Arguably one of the most important parts of any merch, whether it is for your clothing line or your band’s merch – the design… Without your unique mark on the garment, it wouldn’t mean much to you or your fans, so it is vital to get the design just right! Here are some different aspects to consider when starting with your design:
Your Market
We all know this – your design should appeal to your target market. Better than anyone, you should know what your fans expect on your shirts, whether it’s your album artwork, a central theme of your band or simple text design. However, don’t stop doing your research! Analyze what designs are the best-sellers and which ones are not selling that well. Go hands-on and ask your fans what they would like to see or wear.
Budget
One of the earlier steps in making merch is deciding on your budget to make merch. There are a ton of factors that will change up the pricing.
If your artwork does not have a lot of colours, let’s say up to 4 you should be safe going for screen printing as each colour adds x amount to your costs. If your design has more colours or if it’s a photo type print you should check out DTG printing. With this method, you could print any colour or even full-colour designs such as photo prints! Know which type of design would be best with which printing method and see how much the cost difference between them would be.
Prepare
When speaking to your printing company, it is important to know which type of file they would like the artwork to be in. The best is for it to be a high-resolution vector or PSD file with a minimum of 300dpi (dots per inch). Knowing this could save you and your printing company time and hassle.
Get a Pro
If your budget allows it, it doesn’t hurt to get a professional designer to design your artwork. The better your artwork looks, the better it will look printed, the better it will look on somebody when they wear it. Simple as that!
Show your designer other artwork you might have, old album covers, posters, etc. The more they have an idea of what aesthetic you are going for, the better they can capture your vibe in the design!
A notable mention goes to a top-class designer, Make North, who designs for PINS & KNUCKLES as well as some of the best artists out there! Check his work here: Make North