Pick your ideal garment from our custom T-shirts. Create your design in the online Design Studio. Place your order, and BlueCotton will handle the rest. It’s that simple.

Choose a Shirt to Customize

Short-sleeved tees are a staple that will work for any occasion or company. Long-sleeved shirts are popular for autumn festivals or just for their style. Athletes and weekend adventurers might prefer tank tops or performance shirts. Restaurant staff or people who like a practical tee will appreciate a pocket T-shirt. Figure out which garment is best for your group or event, then click Start Designing to move on to the next step.

Create Your Design

Whether you want a timeless custom shirt to build brand awareness or a bold look for this year’s function, it all starts in our intuitive online studio. Let’s break it down step by step (although all of them won’t necessarily apply to every order).

• Embroidery or Screen Printing

The classiness of embroidery or laidback printing style will appeal to different groups and brands. Sometimes, your selected garment will only work for one type of shirt customization. Most tees have the means to do both, so you can read our customization guide for more tips on how to decide.

• Get Inspired by Our Galleries

Look through our screen printed Design Ideas for your group, event or charity. We have hundreds of templates to choose from. Each one can be modified, giving you a chance to distinguish yourself.

• Add Eye-Catching Text

Choosing the best font for your printed message depends on what you want your tee to say. From company slogans to motivating phrases, the right appearance communicates just as much as the words themselves.

• Use the Clipart Library

A vast selection split up into easily navigated sections makes it a breeze to find what you’re looking for. Add a seasonal touch to your festival tee. Print an iconic charity ribbon on a fundraiser shirt. Whatever your style or season, our library has that finishing touch.

• Upload Your Own Image

Bring your logo or artwork into our custom tee designer for something especially distinctive. This applies to embroidery and screen printing.

• Check Out the AI Art Feature

Can’t find the precise clipart you’re searching for, and your graphic designer is booked out solid? Try our text-to-image design tool that’s made for customizing tees.

• Consider Personalization

The sporty Names & Numbers feature prints everyone’s name and assigned numeral on the back of their shirt. Everything from sports bar staff to athletic teams will enjoy having personalized tees.

Place Your Order

With a small minimum order of only six tees, casual teams and massive organizations alike can find what they need at a budget-friendly price. Get a quote from our Quick Price tool today.

The post The Ultimate Guide: Easy Steps to Design Your Own Custom T-Shirts at BlueCotton appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

Embroidering or Screen Printing Hats at BlueCotton

Popular for corporate teams, marathon races and plenty of other groups and gatherings, custom caps provide a distinctive accessory for everyone to enjoy. Patterns like tie-dye and camo give you a variety of choices that will fit your brand or foster team spirit.

While a stitched design makes a great first impression, outdoor enthusiasts will prefer something that stands up to the elements better while people who like low-maintenance apparel will be grateful to have a custom screen-printed hat instead. Get help choosing between these two options with our printing and embroidery guide.

How Custom Printing Hats Can Benefit You

Firstly, BlueCotton has a massive gallery of Design Ideas that only work for screen-printed apparel. You’ve got a treasure trove of inspiration at your fingertips for these caps. Although most were planned for T-shirts, you can modify any template in our online Design Studio to keep the graphics you want and fit the printing area of your chosen hat.

Spirit week at school? Look up our K-12 designs that include templates for band or chorus students, theater kids, other clubs and prom or homecoming. Events and parties are a category all their own to help you commemorate the fun times and fond memories for any group. Why stop there? You’ve got lots to pick from with our extensive galleries.

Popular Hats for Screen Printing

Choose from our bestselling caps to find the right canvas for your one-of-a-kind design. From sun-blocking properties to iconic patterns, there are features here for every occasion or organization.

The Richardson Umpqua Snapback Cap offers UPF 50+ protection that helps shield people from UV rays. A chic braided trim along the top of the flat visor adds a splash of style, complementing your logo or artwork. The Valucap Foam Mesh-Back Trucker Cap offers a more breathable and lightweight version of this headwear with a mid-profile cut and that distinctive braided trim across the curved visor.

For a traditional flat-bill look that everyone is bound to appreciate, try out the YP Classics Trucker Cap that makes a statement with a high-profile silhouette and some two-tone styles for contrast. Mesh panels on the back make this an amazing cap for warm weather or active events.

Catering to the adventurous types on your team or at your gathering? The Port Authority Foam Outdoor Cap is crafted with Flexfit 110 technology for crowd-pleasing comfort, and the crushable construction is great for tossing into a backpack.

If fashion is the defining factor for your group or event, the next few hats will be especially suited to your needs. The Port & Company Twill Cap has a structured high-profile cut that encourages your people to stand out from the rest. With a subtle woven texture, twill conveys understated elegance in a laidback hat.

For striped style, your group will be delighted with the TravisMathew FOMO Novelty Cap that has weathered stripes across the front. Go colorful and fun with the tie-dyed Colortone Trucker Cap that features a signature spiral pattern.

The post Introducing Screen Printing Capabilities for Hats appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

The easiest way to determine which is right for you is to consider the aesthetic you want and how much care and maintenance you expect your group to do. Printing designs tend to have a more casual air that can be dressed up with elegant fonts or refined imagery. Embroidery, on the other hand, always gives a sophisticated impression. It will also require more attention during washing and drying than a printed shirt. While that shirt would follow the instructions on the tag, an embroidered version would need special care for the threads in the tee. Expect to wash it in cold water or maybe even hand wash, then air dry it.

If you’re creating sports T-shirts as an example, you’ll want something that can be cleaned much more easily. This is especially true for clothes you expect your team to wear during practice or workouts.

At other times, your ideal garment will decide for you. The Hanes Cool Dri T-Shirt can only be printed on because the flexibility of performance fabric could stretch embroidered designs. Meanwhile, the Cutter & Buck Prospect Polo can only be embroidered because the textured material doesn’t make a good surface for printing.

For those who need the best decorative method for your brand rather than a specific kind of shirt for your group, our detailed guide is here to help you choose between printing and embroidery.

Different Types of T-Shirt Printing Methods

The main options for custom printing tees would be screen printing or vinyl printing. In nearly every case, our U.S.-based team at BlueCotton will screen print your design onto your chosen T-shirt. This process offers a lot of benefits for your group’s tees. It’s wash-resistant, consistently applied for a uniform look, comes in several colors and works on many fabrics. It’s well-suited to batches as small as six or as large as a nationwide business outfitting every staff member. That adaptability puts it at the forefront of shirt printing methods.

Vinyl printing does have its applications, but it’s not as versatile as screen printing. We typically only use it for our Names and Numbers feature in our online studio tool. This lets you place individual names and assigned numerals on the back of the garment for a sporty aesthetic. You can also check out our guide to screen and vinyl printing to understand these methods in greater detail.

You’ll never have to choose which one is best for the circumstances with our intuitive customization service. Our qualified professionals handle the application of your design and all other phases of production in-house, so we can guarantee quality for our printing or embroidery, shipping and packaging. Simply create your own custom style or find a template to get started with our Design Ideas. We’ll take care of exceptional printing for your shirts from there. Check our reviews for custom T-shirts to hear directly from customers about their experience with us.

Customizing Tees With Embroidery

Embroidered T-shirts are often offered with official organizations, artistic groups, personalization or understated designs that convey a classy style. Your event or team might fall outside of these common examples and still benefit from this stitched customization. Anyone from an indie band to a charity group can embroider their tees or other apparel to create that chic fashion sense that sets them apart. Upload your logo or artwork, then place it within the dotted lines in our Design Studio to envision your final product.

Adding names to every T-shirt is just as simple. Click Start Designing, then choose our Personalized Names tool to enter everyone’s name into our studio. This step fosters a sense of community and makes it easy for guests or newcomers to identify people at your event or in your group.

Get expert advice from our ultimate guide to embroidery to make sure your customization looks just how you imagined it once it’s been delivered. The threads that compose your design have somewhat different needs than ink in screen printing, so it pays to learn about the specifications before you begin designing. Tiny details won’t fare as well, but you can accommodate for that by increasing the size of your design until the threads can depict what you need them to. Just be certain it still fits inside the customizable area for your garment.

Lastly, you should learn how to care for embroidered T-shirts to make sure your event-goers and team members will be equipped to clean their stunning tees.

Why Order Custom Shirts at BlueCotton?

The equipment needed to make T-shirts is not necessarily user-friendly or affordable, and tools that make it so newcomers to the market could put you at risk of ordering apparel from someone who is still learning. Buying your custom clothing from BlueCotton gives you proven experience and personal customer service.

When you place your order, a real person from our team emails your order confirmation and design proof. That gives you someone to address by name and ask questions if you have any along the way. Enjoy our guaranteed delivery when you purchase your customized tees and other clothing from our team at BlueCotton.

The post Choosing the Right Decoration Method: Printing or Embroidery appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

If you’re thinking of designing your own shirts in our design studio and are looking for some inspiration, take a look at some of the funniest shirts out there made by some of our favorite designers. We’ve collected funny shirt sayings for guys, gals, dads, moms, couples and many others. Plus, there are fun shirts that anyone can wear and appreciate – after all, humor is a universal language. Get some matching funny shirts made for yourself and your family, club or friend group so you can all spread the fun.

Looking for funny sayings about men so you can design shirts for your group of girlfriends? Trying to come up with a good joke about music, fishing or wine that you can feature on shirts for a club? Maybe you want to give some expectant moms you know a much-needed laugh break. These creative and comical graphic T-shirts offer plenty of ideas. Take a look through our gallery and see what might inspire you.

Great Graphic Tees

For Everybody

Cartridge of Time by Naolito (Nacho Diaz)

If you’re a child of the 90s, then you can relate.

Pat and Silent Bob by Ideas Con Patatas

They’ve got something that’ll turn your frowns upside down – imagination!

I’d Tap That by IceCreamTees

Who wouldn’t?

Alien: Peanut Inside by IdeasConPatatas

It’s exactly like I remember it in the movie!

Link’s Purest Blue Stuff by IdeasConPatatas

Sorry, Walt. Link’s the one who knocks now.

Guys Only

With Great Beard Comes Great Responsibility by Swagfresher

Never underestimate the power of a well-trimmed beard.

Wing Man by Swagfresher

For The Ladies

Relationship Status: Nutella by Swagfresher

To be fair, Nutella does make a pretty compelling case for a relationship.

Bite Me by nanlawson

Straight to the point. Something to be said for that.

(Psst. This one’s not actually even a shirt, but we liked the design so much we had to include it in our list.)

Couples Clothing

Pumpkins by Maternity Tees

The father might want to consider having a word with Jack Skellington…

Princess And Scruffy Lookin’ by EmpireGuys

When we asked EmpireGuys about the inspiration behind the shirt, they said “All of our t-shirt designs were created/imagined by our family and our lifelong love of the Star Wars universe. We were all sitting watching the the Empire Strikes Back, and when Princess Leia told Han Solo he was a Scruffy Lookin Nerf Herder, my wife looked at me and said ‘You have to make that shirt.’”

New Fathers

Caution! Dad at Work! by MassAppeals

He could start crying at any moment.

Dad, King Of The Remote Control by MassAppeals

His wife just lets him think he is.

Expectant Moms

New Fishing Buddy by PinkInkArt

It’s just as well. He was getting pretty sick of Larry.

Mummy To Be by Vice Voices

Just keep it under wraps, am I right guys? Guys? “Under wraps.” Guys?

Entertaining Sayings & Slogans

Laughs For Everyone

Of Course I’m Right. I’m Bob by Mcgags

Bob knows the importance of always believing in yourself.

The Problem With Quotes On The Internet by I Am Tee

Honest Abe’s a pretty wise guy.

Sarcasm by Epicdelusion

The Best Thing About Being A Narcissist by UncensoredShirts

Another shirt for the Bobs in our lives.

Side-Splitting Slogans

Your Planet Sucks by Flunklife

For people who are out of this world.

Boring is Best by Stay Home Club

Excitement kills. Haven’t you ever seen an action movie?

Some Crappy Band by Futbolkuz

I think I’ve heard of them. Didn’t they write “some awful song?”

Ask Me About My Cat/Ask Me About My Dog by Stay Home Club

Which one fits you?

Jokes for Guys

I’m Still In Beta by IceCreamTees

Testers wanted…?

I Wish I Was Felicia by SubatomicTees

Whiskey Is My Spirit Animal by threadedtees

When we mentioned this blog post, threadedtees said “Thank you so much for including my design in your article. I think this is such a fun shirt for whiskey lovers out there. It always gets a good laugh.” We certainly did.

Jokes for Gals

Saving Myself For A Time Lord by StyleURShirt

It’s anyone’s guess when he’ll show up, though.

Fun Size by VinylWorks4u

Happy, Quirky Couples

Under Your Spell by StatementTshirts

Sorceress then?

We Are Hoping It’s A Dinosaur by Tshirts University

By the time they’re a toddler, you won’t know the difference.

For The Fearless Father

I have two daughters by Josh Jenkins

For those men who’ve gazed into the abyss, and had the abyss gaze back.

For A Groovy Mom

Me and Mini Me by TeeStyles

Will the child be evil and want to take over the world, though? I have it on good authority that that’s important.

Jokes and Puns

General-Purpose Comedy

Never Trust an Atom by Ginger Virga

And the electrons they hang out with are always so negative.

Bacteria Is The Only Culture Some People Have by Ginger Virga

But they DO have plenty of it.

Chocolate Rabbits by 9dollartshirts

That bites…

Guess Who? by RadioMode

Jerry? Is that you?

Gramma Phone by Philip Tseng

The Element of Surprise by ScorpioPegasus

The prankster’s element.

For Guys At The Gym

I Belong Behind Bars by KTeesDesigns

It’s criminal that more people don’t work out.

For Wine Connoisseurs

Wine Improves with Age by BikkiD

For The Couple That Drinks Together And Stays Together

Drunk 1 and Drunk 2 by icustomfit

Once they were fired by The Cat In The Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2 went down a pretty dark road.

Jokes For The Beleaguered Dad

Eating for Two, Drinking for Three by Luis Gabriel Homocianu

Somebody’s gotta take a few shorts for the team, right?

Game Over by Mass Appeals

That’s it. Roll credits. We’re done.

Jibs For The Jokester Mom

He Did It by StoykoTs

Look What Daddy Did! by Anabellstar

His parents must be so proud.

Design Funny Shirts at BlueCotton

Ready to design your own shirt? Check out our design studio or take a look at all our products and print your designs on any of them with low order minimums. Once you’ve decided on the perfect look and saying, we will produce your funny T-shirts right here in the U.S. using apparel from top brands. If you need help, talk to a real person Monday-Friday using phone, email and live chat.

The post 45 Funny Shirt Designs & Sayings For Men And Women appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

But it can also be a pretty difficult process, especially in the initial stages. You can’t exactly just snap your fingers and come up with a new design, after all. It takes thought, effort, and trial-and-error. 

And it can be frustrating, especially if you’re suffering from a creative block. Today, we’re going to explore a few things you can do to help you with the creative process. A few words of advice which will ultimately help you create better T-shirt designs. 

Don’t Be Afraid to Take a Break

The most important thing you need to understand about creativity is that it’s not something that can – or should – be forced. It’s something that should be nurtured and enjoyed. If you’re constantly mapping out designs you aren’t satisfied with, you might consider just taking a break from the creative process.

Otherwise, you’re basically just slamming your head repeatedly against a brick wall. Sure, you might eventually make some sort of progress. But you’re far likelier to end up frustrating and nursing a splitting headache.

So our first and most important piece of advice is to know when to step back and let yourself recharge. Go for a walk or run. Spend time with friends and family. Do something you enjoy.

Let yourself relax, and you might be surprised at how quickly your brain snaps back to creative mode. 

Always Explore Your Concept in Full

When you’re brainstorming a new design, take your time. Mull over the concept you’ve come up with. Even if you have something you like, you don’t need to fully commit to it.

You’re well within your rights to explore variations on it. Look at what other people are doing. Keep on chipping away at it until it feels more than right – until it feels perfect.  

Or at least as close to perfection as you can get. 

Don’t Overcomplicate

As the old adage goes, less is more. It can be tempting to draw up a complex, intricate design for your shirts – and in some cases, such a design can actually work. Most of the time, however, you’re just going to wind up with something that looks busy, gaudy, and ugly, in spite of the artistry you put into it.

Keep your designs simple, and focus on a few core details. A few things you want to draw focus to, a single message you want to convey, and so on. There’s an artistry to simplicity as well. 

Get Out There And Start Creating

And there you have it. A few quick and simple tips to help you design better T-shirts. Why not put some of them to practice in our design studio?

The post 3 Quick Tips for Creating Better T-Shirt Designs appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

I know you’ve probably got at least a few friends who are going to be marking the occasion in the near future. This year, why not take things a step further with some custom clothing? I’ve collected a few of my favorites below – see if you can find anything that gives you a spark of inspiration, then hop into BlueCotton’s Design Studio to get started on a custom piece of your own. Get everyone on board to wear matching custom t-shirts that help you celebrate your best friend together with a thoughtful surprise.

1. My Age in Dog Years

It gets funnier the older you get – I think. Maybe. Whoever you get this for, be sure they’ve got your dark sense of humor.

2. Know-It-All Millennial

Turning 30 is a pretty big milestone, and a pretty weird age. Everyone younger than you thinks you’re an adult, and everyone older looks down on you as a kid. This shirt taps into that irony.

3. I Don’t See the Problem

You and me both, friend. You and me both. As the years wear on, you just gotta keep those glasses coming.

4. Multiple Choice

I mean, obviously, the correct one is option D. Most of the time, anyway. Customize it by adding their age, from their 21st to 100th.

5. Straight to the Point

I like to think that the older you get, the more direct you become. After all, at a certain age, you don’t have a whole lot of time left to mince words.

6. The Sad Truth

This entry is probably the most relatable on the list – if only because it’s way too true. We all feel young at heart, wondering who this grown-up in the mirror is.

7. An Invitation

Let it never be said that people lose their sense of fun and adventure when they age. For your cheeky friend celebrating their 50th birthday, this is sure to get a laugh.

8. Speaking From Experience

Hey, young people tend to be idealistic and naive. The older you get, the more you realize their foolishness, right?

9. The Big 4-0

I’d say that’s an accurate representation of how most people feel on their 40th birthday. For the sarcastic math nerd or your just plain snarky friend, this custom tee is on point.

10. Adding Up the Numbers

Personally, I think it’s pretty awesome if you make it to 50 without losing your sense of childhood wonder.

11. Aging “Gracefully”

Some people like to say they age like a fine wine. This shirt’s a little more realistic. Plus, wine eventually turns to vinegar when it gets old enough – so that should say enough.

12. Magnificence

That’s certainly one way to look at it (the only way, some might argue). Who needs to be modest when you’ve got age-old brilliance?

13. Sterling Silver

Hey, some people find that charming. Enjoy going gray with all your friends or give a funny shirt to your parent’s social circle.

14. And Have a Drink or Four While You’re at It

This tee is yet another riff on the classing saying – and one that moves away from the old age card a bit. I think we’ve explored that avenue enough for one piece, wouldn’t you agree?

15. Recognizing Royalty

A great choice for the friend who thinks they’re all that and a bag of chips. Provided you agree with them, of course. Though I suppose you could purchase this one ironically, too.

16. An Excellent Idea

Not a whole lot else to say here, just another twist on this timeless quote. There are few better excuses to get roaring drunk than someone’s birthday, after all!

17. Getting Close to the Endgame

I mean, you don’t necessarily have to buy this one for someone’s 40th. You can easily get it for any gamer in your life and customize it for their birthday year.

18. The Best Things Take Time

At least, that’s what we say to take the edge off of aging. Make sure your friends get a chuckle on their 30th with this funny birthday present.

19. Patch Day

Got a programmer or tech geek whose birthday is coming up? They’ll probably get a kick out of this one, whatever age they’re turning.

20. At Long Last

21 is a pretty big banner year for most people. Why not celebrate their 21st in style with a shirt that shows everyone where your mind’s at?

Birthdays are pretty important occasions. Next time a friend of yours celebrates one, whether it’s a milestone or they’re just another year older, bring them some custom clothing. It’ll make the occasion a whole lot more memorable, I’m certain.

The post 20 Killer Birthday T-Shirt Ideas For Your Friends appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

Why not offer the math geeks in your life a bit of recognition with a custom shirt or two? Here are a few designs they might like. And even if you don’t see one here that you think’s a good fit, you can hop over to our design studio to create one of your own.

1. In The Beginning….

Seems like a pretty fitting shirt to put as our first entry – a few equations that kicked off the start of all things.

2.  As Long As They Aren’t A Square

Then again, imaginary friends tend to be pretty negative most of the time – always with the disappearing act.

3. Riemann’s Frustration

Some people enjoy complex functions and differentials. We secretly suspect them to be robots.  

4. But Can You Prove That Statement Mathematically?

Mathematicians can be a bit insufferable at times. For them, everything always seems to come down to calculations.

5. He Really Needs To Move On

We’ve all had that one friend. Those of us who haven’t probably were that friend.

6. A Tempting Offer

There’s a word for the kind of person who’d turn down a good pie: wrong.

7. Just One More Slice

This is the last Pi joke. We promise.

8. No Tears. Only Terms

Hey, we get it. Numbers are scary.

9. In Math, You Can Either Fight The Way Things Are, Or Accept Them  

Some people just have a gift for numbers. The equations speak to them. We can’t help but be a little jealous.

10. See? Easy!  

This shirt’s exponentially funnier if you understand the joke.

11. A Pleasing Sequence

We’re not sure if Fibonacci himself would be proud, confused, or concerned. Let’s go with the first one.

12. The Most Important Equation Of All

Calculus – Caffeine = Pain.  

13. A Play On Numbers

We like to think this one more or less speaks for itself.

14. A Spooky System  

Know the difference. It could save your life. Probably.

15. Finding The Right Angle

It’s easier than you’d think. You just have to know where to look.

16. Technically True – The Best Kind

Most people with a head for numbers have pretty technical minds. We think this shirt is one they could very easily appreciate.

17. REALLY Real

18. It’s A Legitimate Sport

We’re not even being sarcastic. If video games can be a sport, who’s to say competitive calculus can’t be one, too?

19. An Exact Function

Always better to get right to the point – and be specific in the process.

20. Freedom

For all those out there who are fans of thermodynamics, this one’s for you.

And there you have it. Design ideas, inside jokes, and cool concepts to get the juices flowing. Now, get over to the design studio and throw something together for yourself – something the math geek in your life will absolutely love.

The post 20 Best T-Shirts For Math Geeks appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

You’re likely as not going to end up with a clashing, eye-popping mess.

Don’t worry – color coordination isn’t difficult. Here are a few tips to help you be better at it. Once you’ve got this advice down, you can move to more advanced stuff and better designs as a result.

1. Start With The Basics

A good foundation is a key to successful design. With that said, I’d strongly advise familiarizing yourself with basic color theory. This KISSmetrics infographic should be incredibly helpful in that, as it shows various colors and how they complement or otherwise impact one another. Additionally, familiarize yourself with the three primary colors – red, blue, and yellow – and the combinations required to create secondary and tertiary colors.

As a general rule, you’re going to want to keep your shirt simple. Don’t use more than three or four colors unless you’re going for a crazy rainbow design, or something really intricate and complex. Of course, if you’re doing the latter and you don’t have a solid understanding of color composition, you’re playing with fire.

One last thing – unless you’re designing a holiday shirt, stay away from combinations like red and green or black and orange.

2. Know The Difference Between Dirty and Clean

No, I’m not talking about doing laundry.

When referring to color coordination, ‘dirty’ colors are those that have gray or muted undertones. They tend to look dim or neutral, and may not be especially eye-catching. ‘Clean’ colors, meanwhile, have no undertone. Makes sense, right?

One of the biggest color coordination mistakes you can make – both in shirt design and in your day-to-day life – is to mix dirty colors with clean colors. Never do that. It looks bad – just as

3. Shading Is Important

Last but certainly not least, a monochromatic look is always a safe way to go. Lighter and darker shades of the same color tend to look pretty good with one another, and black, white, or gray tend to go well with the majority of colors. The exception to this rule is combining gray or white with bright colors like yellow – it not only clashes, it hurts the eyes, too.

Closing Thoughts

What I’ve outlined here is just the basics. There’s a lot more advanced stuff to learn about color theory, composition, and design in general. But this should be enough to get you started – to give you a basic understanding and let you create your first few designs.
Why not try putting that understanding to use by swinging over to BlueCotton’s powerful Design Studio?

The post Three Tips For Perfect Color Coordination In Your T Shirt Designs appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

That’s awesome! Provided you’ve got the inspiration to create some awesome designs and the determination to see your plans through, you have the potential to do great things! Of course, there are a few things you’ll need to take into account before you get started.

See, nothing that’s worthwhile in life is ever easy. That’s true in the design industry as much as anywhere else. Basically, what I’m trying to say here is that it’d be awesome if you could make a go of being a t-shirt designer simply by slamming some artwork onto some shirts…but it’s not really that easy.

There are a few things you need to be aware of, first.

1. What Do You Know About Graphic Design?

First thing’s first…do you have a background in graphic design, or are you just an artist with some big dreams? There’s nothing wrong with falling into the latter category, mind you. It’s just that if you do, it could be in your best interests to learn a bit more about the fundamentals of design before moving forward.

Jeremy Shuback offers a pretty great online tutorial, as does Tutvid’s Nathaniel – have a look, and see if you can’t learn a few things.

2. Who Are Your Designs For?

What demographic do you want purchasing your T-Shirts? Are you creating designs that you yourself find appealing, and marketing them to other people who fit your demographic? Are you trying to create shirts that teenagers would wear, even though you aren’t one yourself?

It’s important that you do some market research before you get too involved in the creative process. If you want to sell your stuff to a particular set of customers, you need to know what they’re interested in. Otherwise, you’re just going to be left with a bunch of excess inventory.

3. What Type Of Designs Will You Use?

Are you going for some eye-catching calligraphy? A beautiful cornucopia of shapes and colors? Some more traditional artwork? Something else altogether? While there’s certainly nothing wrong with branching out a bit, every artist and designer has their own unique sense of style.

Once you’ve found one that works for you, stick with it for a time – once you’ve got your name out there, you can start experimenting a little more.

4. Where Will You Sell Them?

Are you going to operate a little storefront on Etsy or Amazon, or would you rather have your own eCommerce website? Are you going to be a merchant or a business owner? Depending on which route you take, you’re going to face some very distinctive challenges. Make sure you’re ready for them.

5. How Will You Print and Distribute Them?

Here’s where we get to the really challenging part. How are you going to fulfill your T-shirt orders? How are you going to get your shirt designs printed and shipped to your customers?

That’s actually something BlueCotton can help with – contact us today for more information.

The post Thinking Of Starting Out In T-Shirt Design? Here Are Five Things You Need To Know First appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.

It’s tough work, being a mother. It’s not the kind of job that just anyone can do. Maybe that’s why we’ve got a special day every year where we honor the moms in our lives for all the work they’ve put into us (though really, we should give them credit where it’s due every day of the year).

This Mother’s Day, why not include an awesome custom t-shirt amidst your other gifts?

I’m sure most moms have simply thrown on whatever shirts are on hand when they’re attending to a screaming kid, right? Why not get them something they can wear comfortably and something that lets them strut their stuff at the same time? Here are a few design ideas to get you started for custom Mother’s Day gifts she’ll appreciate – but what I’ll say is that nothing’s better than something you create yourself.

1. Tiny Humans

It’s a tougher goal than you’d think. Kids are pretty good at finding inventive ways to put themselves at risk. Help mom stress less with the T-shirt reminder that she’s doing more than enough already.

2. Bad Mom

Careful with this Mother’s Day tee – best only get it for a mom who’s got a sense of humor (or one who’s bad in a good way).

3. You Don’t Scare Me, I’m A Mom

Once you’ve dealt with soiled diapers and bellowing babies, the rest of the world suddenly seems a lot less frightening.

4. Wife. Mom. Boss.

I mean, it’s the truth, isn’t it? Let Mom know what a champion she is with a custom t-shirt that reminds everyone of that fact too.

5. Mom Life

Some people might disagree, sure. But they can keep their opinions to themselves. You can love motherhood even when it gets difficult.

6. Mommin’

The perfect top for the mom on the go. Hey, just because you have kids doesn’t mean you need to stop taking care of yourself.

7. Momzilla

Again, here’s another Mother’s Day present you’ll need to purchase with caution. It could easily be taken the wrong way, y’know?

8. World’s Okayest Mom

For a mom who’s pretty darn okay. You gave her a hard time and she gave you one, but you still love each other.

9. Moms Are Like Dads. Only Smarter

Think about all the times you heard: Let me ask my dad first. Sure seems like this Mother’s Day shirt has a really good point.

10. Don’t Make Me Use My Hockey Mom Voice

For those moms whose kids are into sports – and who’ve embraced it wholeheartedly.

11. An Awesome Mom

In case you wanted to share with the world that your mom’s the best mom, this is the Mother’s Day T-shirt to get for her.

12. Supermom

This one pretty much speaks for itself. Like we’ve already said, being a mom seems like a superpower.

13. Soccer Mom

The list wouldn’t seem complete without at least one.

Best Custom Shirts for Mother’s Day Gifts

Treat all the mom friends to short-sleeve Gildan Ladies’ Ultra Cotton tees, and the Next Level Ideal racerback tank is perfect for athletic moms. If your mothers are more likely grab a long-sleeve tees, go for Core Cotton Port & Company shirts. Regardless, we’re wishing a happy Mother’s Day to all moms!

The post Thirteen Awesome T Shirts To Let Mom Know You Care appeared first on The BlueCotton Blog.