How To Design T-Shirts People Actually Want To Wear

If you’re a graphic designer, I guarantee you’re going to have the opportunity to design a t-shirt. So, what makes a great design that people will actually want to wear?

Designing a t-shirt starts with you understanding the project and the wearer completely. Only then will you be on your way to making it a great design – potentially someone's favorite t-shirt.

T-Shirts seen in this video:
"Design Makes Everything Possible" / Designed by Brent Galloway

"Caffeine Please" / Designed by Brent Galloway

"By the Blood" Band Shirt / Designed by Brent Galloway

"Revive Our Nation Tour" / Designed by Brent Galloway
Only available on tour

"Simplicity Takes Courage" / Designed by Brandon Rike

"Middle Earth Basics" / Designed by Eric Liles

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[modestre]

Great video! I definitley have exprecienced that before. I spent hours into a t-shirt design for my own personal brand, and not many people were into it. But when i did a very simple design, with a simple but powerful message, it sold much more rapidly. Thanks again for these vids. Appreciate the consistent great content. Looking forward to seeing more videos from you!

[justBorja]

Great advice! I design my t-shirts based on my personal preference. I wouldn't try to sell a t-shirt that I wouldn't wear. But I think about the wearer too :)

[gjs]

Strong message is the key, for 'crazy passionate' people. Add solid design, that YOU, the designer would also be proud to wear.

[keithshafer]

Ok Brent, I, as a new designer, created a t-shirt that I am proud to wear, and that other people were interested enough to purchase themselves. The subject is something I am too familiar with. I suffered a TBI (traumatic brain injury). My original idea was to create something for awareness of TBI, and that I was a survivor. This was to let other folks suffering the disease know that they can go on, that they could still have a meaningful life. When I surfed he web for TBI shirts, I was impressed by nothing. Mostly just a green ribbon to show support and awareness, a color of ribbon that covers a whole slew of other ailments. I wanted to produce one with a wow factor to it. My solution? A cool shirt with that stated TBI SURVIVOR, and had many graphic elements, the highlight of which was a vector taken from my own actual MRI of my damaged skull plopped right in the center. I had it screen printed, showed it to my therapist, and she begun to help me collect orders from other people with TBI in their lives, whether victims or families of survivors. So, the worst thing that ever happened to me, might very well have been the best also. I can no longer do my old career, or any other physical and mentally demanding one. But I am an artist, and it is finally taking me in directions that I had only dreamt of. Thanks for your knowledge and help to newbies as myself!

[MsMBrandDesign]

I designed a matching logo t-shirt to give to my husband for his birthday along with his new ibanez BTB bass. My first T-shirt make and he was happy. 🎸

[fungleung]

I designed a t shirt with my oc on it. It is supposed to be sth for my birthday from myself. It's my oc's name on the top part of the design with caramel on the top and teal on the bottom and the same color and design for my oc that is doing a cheeky pose but only the lineart since it's sth i like but dont see often. It's coming in a few days and I'm thinking of making more merch of her

[francislaufkvistkristinsbu]

There is this competition about making the school shirt this year and I relly whant to win, I have been having a creative block so this video helped me a lot :)

[boyralf]

I designed a T-shirt for my self, i just love it and my friends told me that they want to buy it because they think it'll look good on them. Thanks for the video, i'm not a full-time freelancer but sometimes i do it for extra money haha

[chocobere]

Thanks for the video Brent! I'm quite new to shirt designs, but the ones I did make started off as illustrations I did for friends. Then I got them printed on shirts as gifts so they could have an actual object. Maybe I was just lucky but the illustrations matched the shirt format quite well, even if i hadn't in mind to print them at first. So I want to make some more (that's why I watched your vid) and actually learn to have some control and knowledge of the parameters of shirt design. Any thing you could advise regarding technique and composition ? Cheers!

[ramlahiqbal]

Hey!, really like the genuine advices you give. I wanted to ask how do you approach artists or companies to let you design for them?

[Fabitalism]

Hey Brent, i'm going to get deeper in Graphic design, LR, PS ... And i was wondering which mac are you using for editing ? Which one are you recommending?

[hughjazz]

I never wanted to sell shirts but I would like to make my own personal design, have any idea where to start?

[CharacterDesignForge]

Awesome video! I Designed a tshirt for a comic a long time ago, and honestly it was problematic. Too many colors, too much attempting to be "a cool design" and it failed because there were too many colors trying too much at once. Plus, the only thing related to the comic was a character's face. I wish I had the sensibility you've got informing the design back then!

[maxinelim]

Thank you for the tips! I am currently designing a shirt now for an organization but I feel like I haven't gotten much information or details so it feels like the design is entirely up to me. I have problems with idea generation and inspiration despite looking at Instagram and Pinterest for some help. 😊

[glen]

thank you for sharing. now I know what to do.

[yusataslim]

I never designed t-shirt before and I'm planning to design one

[hakeemdavis]

it's never what you do, it's how you it...but you gave great advice

[ZACKARY_-kfsc]

Merci grâce à ta vidéo je me fais chier en anglais

[tianixtv]

thank you for this! My first t shirt design was for a hotel sprint run when I was working with them . It was not my favorite design it was very simplistic but hey I was thinking about the runners themselves since the damn shirt needs to breathe as well as the runner! Also can you do some video about designing for runners like dry fit shirts? I want to learn on this subject.

[terresataylor]

Hi Brent! As a fellow Ohio'en and an Aspiring GD I enjoyed watching your Youtube videos I am on my 12th video and Binge watching lol!