Want to design T-shirts? Learn how to use Illustrator.

I saw one of my screen printers post a comment on FaceBook a while back venting his frustration of some file types that people would send him of their artwork.  Went something like this. "A Word document is not an illustration file".  That one gave me a good chuckle.  But I doubt he was too upset since it was an opportunity to make a little extra coin charging an art fee.  This is typically a charge that screen printers charge to "prep" your artwork if its not already done.  The typical charges that I see for art services is around $40 an hour but that probably fluctuates depending on your location and skill level.

When I started designing T-Shirts I watched a lot, and I mean a lot, of YouTube videos and tutorials on Adobe's website learning the ins and outs of Illustrator and designing Vector graphics in general.  I have been using Photoshop and other pixel based image programs for years and I knew that I could create my designs using these programs.  But I also knew that it would be more difficult to get things just right so I decided if I was going to be taken seriously and wanted to be a good designer I need to use the right tool.  Illustrator is that right tool for me.

To get you started here is a quick tut on knocking out shapes & text in your designs.  This allows the color of the shirt to show through the design in areas where no ink will be applied. 

Design by Humans

Design By Humans is an ongoing t-shirt design competition and community where 
artists and t-shirt lovers can create, buy, and talk about art and t-shirts.

Design By Humans was born in 2007 with the simple vision of bringing artists from around the globe together to give them a platform to produce wearable art that tells a story, strengthens humanity and inspires life through creativity and design.

You will find hundreds of awesome t-shirt designs at Design By Humans in Men's, Women's and kid's in sizes Small through 2XLarge.  Prices range from $15 - $25 and orders over $75 ship free in the US.

If Mama Ain't Happy Ain't Nobody Happy

If Mama ain't Happy Ain't Nobody Happy V-neck Tri-Blend T-Shirt 

Here is another cheeky Tee from Sugar Pie Tees on White Fleck Tri-Blend with the oh so true phrase "If Mama ain't Happy, ain't nobody happy".  At least I know that's how it is around my house.  

This T-shirt is printed on fabric made of 50% polyester, 25% cotton and 25% rayon for the softest feel possible.

You can grab this tee from Sugar Pie Tees in a Unisex fit v-neck in Small - XLarge for $22 and it makes the perfect mothers day gift!