Somo at Como t-shirts by Coed Monkey, originally uploaded by coedmonkey.com.
“How do I make good artwork to print on my t-shirts?” That’s a question that might be going through your head right now… well, here at Coed Monkey we don’t make you use stock clipart images or pick from a list of templates like other t-shirt companies. So when we say “Custom,” we mean “Custom.” If you are looking at getting Custom t-shirts printed for your Residence Hall, Dorm Floor, next hall event or whatever, here are some things to think about as you are making your artwork:
1. Get the Tools. To start creating your custom artwork, we suggest using a program like Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop. Both of these programs will allow you to make great artwork that can easily be screen printed on t-shirts or other customizable apparel. We prefer Adobe Illustrator files saved as “AI” file extensions and Photoshop files saved as “PSD” file extensions.
2. Use cool fonts… you can check out a ton of them at www.dafont.com. Once you use a cool font you should convert the fonts to outlines or flatten them so that we can see them because we might not have the same fonts on our computers.
3. How Big is too Big? Photoshop files can be saved in the dimensions that you would like it printed… but with Illustrator you don’t need to save it in a specific size because the logo is vector based (fancy word for “we can shrink or enlarge it as needed). In most cases, when you think about how large you want your logo you’ll need to plan around the smallest t-shirt size ordered. So if your order consists of small through 2XL t-shirts, then whatever logo size looks good on the small will need to be used for all the shirts up to 2XL. We’d suggest around 12-13 inches wide for a front logo across the chest on most shirts.
4. Placement, Placement, Placement. This can be difficult because today there are so many different options for where to print on the shirt… from standard across the front chest or back, to a wrap around the side of a shirt. One of the most popular locations has been on the front shoulder area of a shirt, above where a left pocket would be and going slightly above the neckline. If you are ordering for both a male and female crowd you have to think of possible locations that might not be ideal on both genders. For example, sometimes girls don’t like attention drawn to their hips, but the waist wrap does just that, so it’s not always the most popular placement with the ladies.
5. Get Inspired. Look at other clothing companies! Some of our favorite companies to look for design inspiration are Abercrombie & Fitch, Obey, Affliction, Threadless, but never underestimate the creativity that you might find at your local Goodwill or thrift store, because vintage t-shirts are always awesome! A simple Google search of “Vintage T-Shirts” could give you the inspiration you need for your next design.
6. Ask for Help. If you are still stumped, you can always ask us to help you create custom artwork for your next t-shirt. We include 15 minutes of art time in each order, but if you wanted us to create some thing more we are very reasonable. Prices start at $15 but we make it easy on you to get an idea from a napkin or scrap of paper onto a t-shirt. You can always ask your Coed Monkey Order Representative, or just give us a call and let us know what you are thinking.
Designing cool shirts should be simple, so if you had any questions feel free to contact us and we’d love to help you get your idea onto a t-shirt. You make the memories, we make the shirts… what happens in between that is just artwork 
