How to Design A Logo to Print On a T-Shirt

Anyone can design a logo for a T-shirt, but making a design that can be submitted print-ready to a printer may take some extra preparation. It is best to contact the printer ahead of time to see what kinds of file types they accept. Most printers request vector art. EPS files are a universal vector art format and can be opened in Corel Draw or Illustrator. Vector art consists of line drawings that connect point to point, with color filling the shapes. Even if their size is changed, the drawings keep their crisp edge. Most logos are not complex in their construction and use one or two colors.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Need Vector art software like Corel Draw, Illustrator
• Computer
• Printer

1. Choose the color T-shirt you want printed. The color of the T-shirt becomes the background color. In the design process you need to keep this in mind so that when the shirts are printed the logo will not be lost in the background color. If you are designing a two-color logo, the T-shirt color is your third color. If you are designing a one-color design, it is your second color.

2. Decide if your logo is all text, a graphic or a combination of text and graphics.

3. 
    
   Logo Design

   Type out the text you are using and find a font that you like. Bold simple fonts stand out better in a design and print easier than a fancy thin font. A font may be made bolder if a stroke it added to the text. A stroke is the thickness of a line measured in points. Arrange the type in interesting ways. Break the text up by converting it to outlines and then ungrouping the words so you can manipulate the type. Play with it until you come up with something you like. Look at magazines for ideas that can inspire your design.

4. Add a simple graphic or shape that helps communicate your text or is visually pleasing. Again play with the design until you like it. It helps to put the design away for awhile and come back to it a day for two later.

5. Decide on the colors you want in your design. You will need to use a spot color palette if you want to use more than one color. Spot color can be color separated. The printer will need this so he can make a screen for each color that needs to be printed. The more screens that are use the more the shirts cost to print. If you use one color you can design the logo using black.

6. When you are finished with the design print out a proof for the printer so they can see the design the way you intend for it to print. Print out color separations to make sure that you have just one or two colors in your design.