Custom Design Embroidery Tips and Trends

Embroidering a logo or a design on a t-shirt or polo-style shirt automatically elevates your brand above common apparel. Embroidered logos are most often done on polo-style shirts for big company corporations or on hats with your favorite sports team name or mascot. We’ve seen a popularity increase in this trend among streetwear and modern fast fashion clothing brands. In this article, we will take you through some tips and tricks when designing a logo or a graphic for embroidery.

Design

Lines:

The thickness or weight of the lines on the logo or the graphic should be thick, as stitching creates a thicker line than ink does. Designs that may look great on paper can be hard-to-read on fabric. Thread is of a standard thickness, approx. 0.4mm. and tiny strokes for emphasis and small lettering are often not possible in embroidery.

Colors:

Repeated color changes within the design can result in the thread breaking during the embroidery process. When designing, try to avoid changes in the line weight for each color. This is what we strive for when converting a design into a stitch format.

Shading:

Color shading or blending is easier to when screen-printing than with thread, therefore, it is not recommended to have a design with different shades of color that merge. However, color blending is not uncommon as there are a few ways to achieve this. Check out the different ways color blending can be done.

Letter Sizing:

Line weight also applies to letter size, you will want to make sure your front or text is the right thickness, lettering below 5mm rarely embroiders well. By designing something bold, clear, and simple you are guaranteed a nice embroidered shirt. It is also important to keep in mind that the sizing of the font will differ depending on whether it’s written in upper or lowercase lettering. Lowercase lettering is approximately 70% of the height of uppercase lettering. Keep this in mind when ensuring that your lettering is contained in the parameters.

0.25'' is equivalent to approximately 36pt, and the letters will also have the necessary thickness. But this depends on the font. We recommend using simple fonts like Arial, Helvetica, Myriad pro.

Details:

When embroidering on fabric with a pile or heavy texture (eg. Polar fleece, terry toweling, etc.) thin lines can often sink into the fabric pile or texture. When sewing on a cap, detailed outlining is often unsuccessful as the register is often lost in mid-design. See tips to avoid shifting and gaping.

Size

Simple and small is the way to go! A big embroidery piece on a shirt is not only a bad design choice but depending on the material, the embroidery might cause the shirt to look deformed around the design over time. If the design is for a jacket, it may look better big, but it also depends on the placement.

Fabrics

This image shows how embroidery may cause some fabrics to bunch up around the design after a single wash.

Embroidery can be applied to most knit fabrics such as Polo, Lacoste, and Penguin, as well as most outerwear and denim. The fabric you should avoid is cotton, after the first wash cotton will cause the fabric around the embroidered piece to bunch and therefore making the garment unwearable, unless that’s the look you’re going for! Check out embroidery fabrics 101.

Placement

The most common placement on a shirt is the top-left chest area, while for outerwear and denim it is common to see embroidery on the back of a jacket, jeans, or even collars. When designing apparel, placement is very important, therefore, this should be considered when submitting your design to your embroidery shop.

Trends

Patches

Embroidered patches have also become very popular in the year 2020. As they say, history repeats itself, and in this decade we have seen styles from the ’90s make a comeback. Patches of your favorite band or that classic American tattoo style heart design with a ribbon around it with a catchy phrase are all the rage now. Embroidered patches are commonly applied to denim jackets or jeans but are also commonly applied to flat brim hats or sweatshirts.

Shoes

Shoe giants Nike and Adidas both have customization options for a lot of their classic shoes. One of those customization features is embroidered text. Personalized embroidery on shoes is not as common but as we embrace the ‘90s more, they seem to also be making a comeback.

At Family Industries, we try to help our customers by providing design consultations and placement recommendations. Let us know if you need help!

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

How Can Branding Costs Be Capitalized

When starting your own business, your first step should be establishing a brand identity and doing this can be costly, from hiring a graphic designer for your logo, to paying a fee to register your brand name. We’ll take you through some of the ways it pays off to spend the money on your branding.

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Is Having a brand an asset?

Yes, having a brand is in fact an asset, an intangible asset. Like any asset, brands require long term investment and will render profit over time. Brands have value and can be bought and sold. Brands are best used when they service the strategic vision of the company.

What Are Brand Assets?

Here are a few well-known examples of brand assets to help clarify the concept.

• Color schemes

• Packaging

• Logos

• Jingles

• Company name

• Slogan

• Songs/sounds

Check Out How To Start Your Own Brand in 7 Steps

Examples Of Brand Assets

Amazon Packaging

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All amazon orders are delivered in a box with their logo and the tape used to seal it has details about Amazon specials.

Because of the branding that is directly printed on their packaging, someone walking down the street who sees this box on a doorstep can immediately tell it’s from Amazon.

Apple Logo

The apple with a bite taken out of the right hand upper corner is the iconic logo recognized all over the world. Anyone that sees this logo will recognize the brand and their products could never be mistaken for any other computer and/or cellphone brand.

McDonald’s Jingle

Not only are the golden arches already is recognizable logo across the world, their “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle is forever stuck in everybody’s head and instantly recognized by anyone without a hearing impairment.

“Your brand isn’t just your logo. It’s how you interact with the world — from your customers to your employees — and it all stems from the brand.”

— Blair Brady, Forbes Councils Member

So, how do I capitalize From My Brand?

All of these definitions accurately describe the advantages of a powerful and successful brand. But the critical aspect is that a brand today must not only look the part, it must also function as an asset – by definition that means it must be “Something valuable that an entity owns, benefits from, or has use of, in generating income.”

Must Be Tangible — The brand must offer a service or a product. If your brand offers a product, it must be branded with the brand’s logo, colors, or any other identifying characteristics.

Business Model — A successful brand requires an efficient and competitive commercial model in order to get into the market and meet demand.

Unique Branding — Outside the box ideas help differentiate brands from each other in a competitive environment.

Target The Right Audience — Targeting a specific demographic helps narrow down audience and brand must align and directly speak to that group.

Read 5 Ways To Identify The Right Target Audience For Your Brand

Marketing & Promotional Items

If your business is a service or you’re in the food and beverage industry, you’re most likely thinking that this information is not for you. However, we think that there are plenty of ways to capitalize off of your branding which includes marketing with visual ads and promotional products such as apparel or reusable goods.

Creating merch or promotional products on top of your service allows for your to capitalize off of your branding assets by having your logo printed unto different tangible products that are appealing to your demographic.

Read What Is Branded Merchandise? Why Is It Important For Your Business?

All branding assets can be used for profit-rendering business moves. Without a clear brand message, marketing can be a money pit. Having a good looking logo that translates your name, mission, and is clear is essential. By creating ads around your branding you are sending a concise message that triggers interest and leads to conversions.

Marketing encompasses strategies to build awareness of your company’s products and services. It also involves promoting and protecting the brand. Every message about your company is part of your marketing.

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Conclusion

While it may seem like a daunting and steep road ahead, making the necessary monetary investment in your preliminary branding concepts and execution will pay off in the long run. While branding is not a linear road to 100% profit, if you develop the right imagery and brand mission it will be a gradual climb to success.

Additionally, without branding assets advertising and merchandising opportunities will be much harder to profit from. Having a clear brand mission, imagery, color pallet, and target audience is essential to any business.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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Different Types of Screen Printing Techniques

Screen printing might sound like it’s a straightforward process but there are many print effects that can be achieved with the right technique. The different screen printing methods are used to create a specific look to fit with the style you’re looking for. In order to achieve certain looks, you may need to adjust your artwork file or overall design. Don’t worry, we will take you through those steps!

In this guide, you will find the best T-shirt printing methods explained, exploring how each method works, the process, and the end results. Each of these methods are widely used by screen print shops around the world.

About Screen Printing

Screen printing is one of the most popular, established, and widely used amongst print shops. The process involves using screens to apply ink to apparel and other various materials. Also known as silkscreen printing, screen printing is a versatile and effective printing method that allows you to produce T-shirts with outstanding quality and a tactile feel. And, because the inks are absorbed deeply into the fabric, it is possible to achieve vivid, bright colors and maximum durability.

This is one of the most traditional methods of T-shirt printing, with experts believing it dates back as far as ancient China. However, it became popular in the 20th century, when Andy Warhol used the technique to create his iconic Marilyn Monroe portrait. It has since been used to create flatstock such as band posters, art prints, and graphic tees.

What Is The Screen Printing Process?

• Design Creation

  • Screenprint designs are often done using various software such as illustrator. You will want to ensure your file is in the right format before you begin creating your design. Size is very important and you will want to ensure the file can be re-sized according to the print surface.

• File Formatting

  • Vector files are needed to create a perfect print. Vector files are mathematical calculations that create lines and figures on our monitors. Unlike working with pixels, you can expand or minimize these vectors as much as you want, without impacting the quality. As well as being saved as a vector, the artwork must also be separated, with each color on a different layer. This is because, in the screen printing process, each tone is printed using a different screen.

• Screen Preparation

  • The screen needs to be coated with a photosensitive emulsion. This creates the green background you might have seen on a screen printing screen. This is a simple process but must be done carefully to ensure that the liquid is distributed evenly.
    For the photosensitive emulsion to work properly, it must be left to dry in a cool, darkroom. If the emulsion is exposed to light at the wrong time, it could jeopardize the full process.

• Stencil Creation

  • Once the screen is dry, the design is placed on top of it and secured in place using an adhesive. The screen is then placed under a strong source of UV light. The parts of the screen that haven’t been covered with the design will harden, while the rest will remain soft. In effect, the design has now been burned into the emulsion. When the screen is fully dry, the design can be removed using a small brush and water. A negative component of the artwork will be left and the artwork is ready to be printed using the preferred ink and technique to achieve the right look.

• Color Separation

  • If your design features more than one color, the process is repeated so that each color in your design is separated into individual layers on different screens. So, if your design has two colors, you’ll need two screens.

• Application

  • Now that the screen is ready, it’s time to start the actual printing. The T-shirt will be placed in the screen printing machine, with the screen carefully placed on top. The ink will then be placed on top of the screen and evenly distributed across the surface using a squeegee.

Learn more about the life of a screen from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

What Are The Different Types of Screen Printing?

With screen printing, you can create different finishes such as crackle or glow in the dark, but there are also different techniques that can be done to create a specific look for your print. These different techniques are used when you have a specific look in mind or you’re looking for a specific or unique aesthetic.

Spot Color Screen Printing

Spot Color Screen Printing is the most common t-shirt printing method. It uses the stock color of the ink by printing it through the stencil of the screen. It produces a vibrant solid spot of color and creates a thicker layer of ink depending on the ink and mesh count used.

Being it is one of the most beneficial in printing darker garments. It is useful for printing 1 – 4 colors; when you have more spot colors, other printing methods such as the simulated process may be a good option.

Because spot colors layer an infinite amount of colors, they can provide a much more vibrant and detailed print. In addition to the variety of options, spot colors provide much better consistency from print to print. When printing a solid color with process inks, there may be slight variations in the color balance that can affect the color’s consistency. While spot colors may cost a bit more, they can add a lot to your project making the extra cost well worth it in the end. Check “How To Screen Print: Spot Color”.

Halftone Printing

Halftone prints are single or multiple colors in which gradients are printed. These tones can range from solid spots to halftones of the same color. This screen printing method is excellent when you want to achieve the look of multi-color printing without actually doing it. This screen printing method emphasizes the use of shading with tiny dots, pictures can be printed using halftone screen printing and only use one single color to do so.

For example, if you want to get a pink radiant color on your white t-shirt, you can print red on a white shirt and include a 50% gradient. The 50% gradient will mix with the white to give it a pink appearance, all using only one screen and one color. It improves the graphics quality and produces a softer feeling print when printed directly onto the garment. Check “How To Get Started Screen Printing with Halftones”.

Grayscale Printing

Greyscale printing is a great way to print full-color images as one-color grayscales or halftones. Full-color photographs can be printed as a one-color halftone. Full-color drawings containing a complete range of different colors may also be produced employing a one-color halftone.

Typically it’s done in black ink on a light garment, but technically speaking, it can be done in any color ink as desired. The resolution will depend on the lines per inch used in the dot pattern.

The more dots a halftone has, the more detailed the print will look. It is a great cost-effective screen printing technique to print black and white photographs on garments. Watch “Convert a full color image to grayscale for screen printing using halftones”.

HOW IS HALFTONE PRINTING DIFFERENT THAN A GRAYSCALE?

Halftone printing is different than grayscale printing for several reasons. The first is the fact that halftone printing involves using one color to create various shades and portray the desired image as a result. Grayscale printing, on the other hand, is the specific use of gray shades from black and white.

Duotone Printing

Duotone printing, also known as multitone printing, is the combination of two halftones for the same image printed with two colors. First, a black halftone is printed on white tees, and then a second halftone will be printed with color ink.

The color halftone combines with the black halftone to produce a duotone color hue. It gives a retro and cooling effect to the prints on light-color garments and gives a full-color print appearance but at a much less expensive rate. It also produces a softer feel print when printed onto the garment.

This process requires that the press be set up with special inks, usually PANTONE-designated colors, instead of the standard CMYK inks used for process color printing. Check out “Creating and Separating Duotone Images”.

CMYK Printing

CMYK is the oldest, color reproduction, print method. Using cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink, screen printers can print designs on white or light-colored garments. For users skilled in CMYK file preparation, Photoshop, and screen creation, this is still a viable print process for light-colored garments.

CMYK printing is the most complex of all screen printing techniques and should be done on an automatic press. It can be done manually, but for optimum results, you need an automatic t-shirt press.

The printing process combines the above four colors to recreate the original image’s full tonal and color range. Moreover, it is an expensive process. Additionally, CMYK is implemented less because simulated printing is more dominant. Watch “How To Screen Print T-Shirts in CMYK”.

Simulated Process Printing

A simulated printing process is a method used to reproduce almost any image on the market. It does so by overlapping and blending colors in a method similar to CMYK through using halftones and spot colors and/or PMS colors. Essentially, it's a way of taking an image that historically would have been printed via CMYK but instead uses more opaque ink to create a more stable color and production-friendly ink that can print almost any design for any garment.

Moreover, it is most often the process used to print complex images on black-colored garments. Designs that are too difficult to separate in a vector program, raster images, photographs, complex tonal illustrations, are all doable with Simulated Process. Watch “How to Screen Print: Simulated Process”.

Learn more about the different screen printing methods “CMYK vs. Spot Color vs. Simulated Process Printing”.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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Wearing Who You Are: How To Start A Clothing Business in 2023

Author: Irene Floridia

Our clothing doesn’t just cover us up, it showcases who we are. For many of us, the brands we choose to support align directly with our personalities. Clothing brands aren’t just started to make money, they’re founded on the idea of self-expression. For many of us, what we wear is an essential part of our identity. It’s the brands that are able to tap into that identity who stand the test of time.

In the fast-paced, internet-driven world we live in today; starting a successful clothing brand has become more challenging than ever, but it’s also the most exciting time to jump into the game. That’s why we’re here to help you in your quest to bring your new clothing brand to life.

5 Essential Steps Before Starting your Business

Besides the obvious actions you will need to take when contemplating starting your own business, there are preliminary steps you should take before spending money on merchandise or other services such as screen printing t-shirts. When starting your own brand, you will want to follow these steps as a guide to ensuring you have a successful launch.

1. Do your research

   Market research is important when looking for the right product or the right look for your brand. You will want to ask yourself if there is enough of a demand for the product you would like to sell and identify who you want to market to. How to evaluate a business idea before taking the plunge.

2. Design

   A well-thought-out design with unique elements that will best set you apart from the competition is critical. Having a brand identity can help you set yourself apart and the more creative the better! Check out 5 Steps to Building a Strong Brand Identity.

3. Create A Mockup

   As you narrow down your design and create a brand identity, you will want to make sure that your design looks good on clothing. T-shirt mock-ups allow you to see what the finished product will look like and it also allows you to edit your work before you submit it to a printer. Plan out your design with these 19 Ready-To-Use Online T-Shirt Templates and Mockups.

4. Source Your Products

   From personalized thank you notes to branded packaging, you will want to source the best materials to create trust with your customer. Sourcing the best materials will not only ensure quality but will ensure that the buyer will come back for more. At Family Industries we work with the best apparel brands to bring quality to your apparel. We also provide finishing services such as tags, packaging, and stickers.

5. Fulfillment

   Packaging and shipping can be a stressful task, that’s why most businesses implement a shipping software like ShipStation to help them print labels and automate some of those tedious steps when shipping a product. If the time and labor required to get this done is too much, Family Industries also provides a fulfillment option for those that don’t have the time for manual labor and want to focus on the big stuff.

… but why work with Family Industries?

Family Industries does not only guarantee quality prints, we also offer branding services which include a team of graphic designers to help you with your logo or t-shirt design. We also offer white-labeling fulfillment which includes branded packaging, branded garment tags, stickers, tote bags… you name it, we print it! At Family Industries, we treat your brand as our own; quality assurance and A-to-Z guided support to help you succeed.

• Quality

  Because Family Industries takes such pride in the work that we do, we guarantee top-notch quality prints. We offer top of the line apparel along with inks such as plastisol, discharge, and waterbased inks as well as foils and metallics. We also use the latest printing, embroidery, and heat press equipment to get the job done and ensure customer satisfaction.

• Options

  Because we are a full-service print shop, we have several options for applications such as screen printing, DTG, sublimation, embroidery, heatpress, transfers, and vinyl. Our wide variety of application techniques allow us to also offer high-quality merchandise such as t-shirts, flat stock, hats, tote bags, stickers, and other promotional items.

• Branding

  Branding is everything - When starting your own clothing brand you need your tags to have your logo or your tag line, at Family Industries we understand the importance of branding and this is why we offer custom hang tags, woven hem, and neck tags as well as branded packaging.

• Fulfillment

  Because sorting through orders, packing, and driving to the post office to drop off your packages can be so time-consuming we also offer fulfillment options that include your product with branded tags, branded shipping labels, and packaging.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

Do you have a lot of ideas for your own clothing brand but don’t know where to start? Our team of graphic designers would love to help you get started. Send us a message!

Apparel Branding Checklist

Starting an apparel brand may seem easy but there are a lot of legal and practical logistics to take into consideration if you’re looking to do things the right way. In this blog, we’ll take you through the basics of how to launch a legit apparel business with insight into the details that most people miss when they are just starting out. Additionally, we’ll give you examples of what not to do.

Image and Clothing by Never Made

1. Artwork & Designs

Oftentimes people have great ideas for what graphics they want on their clothing but don’t have the proper copyrights to use those images. It’s imperative that any design created for your brand is owned by you and that it is not in the likeness of any other popular brand.

Copyright is a form of legal protection provided to those who create original works. the copyright owner has the exclusive right to reproduce, adapt, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display the work.

Any or all of these rights can be licensed, sold, or donated to another party.

When planning your aesthetic and working with a graphic designer, it is advised that you draft a contract to ensure you have the rights to the graphics and this way, protect yourself from any legal issues that may arise in the future.

Check out - How To Copyright a graphic design

Many make the mistake of changing the colors on artwork and think they can get away with it but it’s not recommended if you’re looking to have a legitimate apparel brand.

Make sure you also trademark your brand name. Here is how!

2. Fonts

Fonts come in all shapes and sizes, if your design requires a cool font that fits the vibe of your apparel line, it is important that purchase licensing for them. We advise you to select 2 or 3 fonts to use throughout your items and so that you have a variety to chose from.

To learn more about licensing check out The Law on Fonts and Typefaces in Design and Marketing: Frequently Asked Questions (about commercial and non-commercial use)

3. Details

Clothing tags are not only an opportunity to print your logo on but they’re required when selling apparel. Many new brands make the mistake of buying t-shirts in bulk that have a generic tag of the manufacturer and don’t bother to add their logo.

However, we’ve found that having your company information printed on the inside of the neck increases brand recognition and adds to the overall value of your brand.

Regulations compliance is another reason why you should have neck tags. These regulations required the fabric content, country of origin, and RN number.

Check out - Brand and Clothing Labels: The Definitive Guide

4. Website

Have your website ready to go before you begin promoting your product.

Take the time to build a website with a checkout cart that is linked to your email or a processing system to avoid all the manual work that comes with fulfillment.

A common mistake a lot of new brands make is launching their brand on Instagram or other social media platforms such as Facebook and this could cause issues with fulfillment, as it is important to have a centralized system to manage order information.

Do I need a small business website in 2021?

If fulfillment is too much of a challenge for you, a company like Family Industries which is a local print shop in Los Angeles does fulfillment for many of their clients all around the US.

Check out Family Industries fulfillment information

5. Apparel Photography

They say we eat through our eyes and it’s the same concept when shopping. Having well-lit and consistent product photography not only looks nice but it’s extremely important.

Product photography is just as essential as lifestyle images, but keep the lifestyle images to dress up your website and social media channels; while using your nice and clean product photographs for your catalog view.

Check out Clothing & Apparel: 7 Common Mistakes

Product photography generally refers to photographing a specific item (a piece of clothing) without any other distracting objects. For clothing, we recommend you have a model and you have the images shot with a white or single color background. Additional images should show the material and the seams.

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Conclusion

Check and double-check that you have copyrights to your artwork and that if you’re using fonts, that you have the correct licensing to use it. Protect yourself from any potential legal issues and provide the correct information about your garment on the tags and don’t forget to add your brand tags.

Make test purchases on your website to make sure your check-out process is smooth and it works to avoid any potential technical issues when you launch.

And always make sure you have high-quality product images, show as much detail as possible for your buyers to feel confident in their purchase.

Additionally, check on your competitors, not only can you get inspiration but you can look for ways to set yourself apart, and come up with your own style that is better, and also offer things your competitors are not already offering.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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For any inquiries, send us a message!

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send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com

Our showroom at 2755 Fruitdale Street, Los Angeles, CA 90039 is open by appointment only from 10 am - 4 pm Monday through Friday.

A Guide To Streetwear Design

Designing artwork for a t-shirt or a hat may seem like a simple task, but when it comes to the technical application of the design; things may get complicated. The road to starting your own streetwear brand does not have to be bumpy! we encourage you to inform yourself before investing time and money, and we will help you by taking you through the different steps to consider when creating and designing your own apparel brand.

In this article, we will walk you through efficient and economical ways to begin a streetwear clothing line as well as the technical part of apparel printing to help you avoid having to re-design your logo or any other artwork you would like to print on t-shirts, hats, or pants.

Photo and T-Shirt Design By NEVER MADE

What Is Streetwear?

Streetwear is a casual fashion style that became popular in the 1990s. It includes comfortable yet trendy clothing such as graphic tees, hoodies, sweatpants, and sneakers. Streetwear brands are inspired by both hip-hop culture and skater style. Followers of the latest trends in streetwear are known as hypebeasts, and many go to great lengths to acquire limited-edition designer hats, hoodies, sneakers, and more.

The first streetwear brands emerged in Southern California in the 1980s, when surfers sold screen printed T-shirts to promote their hand-shaped surfboards. Inspired by the street style of LA skateboarders and surfers as well as hip-hop fashion, small skateboarding shops in NYC started creating their own designs in the 1990s.

In the 2000s, sneaker culture influenced streetwear fashion. Hypebeasts paired their graphic tees with athletic sneakers, and collaborations flourished.

In the 2010s, luxury streetwear was born. As young people and social influencers made streetwear an important part of pop culture, and the fashion industry noticed, from mainstream sportswear brands to high fashion brands, got in on the action.

The Basics

Comfort

As mentioned, streetwear takes inspiration from the hip-hop culture as well as the skater style. When figuring out the fit of your apparel, you will first want to think about whether you’re looking to design loose and comfortable pieces or have more of a tapered look.

Streetwear is generally defined by breaking the rules of proportion by using oversize t-shirts with skinny jeans or dropped-crotch sweatpants, but as the style evolves, it is encouraged to just make cool and interesting apparel regardless of fit.

Ripped pants and distressed jeans are also part of the streetwear style, these details are important to the overall look. Considering what type of fit and style gives you brand identity and consolidates your audience to a specific group, which in turn, will help you narrow down your marketing efforts in the future.

Fabrics & Design

Because t-shirts are one in a million, and cool graphics are being designed and printed daily; good high-quality fabrics will set you apart from the competition and give your brand an edge. If this is something you can afford, we highly recommend going with higher quality cotton.

Cotton fabrics are premium options and ideal for long-lasting apparel. Additionally, the thicker the fabric, the better the graphics will be. The thicker fabric allows for a cleaner and nicer print, whether you’re screen printing the design or opting for a DTG print (direct to garment), a nice cotton blend is what you will need.

The design will depend on what your brand is about. Considering the name and the inspiration behind your brand as well as finding a compelling way to translate your passion for the brand into a cool graphic is key, and that same sentiment should show throughout each article of clothing and each collection thereafter.

We recommend that you stick to one logo and that logo be visible enough on all articles of clothing offered by your brand. The graphic design should be easy to read and recognizable. When designing the graphics, seek inspiration from your life, your surroundings, or the culture within your community. Having a design that directly connects to a certain lifestyle is what makes a streetwear brand successful.

Versatility

When creating your own apparel brand, especially in the streetwear category, you want each piece to be versatile. Versatility means that you can wear that article of clothing with many other pieces to allow the buyer to create their own unique look and keep their originality.

You can achieve versatility by including basic colors such as white, black, or grey. Minimal designs such as your logo embroidered small on the chest or your logo screen printed on the back of a t-shirt.

The Details

Accessories are essential to completing a look. There are simple accessories you can offer, such as hats, beanies, and bandanas to complete a unique outfit.

Screen printing a hat or a bandana is fairly easy and affordable, and are a good way to add accessories to your clothing line. Additionally, embroidering a logo on a hat or a cross-body bag is a good alternative that provides an added touch of customization and quality.

Focusing on the smaller details can make all of the difference in setting your brand apart from others, such as printing on unconventional spots like the sleeves or adding an embroidered element to the design.

Screen Print or Direct To Garment?

There are many differences and similarities between these two methods of printing, and there are a number of criteria to be taken into consideration when making your decision. The following points will help you decide on which print method is better for your brand and more specifically what type of print method is best for your designs such as logo and other artwork you wish to display on the apparel.

1. Quantity: Digital printing allows for a smaller quantity to be printed while screen printing will usually require a minimum.

2. Apparel: Screen printing has more versatility when choosing your fabric. For digital printing, it is advised to print on 100% cotton or other select cotton blends and only certain colors.

3. Design: Photographs or hyper-detailed images with a lot of colors are usually better printed digitally. However, if you have a large number of shirts you would like to print, screen printing may still be an option but it may cost you a little bit more or may require some adapting to make the design work best.

If cost is your main concern, the following criteria will dictate the best print method:

1. Apparel: The type of apparel can range from value to premium options and depends on the style and brand.

2. Print Locations: There is the option for 1 or 2 locations, which would be the front and/or the back (for a t-shirt or sweatshirt).

3. Fabric Color: For screen printing on darker color fabrics, a white layer before your print is necessary and may cost a little bit more.

4. Number of Colors: The more colors your print requires the higher the cost is for screen printing, however, if you have a large quantity, this cost may be a lot lower as you can have access to deeper discounts.

5. Quantity: With screen printing, the number of pieces will dictate the majority of your cost. This is the most important factor that will most likely dictate the right method for you.

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Streetwear Brand Spotlight:

Never Made is a Los Angeles based streetwear / lifestyle brand created by artist Francisco Reyes, Jr.

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Remember!

When people look at you as a “high-quality” streetwear brand, you’ll not only be able to charge more money, but you’ll be much more reputable in the process. Reputation can take you a long way in the fashion industry, especially when it comes to something as urban as streetwear.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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