

Minimum effort, maximum impact - The fact that simple designs thrive in puff ink applications is great news for you (and your design team). You’d be surprised at how much wow factor puff adds to even basic block text across the chest of a t-shirt or sweatshirt. Save yourself the stress of having to create a totally unique design, and instead let the puff take care of turning heads. 

Get ahead of the wave - Puff in apparel has been around for a while but is growing in popularity currently—and that growth is only expected to continue. Incorporating puff into your design now will help you get ahead of the inevitable wave of puff that we’ll see in the next 6 months.   

With all specialty customization methods, we recommend special care for puff designs—both printed and embroidered. 

To take care of your puff print and make it last as long as possible, we recommend washing it inside out in cold water. Applying any kind of high heat to the garment (standard tumble drying, ironing, direct steaming, etc.) could alter the puff effect, so drying on a cool setting or hang-drying will go a long way in increasing longevity. 

Ready to incorporate puff ink or puff embroidery into your next custom apparel order? We’d love to chat through the results you’re hoping to achieve and bring your dreams to life! Reach out to the team and get started today. 


Puff is making a comeback. Using puff ink or puff embroidery in your custom tees can add depth and dimension to your designs.

How to Take Your Designs to the Next Level With Puff

Puff is making a comeback—here's what you need to know about using this effect in your designs. 

Around here, we’re not ones for fast fashion—which creates a cycle of trend-based apparel releases that incentivize buying now, wearing once, and then moving on to the next thing. Which directly translates to…

So while we’re not fans of fast fashion, we do see the value in refreshing your company’s apparel to keep your team connected, in-sync, and looking good—and we think there are some easy ways to do so without sacrificing sustainability.  

Here are a few of our tips for refreshing your company’s swag without contributing to the fast fashion cycle:

Use an eco-friendly, high-quality garment ‍

When looking to make a sustainable apparel choice for your company, the garment itself can definitely come into play. 

We offer several sustainable garment options in our product builder, from brands like Known Supply, Royal Apparel, Allmade, econscious, Alternative Apparel, Next Level Apparel, and more. To learn more about what these brands are doing, check out our blog on the 6 best eco-friendly t-shirt brands.  

These brands are actively trying to reduce garment waste—which is a massive problem throughout the apparel industry—by recycling used garments, reusing raw materials, and sometimes even using non-garment waste (like water bottles!) to create new fibers. Going with one of these options will ensure that you’re on the track to sustainable apparel before you even begin designing!

Choosing a blank garment that is higher quality and eco-friendly may be more expensive in the short-term, but it also means that your finished garments will be longer-lasting—which means you’ll have to pay for new designs far less frequently. Learn more about our eco-friendly custom t-shirts here. 

When playing the corporate apparel long-game, you want to think about consistency—the timeless messages of your brand, as opposed to the more in-the-moment ones. 

Printing targeted shirts around a particular event or initiative can be a fun way to build excitement, but choosing to instead print a less specific shirt with a more evergreen brand message and encouraging your team to wear that garment at all events throughout the year could be a more sustainable way to approach your corporate branded apparel decision-making. 

Looking to still infuse a bit of variety into your refresh? Printing multiple evergreen messaging options in varying colorways allows your team to choose which they prefer—which also increases the likelihood that they will actually like (and want to wear!) the garment rather than just shoving it into the back of a drawer, never to be thought of again. For more inspiration, check out this piece on designing shirts that resonate. 

Printing your design on a color that’s currently “in” may seem tempting in the moment—but, looking outside of current trends and choosing colors for your garment and design that stand the test of time will help ensure the longevity of your finished garment.  

Consider your company’s internal branding guidelines—generally, these aren’t frequently changing. Taking this same approach with your custom branded apparel can help from a sustainability standpoint, but can also help with broader brand reinforcement by adding consistency. 

Still want to capitalize on in-the-moment happenings to build relevancy? Consider looking to more in-the-moment channels—like your company’s social media pages—to accomplish this, rather than a piece of apparel that may be irrelevant before it even makes it into your team’s hands. Check out our blog on building brand awareness for more tips and tricks. 

Industry-standard plastisol inks are made from PVC, which is terrible for the planet—Greenpeace even goes so far as to call it the “poison plastic.”

1. Black base garment, bold contrast

2. Type mixed with geometric shapes

3. Hand-lettered designs

3. Alternating big and small prints/locations on complementary gear

4. Front and center designs (big or small)

5. Photo-realistic prints

6. Big and bold on the back

7. Inspirational quotes

8. Subtle tonal looks

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