T-Shirt Design?

[Lone Wolf]

Hey guys & gals, I recently wanted to try out some designs for t-shirt's.

Does anybody know any companies that i can send stuff too. i researched some but didn't get to many.

I will post my desings soon.

Also, does anyone have any advice or tips or anything concerning T-shirt design that i should know about.

Is there any money in it?

Thanks in advance.

[sunandshadow]

The DeviantArt paying jobs forum has calls for t-shirt designs on a fairly regular basis.

[Lone Wolf]

sunandshadow- thanks. do you have a link to the job posting. i can't seem to find it.

[invinciblewombat]

threadless.com I'm not quite sure how payment works out there though

[sunandshadow]

sunandshadow- thanks. do you have a link to the job posting. i can't seem to find it.

This is the forum. There is currently 1 t-shirt design thread, but new ones show up every week or two.
http://forum.deviantart.com/jobs/offers/

[DavePalumbo]

threadless.com I'm not quite sure how payment works out there though

unless I'm mistaken, I think a friend of mine buys t-shirts from them and was explaining it to me. As I understand, you submit designs which they post on their site. People vote on the ones they like, and if yours gets made you get royalties.

[moraisins]

Hello Lone Wolf,

Although I buy from Threadless, I'm not sure if that is the way you should go. Read their submissions very carefully. I think what happens is that if you win, you get $1000 or whatever their prize is. Catch is, they keep your design as THEIR copyright! so you don't own the design or get to reproduce it for yourself, I don't think you get royalties either. Anyway, I could be mistaken, but that is the reason I did not go thru them. They have great tees tho.

I started a small t-shirt biz on the side (very small, I go to fairs) and did all the research to find out how it works. The cheapest way is to buy your shirts yourself (wholesale if you have a sales permit) and then find a screen printer. The best way to design the shirt is thru Adobe Illustrator, IMO, because you're creating vector art which is smoother to print.

Here is a company where you can buy and print shirts: http://www.contagiousgraphics.com/

I haven't used them, I have my own printer in CA, but these guys sound like they have good prices and can talk you thru the process.

Anyway, just some ideas from a tiny t-shirt business owner. good luck and have fun!

-moraisins

[Lone Wolf]

sunandshadow- thanks


DavePalumbo- thanks for the info


moraisins- I'll look into the details at threadless just to be sure.Thanks

[Undefeated]

Hello Lone Wolf,

Although I buy from Threadless, I'm not sure if that is the way you should go. Read their submissions very carefully. I think what happens is that if you win, you get $1000 or whatever their prize is. Catch is, they keep your design as THEIR copyright! so you don't own the design or get to reproduce it for yourself, I don't think you get royalties either. Anyway, I could be mistaken, but that is the reason I did not go thru them. They have great tees tho.

I started a small t-shirt biz on the side (very small, I go to fairs) and did all the research to find out how it works. The cheapest way is to buy your shirts yourself (wholesale if you have a sales permit) and then find a screen printer. The best way to design the shirt is thru Adobe Illustrator, IMO, because you're creating vector art which is smoother to print.

-moraisins

Moraisins, I'm curious about something and you clearly know what you're talking about, as a small business owner. Just note that none of it is meant to sound contetious or argumentative, I'm just curious.

Is $1000 profit on a t-shirt design not a good deal? I know everyone is afraid of selling off the rights to the next Nike swoosh(c) and getting bilked out of a fortune, but in terms of buying and printing your own shirts, that seems like a decent profit for one design. (This is without me knowing what someone would pay up front for the tees and then for printing.)

I'm not necessarily saying that what theadless offers is fair, because I dont know anything about it. But it would seem, on the surface, that pocketing $1000 for your design and not worrying about any of the other headaches involved might not be a bad deal, if thats the route someone would want to go.

And just to be clear, if it was me who wanted to do it, I'd probably go the route you've taken. Just curious is all.

[Faxtar]

I got one of my designs printed by Threadless http://threadless.com/product/129/My_Pet_Rhino But that was 2 years ago when Threadless had lower standards, and lower prize money ($100 and 5 free tees.) Basically the contract is a work-for-hire type, you lose all rights to the image for being printed on shirts. No royalties. Also, just by submiting a design you agree not to print that design on your own without thier permission.

[DavePalumbo]

Is $1000 profit on a t-shirt design not a good deal? I know everyone is afraid of selling off the rights to the next Nike swoosh(c) and getting bilked out of a fortune, but in terms of buying and printing your own shirts, that seems like a decent profit for one design.

Just what I was thinking. Of course, you have the potential to do better on your own theoretically, but good god the headaches involved. I'm all for DIY, you understand, but starting a t-shirt business is going to involve a ton of work beyond just creating a design and putting it on a website. Production, investment, advertising and promotion, advertising and promotion (did I say that twice? good), management of sales, whew... I'd just take the grand.

[dogfood]

Is $1000 profit on a t-shirt design not a good deal?
I've made $1200 profit on a t-shirt design in five months. Not so much a brag, but merely a data point.

[Lone Wolf]

Threadless pays you $750 cash and $250 worth of merchandise from them.

In my opinion the money is good. Except when you give away the copyright of your design your screwed if it becomes the next big thing. On the other hand, you might win get paid and the tee isn't anything special.

I personally prefer to keep the rights to my work as much as possible.

Just my thoughts.

[moraisins]

Hi,

sorry it took me so long to get to you all. No, I think $1000 is a great if you don't want the headaches of a small biz. HOwever, I don't think it's fair for them to take away your copyrights. As an artist, I want to retain that right for myself and be able to make money from something I created. It's all up to what you're looking for. If it's a one time thing, sure - $1000 is great! Also, are you designing to make money or are you doing it for fun? For me, I'm doing it for myself and to make some extra cash.

There are a lot of benefits to owning a small part-time business. It's not that hard to keep up and the tax benefits are good. I do not do it full-time. I don't have the time, and honestly, and it would be a lot of work. I have a full-time job web designing which is my main bread/butter. But, it's great to have my stuff online and occasionally go to fairs. If your design is good, you can make back the money you put in to make the shirts. It's all a gamble of course, but if you believe in your stuff - the work really does sell itself.

basically, it comes down to copyrights, do you want to own it or have someone else own it?

happy friday!