Practical and versatile, the t-shirt is an item of clothing suitable for everyone and that never goes out of fashion, and has been able to take on a historical and cultural value over time.
The spread of this garment is traced back to the early twentieth century, when it was advertised by an American company in a magazine, even if it took another two decades to make short-sleeved shirts similar to those we wear every day today. The fortune of the t-shirt was mainly thanks to the world of cinema, in particular the American one, where actors like Marlon Brando or James Dean contributed to making it immortal. Until the 1950s, short-sleeved T-shirts were only white, then slowly they began to appear in different colors, until they became a real means of communication, covering themselves with writings and drawings.
What is the goal of a personalized t-shirt?
Milton Gasler was one of the first to conceive the impact of short-sleeved T-shirts as a means of sponsorship : the graphic designer was the creator of the famous “I Love New York” logo, which was then inspired by innumerable locations around the globe. to create tourist gadgets. One of the reasons why printed T-shirts have spread so widely is in fact the belief that you have a memory , which links the object to a trip or an occasion in which you took part. A t-shirt can show a brand or convey messages , not only advertising but also ideological, just think of the symbol of peace. The companies, with their contribution, they manage to make themselves known, and in sporting contexts or during events they help to create a sense of cohesion among those who wear them, making the members of the same team uniquely identifiable. Last but not least, custom t-shirts are chosen to show one side of the personality of those who wear them, making them stand out from the others.
Making a t-shirt with prints: two techniques
To produce customized t-shirts there are various systems, including screen printing . It is a mechanical process that requires a long preparation: you start by creating a printing system for each color that will go on the fabric, and then proceed with the arrangement of the frame on which a gelatin is applied. Once dried, the implant is placed on the frame, which will be inserted into a machine that will create an incision by means of UV rays . The silkscreen ink flows into this space and gets stuck in the areas where there is no image. This technique is inexpensive and suitable for any material, and is ideal if you wantprinting at large sizes , on the other hand, fails to make details very small. The need to have a printing plant means that for small quantities screen printing is a costly procedure, suitable for high runs ; it is also not suitable if the print has many colors. Another very popular technique is direct digital printing , recently perfected thanks to the invention of new inks. It consists in the treatment of the fabric on which the print will be made with a solution that helps the colors to set better, giving the possibility to create very high definition decorations, very faithful to the images from which it takes its cue. Unlike screen printing, the fibers are dyed directly. Digital printing is particularly appreciated in sportswear , precisely because it is resistant to washing. Those who know how to work with graphic processing software can thermo-transfer personalized stickers directly onto the t-shirts, using a procedure called thermo- adhesive .
What to print on a personalized t-shirt?
Once you know the ways to print t-shirts , it remains to understand which subject to choose. Here are some options to be original and creative: if you love sports , and in particular cycling, it can be a nice idea to make a t-shirt with the image of a bicycle whose wheels are the eyes, and with a to make a smile, as if to ideally recreate a face. Many occasions require personalized clothing with prints , for example, why not create a bachelor party t-shirt with a list of activities to be carried out by the future spouse or with a funny logo like “E finita la pacchia”? For art lovers
instead, a t-shirt with the word “Love” recreated with the tools of the trade such as the roller, the palette and the brushes can be a good way to show everyone what your passion is. If you are reflected in a particular definition , for example in that of “politeness” or “sarcasm”, why not reproduce it on a shirt? Basically doing it is a way to highlight a side of the self that characterizes you, and that you want to show to others. In addition to the canonical t-shirts with the words “I Love … name of the city”, you can focus on originality and have the skyline of your favorite place printed, thus showing the most important sites of interest.
There are also unusual ways of displaying company logos on printed T-shirts , creating prints dedicated to specific circumstances , as Audi and McDonald’s did to promote social distancing, separating the four circles in the first case, and the two M legs in the second.
If you own a business, making a particular and at the same time captivating choice can be a good strategy to promote yourself.
