I can’t remember not drawing as a child, so being an artist was always there … but I didn’t know for a long time how I could make that into a living. I took every art class I could in high school, even had teachers make up classes for me to get out of others. During that same time, I started making t-shirt designs out of rubylith and silkscreening for myself and friends. I didn’t know a thing about graphic design until I heard about it from an art school recruiter my junior year. Once I learned about graphic design I knew that was what I wanted to do … even though I had barely touched a computer.

What was your big break into the design world?

My first major break into the apparel world was with Burton Snowboards in around 2005. I moved to Orlando in 2004 to work with a magazine and my coworker (the crazy talented Joshua Smith was freelancing with Burton and gave me a shot at a few tees. I think they bought two tees including this one called the Sideliner and it started rolling for me. 

Once I saw my designs in print I couldn’t get enough and have been collaborating with Burton and other clothing companies ever since.

Who / what inspires or motivates you most when you design? 

Inspiration is all around us, you just have to notice it. It could be a movie, the clean lines of the newest Audi or an interesting smudge on the pavement. For years I’ve been collecting magazine clippings, cool ads, catalogs, tags and printed matter that I find interesting. Recently, I started collecting a ton of online inspirations on the highly addictive Pinterest. There’s something for everyone and every project on pinterest, from cool motorcycles, to surfboards and rad typography.

One motivation to design is that each project is different and has specific needs which are fun to explore. Each new client is a new collaborator and brings a new perspective or list of dreams to the table. It’s fun to dive into their world and do something new.

You design everything from apparel, logos, magazine layouts to walls. What do you dig doing the most?

I really enjoy it all, The diversity breaks things up so you don’t get burnt out. One of my favorite things though is making things that you can hold or wear. Seeing someone walking around Union Square in San Francisco with one of my tees was a huge thing for me. A few years ago I painted a pair of Vans shoes for myself to wear and it led to an awesome commissioned job from Vans themselves.

I guess a big part of motivations for creating is getting stuff out there for people to see. Taking a project like a blank wall and a bit of text and turning it into something interesting with a bit of paint, vinyl and a few other raw materials. It’s so fun and rewarding to be able to see and touch it.

What’s one piece of advice would you offer someone who is designing shirts?

Know your limitations. Not your personal limitations as far as art goes, but the actual limitations .. who’s the audience, who’s printing the tees, how many colors can they afford etc. Once you know a few of those things you’re free to be creative within the constraints.

Who is one designer that you think is just freakin awesome, both creatively and technically?

I’m digging most everything New York artist/designer/letterer Jon Contino is doing. He makes me want to bust out the ink and get my hands dirty most any time I see his work.

How do you handle creative blocks and what do you do to get past them?

I usually just work through it and try to analyze the problem I’m trying to solve. Sometimes If I’m stuck I’ll just work on another one of the projects we have cooking in the studio and come back to the project later.

What music do you listen too when designing?

It varies a lot based on my projects. If I’m designing a magazine or brochure with a lot of content, I’m listening to something cool and instrumental like Explosions in the Sky or Sigur Ros. If I’m editing photos I can learn something at the same time listening to a podcast or audio book. If I’m trying to do something a bit more crazy by hand or for an action sports company I might throw on some punk rock to get the energy flowing.

What does KENEDIK stand for? And how difficult was it designing your own logo and brand identity?

KENEDIK is really an alternate spelling of the word “kinetic”. The KEN comes from my last name Kennedy. I liked that “kinetic” implies motion, that things are happening. At the same time I created the weird spelling I created a tagline that I still use to this day. Design Excellence Since Yesterday. The idea is that I’m always learning, always growing, always working to be better and inspire that creative spirit in others.

It’s really hard to design your own logo, I had been using a custom type treatment for a while, but last year I redesigned and created the simper (K) mark I’m using now. It references my love for DIY and my name. A lot of people ask me “Why pink?” and as a print designer I work constantly with CMYK and over the years I found that “M” (magenta) looks pretty great with “K” (Black) so I wanted to challenge myself to get over my fear of pink and make it cool.

Besides design, what do you do in your free time?

My wife and I have a two year old son, so there isn’t a whole lot of free time anymore, but I still try to get some time on the water wakeboarding and surfing when I can.

We know you went to Ringling College of Art & Design, but recently, I heard at a lecture that you, more or less, shouldn’t pay big bucks for a design degree. Do you feel the same or do you think graduating with a degree in graphic design is important?

I really enjoyed my college experience. At Ringling I was surrounded with so many talented people, that I wanted to push myself and out do others and myself with each project. Not all schools can push you like that. But, having the degree from a prestigious school won’t necessarily do anything for you. This business it’s about your portfolio of work. We’ve worked designers who had the degree and others who didn’t even step foot into college, but had ridiculously strong artistic drive. You have to weigh the pros and cons and be highly motivated wherever you end up to succeed.

Also, I know a topic that comes up a lot is “As a graphic designer, should I intern for free?”. What are your thoughts on this?

I recommend internships, but not necessarily unpaid ones. You learn so much on the job that you never learn in school. You just have to look at the pros and cons of the potential experience. Sometimes working for free can open some doors for you. While I was working in the magazine world we hired talented interns on several occasions. We needed the hands and I had already trained them. It was a win-win for everyone.

Tell us about your side project CameraLuv? How does that coincide with your graphic design background?

CameraLuv began as side project to showcase my camera-infused art I make from my vintage camera collection, but it’s become much more than that as a blog offering daily photography-related inspiration & resources to photographers and camera lovers worldwide. One of the most popular sections on CameraLuv is Photographers We Luv, which can help photographers and art directors find amazing photo talent they can connect with for fashion, editorial or advertising projects. My ever-growing wish list of fun and interesting Must-Have Cameras may help you experiment with something new. I put my design background to use everyday on site in my curation of photographer features and my creation of overall look and vibe. It’s really so much fun.

Our designer highlight featuring Jeremy Dennedy of Kenedik Design Studio. 

Designer Spotlight: Jeremy Kennedy of Kenedik Design Studio

There are a lot of decisions that go into building the best shirt: what shirt style to use, what colors to pick, the print results to expect, how many shirts to order and the list can go on. Ordering t-shirts online can feel tricky when you can’t physically try on, see or feel each t-shirt. So, we decided to put together a list of 8 pro tips that will help prepare you for your next order and make it a much more delightful experience.

‍Order from the same manufacturer for men’s and women’s tees. If you are ordering t-shirts online for men‘s and women’s cuts, make sure you’re ordering from the same manufacturer if you want them to match, because color could vary from t-shirt to t-shirt. For example, if you order a men’s Next Level 6210 in heather gray, the color might not match up with a women’s American Apparel 2102 in heather gray. The t-shirts online are produced by different companies around the world, so the colors will likely be similar, but not an exact match.

Not only will the shirt color change, but the print color could as well. If you are ordering t-shirts online, but you are choosing shirts from two different manufacturers (like the example above), there could be color variation between the two print results. Each t-shirt blank might have the same fabric material, but the threads could produce slightly different print results. One shirt could discharge better than the other.

‍Need an exact Pantone match? Try our Bold Ink. Since we’re printing on fabric with water based and discharge ink, matching a Pantone color is not 100% accurate. However, we will get very close to the exact color you want. Any variation will hardly be noticeable. If you want 100% accuracy, we recommend using our bold ink line.

Don’t worry about printing water based on a dark t-shirt, we’ve got you covered. It is possible to print our SuperSoft water based inks on both light and dark shirts. However, when printing on dark shirts, we use discharge ink (which is still a water based ink). The only difference is that there’s a discharge agent mixed into the formula that removes the dye of the dark shirt and replaces with the ink color of your choice. Just keep in mind that certain blends will yield different results. Here’s a great article explaining discharge results on tri-blends.

Be careful when ordering women’s cut t-shirts. There is not a difference between Unisex and Men’s t-shirts. Unisex t-shirts work great for both men and women. A lot of times, customers prefer unisex t-shirts over women’s styles because they run into a lot of sizing issues. A lot of ladies tees run very small and a woman who might wear a small or medium ends up needing a large or extra large to fit “true to size.” If you’re wanting to order women’s tees, it might be best to order blank samples to see if it’s the fit you’re looking for.

Keep all of your retail add-on services under one roof. By adding custom printed tags, hem tags and bagging, you’re investing in the value of your brand and your customer’s experience. Finding a custom t-shirt printer who can handle all of these add-ons for you is a must. Explore all of the specialty and finishing services that are available to you and go for it! Although it can seem expensive to initially invest in the details, it can pay off big in the long run.

Double-check your mockup before approving. You can customize your shirts by using our online mockup tool on our website, but you will always receive a personalized mockup of your artwork before your order moves to press. The mockup is an accurate representation of how your shirt will look once printed and includes details such as sizing, Pantone colors, etc. Make sure you double check spelling, grammar, and your design before you hit approve!

Give your new shirts a quick wash for best results. When you first get your new shirts, you might feel the ink slightly. This is completely normal and will totally go away with one wash! To ensure the longevity of your shirts, we recommend washing with cold water and drying on low.

If you ever have any questions about ordering t-shirts online, please ask us! Our friendly team is here to help via email, phone & text.

Order your t-shirts online like a pro. Eight tips & tricks you need for ordering t-shirts online.

Order your t-shirts online like a pro. All the tips & tricks you need for ordering t-shirts online: 

Ordering Custom Shirts Online: 8 Pro-Tips

After you submit your order, our design team gets to work fast! They spend a meticulous amount of time creating the best high-res digital mock up for your approval. The custom screen printed t shirt mock up includes all the finite details, so you will know exactly what your shirt will look like once it’s printed. Here are 5 steps you don't want to miss when prepping your t-shirt design files to send to our team. 

Before all of your files are submitted, the fonts should be “converted to outlines” or attached to your order. Unfortunately, when fonts are not outlined and we don’t have the font file in-house, the fonts used in the design will not show up in Illustrator. This means we are not able to properly mockup artwork for approval or printing. Here’s a quick and easy guide on converting text to outlines.

Before you submit your final file, any linked images should be “embedded” into the artwork not just pasted in. When elements in a design are not embedded or linked to your design, they are not part of the final art file which means we can’t see your awesome design. The same goes for any textures used in the art. This hinders us from making any needed adjustments to your artwork. If you are not familiar with the process, check out Adobe’s information on linked and embedded artwork.

Choose your design colors from a PMS book, which is a universal color pallet. Since screen colors can vary from monitor to monitor, what is see as a particular color on one could look  completely different on another. We want to mock up your shirt and mix the exact ink color you’re looking for, so you get the final results you want. 

Negative space in a design is the space that surrounds certain elements of the object. The negative space draws attention to the positive space, or the design elements, of the subject. It can be everything from texturing, to shapes cut out in the design. Unfortunately, if the negative space is too small, the ink could close up which would distort your original design. The best way to avoid this is adjusting your negative space at any point in your design to be at least 1.5pt.

To make sure any text in your design is legible, especially text in a custom printed tag, it needs to be at least 6pt. If the text in your printed tag is too small, it might not be readable once it’s printed. Although it’s something we always try and catch before printing, we have two sets of custom screen printed labels (tags) that you can use to create your tag art. Everything is already set, so you can just drop in your logo, additional details and submit with your order.

Once you’ve followed these simple 5 steps, upload your design to our free mockup tool for a quick look. If you’ve forgotten how, just can’t quite figure it out or just simply need a little help with any of these, let us know. We would love to help you out in the process of screen printing on t shirts. Give us a call or email us any time. 


Follow each of these steps to get the perfect set up for custom printed t-shirts! 

How to Prepare Your Design File For Custom Screen Printing

Rifle Paper Co. designs and sells greeting cards, art prints, stationery as well as wallpaper, apparel, and phone cases. Their flagship store is located in downtown Winter Park, FL, but their products can be found all over the world.

And for all the Rifle fans out there...Nathan lets us in on a little secret. They are launching two new product formats! Listen now!

Nathan Bond, co-founder and CEO of Rifle Paper Co., chats lessons learned from building the brand. 

Brand Building: A Chat with Nathan Bond of Rifle Paper Co.

A great t-shirt and a great design go hand in hand. When deciding how to design a shirt, there are a few things you should consider to help you create an amazing design.

Designing for your audience. Make sure your design makes sense to the audience you are designing for. If you are creating a design for a rock band, an elegant cursive typeface and flowers may not be the most suitable design. Take time to research your audience to learn what works and doesn\'t work. See what is trending now, and what design elements have stayed timeless for that audience.

Picking an overall color scheme. There are so many different colors to choose from. When picking colors for your design, stick with colors that create a uniform feel to your design. Complimentary colors, cool colors, or colors opposite each other on the color wheel are great options. If you need help picking the perfect colors, check out Adobe Kuler. This site helps pick colors with an overall scheme in mind so you can focus on other things in your design.

Don’t overdo it with color. Once you pick a color scheme, it may be tempting to use as many colors as possible in your design. Make sure to consider how detailed your design is and what you want the main focus to be. For a highly detailed design, we suggest using up to 3 colors. Keeping the colors to a minimum can help draw attention to certain areas and not overwhelm your audience. If your design does not have a lot of small details, feel free to use more colors! This can add some more detail and interest to a simpler design.

Choose a great typeface. A great typeface can really bring a design together. They can even become the main focus. Take some time to find the perfect ones for your design. With so many amazing options, it may be hard to pick just one. We recommend using no more than 3 typefaces in your design. If you have one really decorative typeface, balance it with a more simple one, like Helvetica or Arial. Make sure to check out Font Squirrel for some amazing downloadable type!

Specialty Elements. Add interest and depth to your design with foil, metallic ink, or glow in the dark ink. Rather than using them for the whole design, use them in small areas to accent your design 

Creative a cohesive design. To make sure your t-shirts have a polished retail quality look to them, create a cohesive design throughout the whole shirt. If your design has a distressed and vintage look to it, make sure your printed tags, sleeve print, and hem tags do too. Check out our free texturing resources to get started! 


Use the shirt color to add interest to your design. The color of the shirt can be incorporated in the design and used as an additional color. It can also help to complete the design and create a uniform feel. See what your design will look like on different shirts with our image uploader!


Planning on creating your own custom t-shirt? Read our custom t-shirt design tips. 

To get you started on your custom printed tags, we’ve revealed 12 of our favorite tag templates.

Your shirt is going to be incredible. Start working on your custom t-shirt tags today!

To get you started on your custom t-shirt tags, we've provided 12 of our favorite tag templates. 

12 Custom Tag Templates for Your Next T-Shirt Project

Tell us a little about yourself (your background, when you started designing, the moment you decided to make design a career)

I grew up in a small town in Central Pennsylvania with the itch to always get out. In spring of 2012, I fled for the beautiful hills of Los Angeles with one goal in mind: to find my best self. In this case, that meant I was going to do whatever it took to take my career to its full potential.

Inspired by modern architecture, I initially wanted to be come an architect, or maybe I just wanted to design anything with meaning. To create something that people would interact with everyday, whether they live in it or use it it to represent their company. In high school, I dabbled in some screen printing classes which led me to designing apparel.

Shortly after that I expanded to designing for major music labels–all by the age of 19.

How have you gained experience in the design industry?

I spend a lot of time designing. I’ve learned that you’re only going to get better by creating, and I don’t limit myself to only gaining experience by sitting in front of a computer screen. I love to explore and my mind is constantly running; taking in inspiration all around me.

What are your favorite pieces you’ve worked on thus far?

I’d have to say the branding for Grouper Social Club, a tee shirt and henley line for Ebbets Field Flannels and a cover/spread for Orange Coast Magazine.

What are some current projects you are working on?

Grouper is for sure a never ending project and I’m okay with that. I’ve been venturing out a lot in LA and have been inspired by numerals I’ve been finding on mid-century homes in the hills. Recently I created my first set of numerals that will be making its debut on celebrity photographer Don Flood’s new home in Santa Monica Canyon. Pretty excited that it’s found a good home.

Who would you love to collaborate with one day?

Living in LA, I’ve separated myself from the scene a bit. The scene being the entrainment industry, however, I would love to work with an Art Director for a major motion picture.

If you weren’t a designer, what do you think you would be doing?

What’s your personal style like? What are some of your favorite clothing stores to shop at?

Classic and Iconic. Really been liking everything from Jack Spade, Rag and Bone, Wings and Horns and Nudie just to name a few.

What do you do in your free time when you are not eating, breathing and dreaming design?

I really like to explore LA with my lovely girlfriend and my new pup. I’m still pretty new here, and this city is damn big. It’s beautiful where we live and it keeps my head clear to keep focusing on my goals.

What’s the biggest difference between when you started designing and now?

When I first started out I didn’t know my place, and when it comes down to it, we’re all just searching for our place in this world. Now that I’ve found my niche and a style I’m comfortable with, I can focus on being a smarter, more business oriented designer.

Where do you find inspiration? Any inspirational quotes you live by?

Taking photos of everything. Seriously everything. Getting out of the house and making memories is what makes my life more meaningful.

I saw a quote recently that said, “the only limit is the one you set for yourself.” I can live by that.

The big question: Do you believe artists wanting to create a name for themselves in the design industry need to go to school?

No. I don’t think that school has anything to do with creating a name for yourself. Either you have the talent or you don’t.

The biggest thing college did for me was just get me more interested in design. In short I’ve never had a client ask me where I’ve went to school, and in the end your work will speak for itself.

Check out our interview with Kyle Anthony Miller, who explains what it takes to make a designer a designer.

Designer Highlight - Kyle Anthony Miller | Real Thread

Want to hear about what it takes to make it as a designer from a designer themselves? Check out our interview with Kyle Anthony Miller on his journey. 

Fast forward life: marriage and few kids and I was at a point where I felt I was missing that passion/calling with what I was doing with my life. I like my day job but I needed something more…

I read Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk and he talked about doing what you love and writing and sharing that knowledge with others who have the same interests. The book is a great read and it also has an appendix that has 21 great things to remember. It talks about becoming your own personal brand talking about that passion and becoming an expert on it.

I had a hard time coming up with a brand name but that didn’t stop me from thinking of all the other aspects of the brand and constantly brainstorming by myself or with others to build the concept/idea.

Once I had a brand name that I loved and just didn’t settle on. I knew that I needed to start doing something via social media. I started a tumblr and I just posted anything and everything that I could find that was sandwich related. I wanted people to know that I loved sandwiches and I wanted to share that love. So I look for things that I think would be unique and posted it for all to see. I then went to twitter and instagram and did the same. My goal the whole time is to interact with others and build awareness as well as connect with others that love sandwiches.

I am inspired by Johnny Cupcakes. Though my brand may be a food item, my intentions are not to ever copy or imitate Johnny Cupcakes. I respect the Johnny Cupcakes brand and my brand too much to do that. I am influenced by his brand- providing quality products, ridiculous branding with great designs and something that people love to wear. Johnny Cupcakes is not just about the shirts- it’s about Johnny Earle and his team/family. There is a community based around the brand. All things I love about the brand and hope to be able to one day create with my own brand. Trust me I too get upset when I see Johnny Cupcakes designs done/duplicated by others.

I look at building a brand very much like making a delicious sandwich. Like every sandwich you first need to have an idea of what type of sandwich you want to create. You then need to get the right ingredients to make that sandwich.  Those ingredients may include:

Bread (the type of shirt you will use)​

Condiments (The extras: pins, tags, packaging etc)

How it’s going to be prepared (type of screen printing, how it will packaged, how it will be plated and presented, etc)

Whatever else you can think of putting into it.

There are a lot of little things that can go into making a sandwich (brand); it’s up to you on how simple or extravagant you want that sandwich to be.  Sometimes you may have a vision of what you want that final sandwich to have, but you may not have the resources to do it all. So then you need to decide; what are the most important ingredients in the sandwich you are making.  Will the lacking ingredients/condiments take away from the sandwich?  Focus on those ingredients and then reach a point where you are happy with the sandwich that you created and want to serve others. At the same time continue to build and evolve to make that dream sandwich bigger and better.  

Whenever I tell my mom how delicious something she cooked was she would always say “It was made with love”.  I think that also plays a big part in making a sandwich people want.  People can see what kind of sandwich maker you are and what you are trying to make and serve them.   Sometimes things just taste better because someone else made it for you.

In the end anyone can make a sandwich it’s up to you on whether people keep coming back for more of YOUR sandwich.

I will always try to make Deli Fresh Threads a tasty brand that you will love to wear over and over again; just like your favorite sandwich!

Biggie from Deli Fresh Threads gives us his take on life and work. 

Building Brand Sandwiches: A Chat With Deli Fresh Threads

Breakfast might be the most important meal of the day, but don’t write lunch off just yet. Sure, dinners at dusk might be more atmospheric — capping off the day with wine and maybe even dessert can be the perfect way to unwind — but we think lunch is truly special. Lunch is a great way for people to step away from their lives for a brief moment in the middle of the day to convene. Though the goal of lunch might not be to feast (unless you’re planning on scheduling a nap right after,) breaking bread with friends, family, or coworkers can be a great way to recharge before getting on with your day. 

For the team at Real Thread, however, lunch isn’t just special — it’s downright sacred. Every third Friday of the month, our entire team (remote teams, too!) enjoys lunch from a local restaurant, discussing wins (both business and personal) between bites. 

While we put plenty of thought into choosing our lunch option, the food is far from the most important part of these lunches. Rather, these lunches are our way of focusing on our internal culture, and ensuring that our entire team is on the same page. These lunches can also be a great way to get the creative juices flowing if the morning’s energy is beginning to fade, and you’d be surprised how impactful getting a few different perspectives on the same topic can be! 

Below, the team at Real Thread discusses the reason behind our Friday lunches — internal culture — and the impact it can have on both a team and a business. 

Internal culture, as you can probably guess, refers to the culture of an organization — and permeates everything from hiring, to onboarding, to, well, team lunches! While internal culture is created by hiring individuals with similar values, a strong internal culture cannot exist without the proper input from top leadership. Standards in communication, urgency, feedback, and competitiveness all contribute to internal culture, and few organizational culture’s are exactly the same. 

There are dozens of reasons internal culture matters. Team members want to feel supported by their leadership and their coworkers, but they also want to feel a sense of belonging. Now, more than ever, organizations are taking strides to ensure that employees from all walks of life are welcome — and our Friday lunches are just one way of accomplishing this goal that we aspire to each day. Taking care in creating a strong internal culture can pay off in spades, resulting in teams that actually feel like teams, and greater success as a business. 

While “the secret to a strong team is eating lunch together” might sound like something pulled out of a bizarre magazine diet from the 1970’s, it’s the truth! Of course, it’s not just lunch: it’s the way organizational leadership doles out feedback, or the way employees are encouraged to behave, react, and respond. It can be “Summer Fridays” all year-long, it can be Slack channels devoted exclusively to Bravo shows, or, in our case, it can be Friday lunches. Whatever it takes to create a culture that was glaringly absent from your previous gigs — and the gigs of your colleagues.  

There’s a saying from former NFL player Deion Sanders: “when you look good, you feel good. When you feel good, you play good. When you play good — they pay good.” While that doesn’t directly apply here… it sort of does? It’s a simple fact: when teams feel good — in that they feel supported in taking risks, and honestly feel that they are a valuable component of the organization (because they are!) — the payoff is noticeable. Many top companies credit their success to their internal culture (including LEGO, AirBnB, and Netflix,) and we also owe much of our success to our team and the internal culture they have helped create — one Friday lunch at a time. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to internal culture, and our Friday lunches could be another team’s Beach Day — complete with custom t-shirts, of course. If you feel your internal culture is lacking, or if you’re just looking for a way to get your entire team involved, take a page out of our book and give Friday lunch a try. We think you’ll be surprised at the impact it has on both your team and your business. 

Get our free Custom T-Shirt Buyer's Guide

Read more about why we're so committed to transparency and team-building. Oh, and tacos. Can't forget tacos. 

Information that you’ll typically see in a screen-printed tag, especially ones in a retail environment, is as follows:

Not everyone follows the rules, especially when the shirts are going to be given away for free. However, Real Thread strongly recommends following the legal guidelines for relabeling your garment’s tags if you remove the manufacturer’s label.

To help cut down the amount of reading you’d need to do on the FTC’s website, we’ve picked out some key facts that we think are worth noting right away.

If you manufacture, import, sell, offer to sell, distribute, or advertise products covered by the Textile and Wool Acts, you must comply with the garment labeling requirements.

If your product is covered by the Textile or Wool Act and Rules, it must be labeled to show the fiber content. The generic fiber names and percentages by weight of each constituent fiber must be listed in descending order of predominance. (For example; 65% rayon, 35% polyester)

If the product is made from one fiber, you may use the word “All” instead of “100%.”

Products covered by the Textile and Wool Acts must be labeled to show the country of origin.

A single RN may be used by a company for labeling products under the Textile, Wool, and/or Fur Acts. Only one number will be assigned to a company.

For an in-depth look at T-Shirt and Garment Label Requirements, we recommend you visit the FTC’s website.

For an in-depth look at RN Number Requirements, we recommend you visit the FTC’s website.

Learn the t-shirt and garment labeling requirements covered by the Textile and Wool Act. 

What You Need to Know About Screen Printed Tags

If you’re trying to design a shirt on a budget, this article is for you! It will not only keep you on financial track, but also save you loads of time. This list includes things such as checking for hidden fees, minimizing your colors as well as our best kept secret!

Start building up your vector art inventory so you can pull from it for a later project. T-shirt design services or freelance designers can cost upwards of $500 and more, so if you have the skills and capacity to do it, save yourself the money and start creating for fun in your free time. Down the road, you could potentially combine two or more ideas into one to design the perfect shirt for your budget.

While looking for a t-shirt screen-printing company, make sure to check the small copy for hidden fees. If you want to design a shirt for cheap, check for charges like “setup”, “startup” or “screen fees”. Believe it or not a lot of promotional printers add on an additional fee to your base cost for multiple colors, locations, sizes, etc. and you might not see it until it’s too late. When you receive a quote, look it over carefully to make sure there there’s no surprises!

Submitting proper art files will eliminate any additional art cost when you’re trying to design a shirt on a budget. A proper art file usually consist of a print ready file such as an ai, eps or PDF. Also, before you submit your files, make sure the fonts are “converted to outlines” or attached to your order, all linked images are embedded and the text in your design is legible. Looking over and checking off these details will set your shirt up for success

The “right” shirt is obviously one that fits your budget, but it also means choosing a brand that’s good quality and will last. We’ve said it before: it can seem expensive to pay for custom printed t shirts, but it’s more expensive to pay for a shirt that no one is going to wear. So what kind of shirts do people actually want to wear? They want super soft, long lasting and memorable t-shirts. There’s a good number of products that fall into this category, but if you’re looking for something more specific, we can help you find it.

It is possible to print anywhere from 1 to 12 colors on your t-shirt here at Real Thread. Depending on your t-shirt printing budget, you can add or reduce the total number of colors and locations in your design to meet your needs. The more colors, the more expensive. Keep in mind there are other shortcuts to “add” more colors without adding cost. One of the coolest ways to do this is by using negative space (or in this case the t-shirt color) in the design as an additional color.

The standard turnaround time at Real Thread is 10 business days. The term “standard” refers to orders that do not include additional services such as tag printing. Adding additional services only add a day or two to your final turnaround time. If you know what date you need your shirts by, our team can work with you to figure out when you need to order by to get them in time. Ordering with time to spare will help you avoid any last minute rush fees, save your money and keep you on track with your budget.

Increasing your total number of shirts might not only help you stay on budget, but it could also save you money when designing your next shirt on a budget! Yep, that’s right - adding another shirt or two might bump you up to the next price break which can drop the price per shirt down. For instance, if you’ve requested 48 shirts with a 1 color front on Next Level Apparel, you’re looking at about $9.76/shirt. By increasing your total number of shirts to 50 (adding 2 more pieces), the price will drop down to $7.59/shirt. We’re not making this stuff up folks; check out the quick quote calculator here. 

If you’re designing a t shirt on a budget, find and use all the free resources you can to create printed tags, hem tags, textures and more! Just pop in your logo and website, submit with the rest of your art and you’re good to go.

Now that you know all the tricks of the trade for staying on track with your shirt budget, you will be able to confidently place your order, knowing you’ve saved money and time. Pull from your vector art inventory, download some free resources and start building your next shirt now!

Learn insider tips on how to get the most our of your t-shirts on a limited budget. 

Let\'s imagine you’ve had an idea brewing in your mind about starting a clothing line. You’ve come up with a fun company name and maybe even started sketching out some design ideas. It can be easy to sell t-shirts online, but it’s important to set yourself up for success so you can make money doing so. Here are a few pointers that will send you in the right direction selling t-shirts online to make money.

Any good idea should have a business plan behind it guiding it forward. This is not to say things won’t change. The plan will more than likely have to be altered as your company grows, but the outlined structure will hold you accountable as you make decisions.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, “A business plan is an essential roadmap for business success. This living document generally projects 3-5 years ahead and outlines the route a company intends to take to grow revenues.” Your business plan should cover things like company summary, mission statement, product description, SWOT analysis, marketing plan, timeline and more.

Financial planning should be included as a piece of your business plan, but it’s so important we decided to highlight it independently. You need to look at the overall picture, not only what you will spend on making the t-shirts and how much you will sell them for.

There are other very important things to consider as you evaluate your cost: startup cost, monthly cost, annual cost, marketing and advertising cost, starting inventory cost, taxes, licensing and legal fees, shipping, office type equipment, profit and loss forecasting, etc.

Here’s an article with more information on How To Create A Budget For Your Business. Also, we highly suggest searching for a free budget worksheet and start filling it out, so you can see what you need to make it happen.

Selling t-shirts online to make money can be simple if you choose the right ecommerce platform. Squarespace has built beautiful ecommerce templates that give your customers a flawless experience as they navigate through each product on your site.

They’ve also set it up as a one stop shop. They’ve made it simple to choose a theme, get your domain registered, set up an account with Google and use integrated software for accounting and shipping. The pricing of their plans is easily worth the amount of features (some free for the first year!) you have access too. Using a company like Squarespace will help get you up and running quickly and efficiently.

Figuring out your budget should certainly outline how much you should sell your t-shirts online to make a profit, but there are other determining factors that should be taken into consideration. It’s important to decide the value you are offering to your customers.

Here are some questions you might want to ask yourself:

Is it printed on a premium shirt with premium ink?

Did you have custom screen printed tags in each shirt?

Are there branded hang tags attached to each shirt?

Is it coming in pristine custom packaging that will excite the customer to open the box?

Are you including any other small token, like a sticker, with the shirt?

Also, do a little research. Check out your market and see how much other companies are selling t-shirts online to make money for and where you fit on that scale. Remember, you can always adjust your prices as you roll out new designs.

If you have a game plan, you’ll always know where you’re at and where you’re going. There are a lot of valuable steps in creating a brand and making shirts online. It can take a lot of upfront  work between building out the business plan and actually creating your designs, but if you want to make money and keep selling shirts don’t skip these steps!

P.S. Make sure to check out 8 Pro Tips For Ordering T-shirts Online before you buy! 

Learn how to successfully and efficiently sell t-sell shirts online and make money. 

Sell T-Shirts Online & Make Money Doing It

We’ve made it our mission to make t-shirts easy to print but getting a great design still takes some skill. That’s why we hunted down 18 of the best designers on the planet and got their feedback on how they approach design.

Having t-shirts printed is easy (just ask us).

Having a great design created is another story.

And it becomes a bit of a problem if no one at your company has the slightest artistic talent.

In this post, we hunted down some of the best shirt designers on the planet. We’ve asked each designer how they approach design for a client. Some responded, and others simply let their design speak for themselves. Check out their skills below and feel free to contact them!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yellowbirdvisuals/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenyymarie/

"There are so many options when it comes to designing a great shirt. I start by listening to what the client is trying to accomplish. I think of how I can visually create something with different colors, textures, and shapes to communicate a certain message. I also think of the audience these shirts will be for, and what they are drawn to.  It's amazing to see a clients reaction once their idea are real and tangible!"

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/prettyuglydesign

“My t-shirt designs typically evolve out of a branding project, so by the time we're discussing apparel printing the design itself is complete. The main task is then adapting the vector art for a one or two color screen print and selecting the best shirt and ink colors to work with. I've never liked heavy, plastisol style printing on shirts, so I usually try to steer clients away from that and towards softer, discharge style printing. I studied screen printing at art school when the shift was happening from oil to water-based inks, so I've always really appreciated the work that goes into a quality textile print.”

Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/SockMonkee

“If the client doesn’t have the initial direction they would like for me to explore, I usually shoot over a few sketches and see what piques their interest. From there, we refine until both parties are happy with the end result.”

Website: http://www.glitschkastudios.com/

“My favorite shirts now are simple one color; I like to work texture into them, so it’s not stark shapes but more approachable. I try to be simplistic but conceptual at the same time.”

“Quite a bit of how I approach a tee design revolves around how much control the client would like to have. Sometimes I get a client who is interested in a streamlined process where the rate is reduced a bit in exchange for trusting me more. I typically really enjoy this process because it gives me the freedom to make something I’m really excited about (in combination with their direction) without the need for many rounds of revisions. In comparison, sometimes clients want a lot of control with sketches, variations, and revisions in which case I typically approach that much slower and more methodically. I touch base at every step of the process from sketch to refined sketch to computer render to polished render to a color palette."

Website: http://www.certifiedclassicbrand.com/

“I usually give a client a brief asking about colors, style (modern, vintage, edgy, etc.). Basically, just try to get in the ballpark as far as direction goes. Other than that I crank out on some music and just get creative. Offer an initial draft and work from there!”

Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/nathanyoder

"My first objective, in working with a client, is to understand the creative problem at hand. If a creative brief is not provided, I do my best to listen to the client and understand the appropriate steps needed to bring us closer to an effective solution. Once I feel that I have a general understanding of the client’s needs, I begin my work on paper with a series of quick pencil sketches. Ideas are explored and refined to a point where the general idea of the sketch is being communicated clearly. I pitch the sketches to the client along with my rationale for each sketch and work with the client to understand what is working and what could be done better to bring us closer to the end goal. Once a sketch has been revised and approved by the client, I then render the final drawings using pen and ink on paper. Once the drawings are completed, I scan the artwork into the computer to make additional modifications, add color, and prep the artwork for final delivery to the client. My goal is to give the client work that is unique in its execution - drawn by hand using traditional mediums - and unique and appropriate to them - created with their taste and needs in mind. All in all, giving the client a personal touch both in the work created and the experience of working with me.”

Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/kyleanthonymiller

Website: http://www.kylemillercreative.com/

“As far as my process for designing a shirt for a client, I am usually given a message or concept they need to get across to a very specific audience. My job is to figure out how I’m going to visually communicate that idea in an impactful, easily reproducible, cost effective method. I try to keep the imagery as simple & graphic as possible for a quicker read. Then I do my best to make sure the design, style and color palette is appropriate for the industry and demographic I’m targeting. The fit and style of the shirt also play a factor. You wouldn’t want to design on a slim fitting, deep V-neck for a group of accountants attending a trade show. Lastly, I guess, the ultimate goal is that the client generates buzz, loyalty and more business as a result of the shirt I design for them. It’s always nice to hear when clients have to reorder a particular design only a couple days after delivery, simply due to the insane demand.”

Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/studiotemporary

“Every project generally starts the same for me, and this design for my table tennis brand, Traject, is no different. Once I figure out the goals and limitations, I jump right into my Field Notes and get sketching! At this stage, anything goes. Crazy shapes, colors, type or whatever pops into your head. After my initial sketches, I start paring the designs down to only the most important elements. Always remember, don’t lose sight of who will be wearing it, where they’ll be wearing it, etc. Once you’ve got it all vectored up, send some options and show the tee in use! Always show context. AND HAVE FUN!"

Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/BenStafford

“When I approach a design for a client, I want to make sure I create something that is visually memorable, simple and if possible, something that has a couple meanings or connects several ideas. I try very hard to see things from a different perspective instead of going after obvious visuals. I believe people crave ‘different’ and will likely choose something that has more meaning behind it if it speaks to several ideas.”

“Whenever working with clients, I like to just treat them like friends. I have a fun conversation with them about what they’re wanting to make or hoping to achieve, offer advice that I think may be pertinent, and then hit the ground running. I generate ideas and concepts that I think solve the problem and share the process with them so that we’re creating something together. In the end, a lot of the designs I create are an exciting bit of people’s everyday lives, and I try and treat every step of a project just like that as well.”

Dribbble: https://dribbble.com/Live_Design

“When I get a new project for a client, I take a lot of time to understand their needs, from an aesthetic and business perspective. I then do a bunch of research, followed by sketching and concepts before I deliver a presentation to the client. I work hard at finding try to peel away layers to find simple, yet strong solution.”

18 of the best designers on the planet, who are available for your next project 

Designer Spotlight: A Roundup of T-Shirt Designers For Hire

Find out how to print a custom printed tag in 7 steps.

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