Businesses are never complete without a company t-shirt. And it’s always a great feeling to see people wear a t-shirt with your brand.
But these days, corporate t-shirts are either oversimplistic with a company logo inked on a plain tee or ugly shirts that people prefer to leave in their closets.
Still, printing your company tees is a must because they can offer many practical benefits to employees and clients.
Why are company t-shirt designs important?
Gifting your staff a corporate t-shirt builds a sense of belonging and company pride. Employees will become recognizable in a crowd, which is indispensable if you attend trade events.
Meanwhile, giving clients unique corporate t-shirts can keep you on top of mind, making for a great promotional and marketing stunt.
However, these benefits only work if you create great t-shirts that people would love to wear, so here are some quick tips.
10 pro tips for better company t-shirt designs
1. Goal for your corporate t-shirts
We love t-shirts for their versatile use! Anyone can look good in a tee, and you can wear one on a movie night, at the bar, or anywhere else.
When designing your corporate t-shirts, you need to consider purposes, such as a premium polo t-shirt for attending industry events or a breathable round-neck jersey for your company’s 5k run.
What about when you are giving a corporate t-shirt to your customers? Is it to show appreciation and thank loyal clients or to convert potential customers?
Ask yourself what the goal of your corporate t-shirt is, and the answer will naturally guide you on the properties of the garment and the design itself.
2. Stylishly incorporate your company logo with the design
As a business, you’d want your name and logo on your company t-shirts.
But remember, nobody likes walking around like an ad or billboard. So be discreet with your company logo, and avoid printing a giant logo on the shirt.
A better approach is creatively incorporating your brand and logo with your t-shirt design. Make a pattern out of it like Versace or embroider it at the centre to make it stand out.
The key is not to force it onto your t-shirt, or it will make your recipients reluctant to wear it.
3. Use complementary colours
Colour is significant when it comes to designing your tee. For one, the more ink colours your t-shirt design features, the more expensive it will be to produce.
More importantly, picking the right colours to match can become overwhelming. Specific colours just work well together, like black and white. While colours like red and green can be a disaster.
A general rule for t-shirt design is to use light colours on dark tees and dark colours on light tees for better contrast.
Plus, too much colour can clash and make it distracting. Here we recommend using pre-built themes or palettes to get beautiful colour combinations that work.
4. Convey your company’s personality or message
Great tees are made with a personality. A key message that reflects your company brand on your t-shirt design can be powerful.
It can be something simple like a company quote or simple words representing your industry, such as “eat, sleep, code, repeat” for programmers.
But apart from the right choice of words, choosing the proper font is just as important.
Your typography can say a lot about your brand. For instance, a swirly font can make your message more playful, while serif fonts will evoke a classic feeling.
5. Consider composition and create balance
Now that you have a rough sketch of what to include on your t-shirt, you must consider the overall placement and composition.
Remember that your t-shirt is ultimately worn on bodies with bumps and curves.
So make sure to have your t-shirt design sitting proudly at the top of your chest instead of letting it float on the belly.
Creating a mock-up on models and using symmetry and ruler alignment tools can help you better balance your graphic and design.
6. Create a thoughtful design for all-sizes
Tees are available in multiple colours, materials, and design patterns. You have polo shirts, half sleeves, V-necks, and many other options.
Your ideal design should be suitable for all body types and sizes, or better yet, offer a few design choices and variations to be inclusive.
7. Use imagery to tell your company’s story
A trick to creating a t-shirt that will get employees and customers to wear is to create a design that doesn’t look like a corporate t-shirt.
That is by creating imagery that tells the company story, just like this Sancho plumbing tee.
With a good creative design, people are more likely to wear it. Your company tee can also become a conversation starter that naturally promotes your brand.
8. Find inspiration from a design assets library
Coming up with great t-shirt designs doesn’t have to be from scratch.
Exploring a design assets library consisting of images and fonts labelled by categories can get you inspired and speed up your workflow.
If you run a website designing company, you can always do something creative with arts and graphics related to computers or programming.
9. Include employees in your design process
Who better to get feedback from than your employees who will be wearing your t-shirt. Create a few options for your employees to vote on before deciding on the final design.
Being open about the t-shirt design process can create anticipation and make your employees look forward to your corporate tee.
Most importantly, involving your employees in the process will create a fantastic t-shirt that will become a staple in your employee’s wardrobe.
10. Source a good printing company
Now that you have a t-shirt design everyone is happy with, this is still just the beginning.
Choosing the right printing company can make or break your t-shirt. Consider various garment and printing options that offer comfort and high quality.
You can always make your inquiries with various printing companies. Request t-shirt samples, budget, and get your mock-up printed before proceeding to bulk printing.
Key takeaway
Ultimately, recognize that creating an impressive corporate t-shirt that people will love to wear takes trial and error.
But using these pro designing tips and a reliable corporate gift supplier like Gift Market, you can be confident that you will be creating quality corporate tees.
So get to designing, and let us help you get printing!