A number of technologies exist today, from inkjet transfers to online designers, which make designing and printing your own t-shirts easy and affordable. But ease of production doesn’t guarantee a good design. The following are three design components to consider when creating a design for a t-shirt: Contrast, Size, and Balance.

The difference in colors when compared to each other is referred to as contrast. Most times, you want to use high contrasting colors between the shirt fabric and the ink color. Some designs will have low contrasting colors, but that has to be considered ahead of time as part of the design. As a general rule, you do not want to print dark inks on dark fabrics nor do you want to print light inks on light fabrics. A light pink or yellow ink will have a difficult time being clear on a white shirt. At the same time, black ink will not show well on a navy blue fabric.

Another area where you need to consider contrast is the graphic itself. A graphic (or multicolored font) that is made up of a group of similar colors, such as dark blue, deep purple, and black, will be hard to distinguish; the lines and colors will visually blur together. Contrast between light and dark colors will make your graphics easy to recognize.

Size is a very important aspect to take into consideration when designing apparel. The size of the design is extremely important. If the design, or text, is too small, people will have a very hard time trying to decipher your message. Also, if you are creating a text only design, try to avoid using more than 3 lines of text. If you have more than three lines of text chances are that very few people will take, or have, the time to read it all. Make sure the graphics you use are large enough to get your message across. If your design is intentionally small, make sure it is a simple and not complex design as the detail will most likely be lost.

The element of balance, when used in the designing of t-shirts, deals with the usage and placement of text, graphics and white space. Balance does not simply mean centering the graphic or type. Current trends place the graphic in many different positions on the shirt. Balance in this instance means the overall balance and proper usage of spacing between elements as well as the placement of the graphics on the shirt. Placing a graphic or type to one side can have a great impact on the message. However, if your design is supposed to be placed in the center of the shirt, and is not an “all over” design, be sure that it is centered and placed in the middle chest with plenty of white space on all sides.

If you are conscious of Contrast, Size, and Balance when designing your t-shirt, you will be well on your way to a result that will be visually pleasing to both you and your audience.

Want to see some great t-shirt designs? Do yourself a favor and check outPhish Shirts and Big Sister Shirts.