Whether you’re a designer, marketer or simply love expressing yourself through custom clothing, this guide will help you provide some inspiration for custom tshirt design ideas in 2024. We believe that 2024 will be a year filled with nostalgia mixed with some future-forward design ideas. This means that t-shirt designer will need to think outside of the box to create something truly unique. From pastel themes to abstract designs, there are a million ways for you to design and wear the ultimate custom t-shirt. Jump right in to see what it takes for a great t-shirt design and see what elements you may want to incorporate and maybe get inspired to create your own custom t-shirt!

2024 Custom Tshirt Design Ideas

Minimalistic Design

For many, 2024 means a decluttered and more organized life. Minimalism is a trend that has gained momentum over the years and has recently been brought front and center by influencers such as Marie Kondo. Minimalism is essentially the idea that ‘less is more’. Applying this philosophy to t-shirt designs will help you craft a message that is clear and concise. Minimalistic designs appeal to those who prefer understated and classic designs over busy and complex ones.

Modern Typography

Typography is more than just about choosing fonts. Its also about creating a visual look and mood that complements your message. In 2024, keep a look out for t-shirt designs that uses modern typography with creative layouts and imaginative use of letter spacing and alignment. With modern typography, you will be able to convey a message without sacrificing on style and personality.

Eco-Friendly Themes

Climate change is one of the biggest existential threats to humanity and younger generations are becoming increasingly more vocal about it.  As the awareness of climate change and the demand for eco-friendly tshirt design ideas grow, it will be more common to come across tshirts that make you think about sustainability, wildlife conservation, and nature in general. Not only can you use materials for tshirts that are a bit more sustainable but you can also use designs tailored towards ecofriendly-minded people to boost your brand’s reputation environmentally conscious people.

Abstract Designs

Abstract designs can vary from a fairly simple design  to a complex geometric pattern. Geometric designs involves using shapes, lines and forms to create

Futuristic Minimalist Designs

Combine the simplicity of minimalism with elements that feel futuristic. Things like metallic colors, holographic effects and digital- inspired graphics. When you do this, you get a design vibe that is sleek and forward thinking.

Y2K Aesthetics

Do you remember the end of the 90s and early 2000s? y2k colours mean vibrant colours, metallic effects, tech inspired or bubble-gum pop culture references! This nostalgia filled theme appeals both to those who got to live though that era and the younger generations who are seeking a fun, retro yet, futuristic vibe.

90s Inspired Designs

The 90s is more than just Y2K. Grunge, classic bands, cartoon classics, movies and Tv references. These designs often feature designs that look distressed, feature classic typefaces and spark nostalgia.

Pastel Colour Schemes

Pastel colours offer visually soothing shades that can make your tshirt designs stand out without being too bold. Shades like pastel lavender, mint green and baby blue can give your shirts a soft and fresh look perfect for spring and summer.

How to Design Your Own T-Shirt

Designing Your Shirt Using Canva

Who said that you can’t design your own t-shirt? Accessible to both seasoned designers and beginners, Canva is a great tool to start designing your own shirt right away! With a huge library of templates, fonts, graphics and more, Canva simplifies designing anything you want. Using their drag and drop editor, experimenting on the layout, colours and typography, you will be sure to find the perfect balance for your next shirt idea!

Designing Your Tshirt Using Adobe Illustrator

If you are more experienced, Adobe Illustrator would be a much more sophisticated tool for you to bring your ideas to life. Using vector-based designs, you can ensure that your designs a sharp and clear no matter what size it gets scaled to. With Illustrator, you will be able to have more control over every component of your design, from typography to graphic creation.

Where To Get Your Tshirts Printed

Once your designs are ready, choosing the right partner will be critical. When choosing your printshop, ensure  that they have a variety of print quality, material options, cost-effectiveness and shipping options so that your project is successful. Printwell offers everything you need to complete your custom t-shirts!

 

Embroidery VS Screen Printing: Which One Should You Pick?

When it comes to custom apparel, you have a ton of options. You can choose from many different types of printing methods, from embroidery to screen printing and more. But what are the differences between embroidery and screen printing? Which one is right for your needs? Let’s take a look at some of the differences between each so that you can pick the best option for your business:

What Is Embroidery?

Embroidery is the process of sewing or stitching a design onto fabric. The design is created on a computer and then transferred to the fabric, which can be sewn by hand or machine, depending on the complexity of the design.

What Is Screen Printing?

Screen printing is printing on fabric by forcing ink through a mesh screen. The mesh screen is stretched over a frame made from wood, aluminum or plastic. The screen can be printed with one or multiple colours and may be used to print large areas of printed designs for shirts and other garments.

What Are the Benefits of Screen Printing?

Screen printing is a good choice for large orders, designs with many colours, and detailed designs. Screen printing also works well when you want to print multiples of the same design in different sizes. Here are some reasons why:

• It’s scalable—screen printing can create small quantities of custom apparel and larger runs.
• It’s adaptable—you can easily change your design between runs by adding or removing colours or changing the size of each colour area. This is useful if you have multiple versions of a design that need to be printed simultaneously (for example, one version for men’s tees and another for women’s tanks).

What Are the Benefits of Embroidery?

Embroidery is a popular method of decorating garments such as hoodies, custom hats, bags and other custom items. One of the main advantages of embroidery over other types of decoration is its durability – it can last hundreds of years and still look as good as new without fading or falling off due to wear. Embroidery can be applied to virtually any fabric, and it has been used for centuries to decorate everything from aristocratic robes to cowboy hats.

Which One Is Right for You?

When deciding which product to choose, think about your needs and the level of quality you want. Screen printing is excellent for lengthy runs, like t-shirts or tablecloths, but it requires a minimum order to keep costs down. Embroidery can be done on one item or thousands, allowing for more customization. Make sure to consider how much you can afford upfront versus the long-term cost of each approach and what your audience wants before making a decision.

Embroidery VS Screen Printing: Choose the one that is right for your needs.

When you are ready to make your final decision, look at the result. Is the design exactly what you want? Does it represent your company or product in a way that will draw customers in? If not, consider returning to the drawing board and trying again.

When looking at the quality of work, ask yourself: Are all design details being transferred onto the garment? Are any small elements missing or faded out because there wasn’t enough ink on them? If so, then this could be a sign that the designer did not have enough time allotted for their project and rushed through it without thinking things through. This may mean that quality isn’t as high as it should be—or even worse—that they simply don’t care about how good their work is!

Conclusion

There’s no denying that choosing embroidered or screen-printed products is important for the branding of your small business & startup. Depending on what you’re looking for, either embroidery or screen printing could be the best choice for your business. If you have a small quantity of apparel and don’t want it to look cheap, then embroidery is probably better suited for your needs. On the other hand, if you only need to print large amounts of shirts or don’t care as much about how they look but want them cheap, then screen printing may be right up your alley!

If you’re searching for Ottawa Embroidery services or Screen Printing in Ottawa, consider contacting Printwell Canada for assistance.