Designing a Cost Effective Promotional T-Shirt
Don’t you just love going to a special event and walking away with a free t-shirt? We don’t know many people who would complain about it. The problem is that having full-color shirts printed can be rather expensive, making companies rather hesitant to just give them away. So why not have an alternate shirt printed for use at tradeshows and special events?
Create a Simple Design
When creating swag for giveaways, keep the design simple. The more colors you use in the printing process, the more expensive your design becomes. Create a black and white version of your logo or design and have it printed on a colored shirt. People will wear the shirts you give them, further promoting your business. You can reserve your full-color prints for employees, loyal customers, for sale in your store, or for special occasions.
Run a Design Contest
A great way to come up with a design for your promotional items is to ask your customers or visitors for help. Run a contest with a prize for the best design. Choose the top 5 designs that you as a business owner like and then consider allowing your social media fans or customers vote for their favorite. You’ll need some legal advice on taking over the rights to use the image in promoting your business, but the shirts can serve multiple purposes. The winner and those who voted are more likely to buy and wear them and you will again have a great giveaway item for special events.
Keep the Design Simple
This is a good rule of thumb for any promotional material you create, not just giveaway swag. A simple, classic design with a clear message is paramount. White on black; black on a color – it’s up to you as long as the design is clear and concise. You can do a full-front design or a simple pocket logo. Just make sure your design is visible and readable.
Great Artwork – Your Printer Will Love You
While some printers have artists on hand to help you visualize and create shirt designs, many will ask you to send your finished artwork. For best results, find an artist who can create the final product in Pantone Colours. You’ll also want to ask the printer what file type he needs and ask your artists to create the final product to specification. This will save the printer time and effort when creating the screens or files needed for the actual printing process – and this will save you quite a bit of money the added work might otherwise tack onto your bill.
We are, of course, here to help you with your promotional t-shirt designs. Send us your artwork and ideas and we’ll work with you through every step of the process. Before you know it you’ll be seeing your business name walking around on shirts throughout your locality!