Lana_C
One of the simplest ways to create an awesome t-shirt design is to remember that opposites attract. Assuming you want to design a shirt where people can clearly see what's on the shirt, contrast is extremely important. If the shirt is a dark color, you want to print with a light ink color (see the example above). Conversely, if the shirt is a light color you want to print with a dark ink color (white shirt + yellow ink = not good combination). Because your screen is lighted, it may give the appearance that the colors will work well together when in reality they don't.
During our proof process, we will make corrections, so if we see that you've selected a color combination that isn't ideal, we'll bring it to your attention and change it to what would provide the best contrast at the same price :)
It is crucial to us that your printed shirts make an impact .... so we want the people who see you wearing them to be able to read your very important message :)
Now that you have a clearer idea of which colors to combine for a better final product, it's time to pull up your sleeves and start putting together your design. Make sure to use great contrasts between garment color and design color so your art is easy on the eyes.
Put the Power of Color Combinations to Work!!!
Basic color theory (and how it impacts custom shirts)
Think about this for a moment. How do you pick an image for your designs? How do you choose the shirt color? You'll usually pick what you like or what makes you feel good. Part of your decision happened because someone designed the t-shirt color with careful use of color theory. Here are some terms and concepts that can help you create better designs.
- What is color?
- Basic color types
- Chroma, saturation, intensity, and value
- Contrasting and complementary colors
What is color anyway?
Color is all about light waves and how the human eye perceives that part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Visible light is just one small aspect of the radiation emitted by the sun and other stars.
The light from the sun is all the colors of the rainbow mixed together. We see different colors because some colors are reflected when the sun's light shines on a t-shirt, a toy, or some other object. Every color strikes the object but only certain colors are reflected back. The others are absorbed. A red ball looks red because that's the color of light reflected back in to our eyes.
The color white contains all the colors of the spectrum. Light shining on a white t shirt reflects all the colors back and we see it as white. Black shirts look black because black objects absorb all the colors of light hitting them. An object that doesn't reflect any light back in to your eyes always looks black.
The Color Wheel
