Category Archives: T-Shirts

Everything about t-shirts. How t-shirts are made, history of t-shirts and t-shirt printing methods.

Alternatives to Heat Transfers for Custom T-Shirts

When creating a custom t-shirt for yourself or your group–be it a youth group, volleyball team, school club, corporate event or family reunion–there are many options to mull over. There are four obvious choices–embroidery, silk screening, heat transfers and Direct-to-Garment (DTG)–each come with their own rules and regulations but in the end we believe Direct to Garment is the way to go and is how we do the majority of our printing.

Embroidery is a classic option that uses minimalist principals to create a clean end product but you can’t just get one single t-shirt unless you pay a premium. Silk screening has the same issue but is an increasingly versatile method that employs fabric stencils and special ink and different screens can be used to create a layered, multi-colored image. Then there is heat transferring, which moves the image from the paper to the cloth using special transfer paper and an iron or heated transferring machine.

Heat transfers allow a direct reassignment of an image from the page to the fabric and unlike embroidery and silk-screening where the image must be examined and often altered by the t-shirt artist in order to match the abilities of the equipment at hand, heat transfers offer a direct design approach for the customer. In general there are two types of heat transfers: professional and at-home. Whether you choose to complete your shirts yourself or to have them professionally done, the process is very much the same. First, an image must be created. This is most often done on a computer. Programs such as Printshop or Photoshop can make creating an at-home transfer design easy. These programs allow the customer to combine text and images — including photos–in their design. If you choose to have transfers done professionally, the t-shirt artist will use comparable programs to help you create a unique design. Once the design is created, the design must be printed it on special t-shirt transfer paper and ironed onto the shirt.

The problems with heat transfer are that it’s not a very good print compared to other options. Many times you can see a film on the shirt around the graphic. Heat transfers can look cheap and homemade.

The last alternative is (and best choice) is Direct to Garment (DTG) printing instead of the heat press, embroidery or screen printing. Direct to Garment technology has really improved making it possible to just print one t-shirt and get a high quality and professional look. Silk screening is a great option if you need to print hundreds of shirts but if you want to create a custom t-shirt for a reasonable cost, little waiting time, and a professional appearance we strongly recommend that you choose a service with Direct to Garment printing.

Hunting for Easter T-Shirts

Spring is many people’s favorite times of the year. Birds are chirping, bees are buzzing, and flowers are blooming. And nothing says springtime better than Easter!

If you are like most people, Easter is one of the two times you go to church each year. And what do churches have at this time? EGG HUNTS! All kids love to hunt for Easter Eggs, and some adults do, too. When organizing an egg hunt, volunteers are needed to dye eggs (or stuff them if plastic eggs are being used), assemble baskets, donate prizes, and hide eggs. Ordering matching t-shirts for the Egg Hunt volunteers is a great way to foster a sense of unity for the team. Buying custom-made Easter tees and handing them out to church members to wear a few weeks prior to the big Egg Hunt is another great reason to wear the Easter T-shirt. A cute graphic of Easter Eggs or the Easter Bunny can be used, along with the time, date, and location of the church’s Easter Egg Hunt. In addition, Easter Egg Hunt prizes can be commemorative shirts of the event; these prizes can be awarded for the most number of eggs found, the least number found, or for finding the golden egg. Some churches place tokens inside their plastic eggs, for which the kids can then trade in for small toys and games. Why not a shirt thrown in?

Of course, not everyone goes off to church for their Easter celebration. Lots of people simply get together with their families or friends (or both) to have a nice meal and their own Egg Hunt. Shirts can be ordered for the same reasons listed above, or they can get more creative and be individualized for each person. Some ideas include
– two brightly decorated Easter Eggs with “Check Out These Eggs” around them
– a picture of a candy rabbit that says “Chocolate Easter Bunnyâ€¦Bite Me”
– a number of Easter eggs arranged in a wreath, with each family member or friend’s name on an egg
– a bunny juggling eggs and saying “Did you just say you forgot to boil these?”
There are lots and lots of ideas to add to the fun of this great holiday.

There are lots of people who have religious reasons for celebrating Easter. Traditionally believed as the day Jesus rose from the grave, it is one of the most important holidays for Christians. Wearing a t-shirt to spread the good news of the resurrection is a great way for believers to share the miracle. Examples of these types are:
– A graphic of Jesus with his arms open wide with “He Is Risen” below him
– A cross with an Easter lily
– A crown of thorns, 4 nails, and “Jesus is Risen”

These are all examples of different types of custom t-shirts that you can get made for Easter. While some people might think of this holiday of a serious occasion, there are others who look at it as a time for fun. If you are one of the latter, then one of these t-shirt ideas may be for you.

Hop on over and make a t-shirt for Easter!

If you’re like most Christian families, then Easter is very important day of the year. Easter Sunday is a day for the family to reflect together and give thanks. As your children grow older, they will appreciate the deeper meaning while remembering the fun surrounding the day.

And we all know—especially those of us with children—that Easter time is also a time of celebration and excitement. What little kid doesn’t wake up on Easter morning, excited to see where the Easter bunny left those eggs, and maybe where he left some sweet treats too! Other events surround the Easter holiday, like egg dyeing and basket making. There is also the classic visit to the Easter bunny, who will give your kids some treats and maybe a picture to take home. These things make the holiday special for children who are too young to understand the religious significance of the day.

So there are two ways to go if you are thinking of designing custom t-shirts for you and your family to wear at Easter time. If you really want to focus on the religious holiday and take the day as time to spend with family and, perhaps, your church group, you could think of t-shirts that pay warm respects to the holiday. Maybe you could include your favorite quote from the Bible, or images from the life of Jesus. You could also include your own statements about what the holiday means, and what you believe is important to communicate on that special day.

The other option offers still more possibilities for creativity. If you want to make t-shirts for you and your kids to wear to the big egg hunt, or to go get your picture taken with the Easter bunny, then you should go with more colorful schemes and perhaps more eye-catching design. The traditional colors of Easter decorations are pastel—light pinks, blues, greens, yellows, and purples. Going along with this, you could include images of animals—the bunny, of course, plus all the other baby animals that tend to be associated with Easter. As far as text goes, you could choose anything from a quote from your favorite Easter song, like “Here Comes Peter Cottontail.” You could even design your own find-the-object picture, for people to find the Easter eggs on your t-shirt!

It is each family’s choice what to focus on at Easter time. The t-shirts you design can help you and your children create designs that encapsulate an aspect of what Easter means to you. Designing the t-shirts together could even be a great way to teach your children about Easter by opening up a dialogue with them. You can ask them what Easter means to them, and then share with them what Easter means to you. No matter what you choose to do with your Easter Sunday, making t-shirts with your family can be an easy and fun way to share the meaning of Easter together.

Bocce Ball is Awesome and I Have a T-Shirt to Prove It

While Bocce ball is one of the lesser-known sports in the United States, it is a sport played all over Europe. The bocce ball sport requires great skill as well as a bit of luck. If you play bocce ball, you know just how much fun it is.

Others may not know how fun bocce ball is though. By creating custom t-shirts that display your love of the sport, you can begin a conversation about bocce ball and introduce the game to others.

Your custom bocce ball t-shirt can include just a simple phrase about your love of the sport, or you can be more elusive with just a graphic or a witty saying. Many shirts have the colors of the player’s country and several bocce balls. The shirts can indicate which surface you prefer to play on such as a beach or where you learned to play.

If you have a specific team that you play with, create a custom shirt for all the players. These shirts can be used to identify who is on your team, or to tell others who you are. If you have a team name obviously that is important to put on the shirt. A fun saying that describes your team would make the shirts even more personal. Graphics can be added to the custom bocce ball t-shirts to make them colorful and professional.

If you enjoy watching bocce ball, you can create your own shirt as well about your favorite team or player. If you don’t have a specific team or player you prefer, making a bocce ball shirt that shows your excitement of the sport can still be fun.

Shirts can be simple with “I love Bocce” or “Bocce Ball is awesome” or witty with “It takes balls to play Bocce.” The sayings can be without graphics, or you can include images or bocce balls on the shirt. If you like, the balls can be in colors of your favorite country to really personalize the shirt.

Family members can also wear shirts to support their bocce playing loved ones. Kids can wear shirts indicating a desire to grow up to play the sport, spouses can have shirts supporting their loves with “I love my bocce player” and mom’s and dad’s can have shirts that tell everyone they have a child that plays bocce.

While bocce is normally a sport played by older men, it is vastly becoming more common among the younger generations. Thus the reason shirts that say “I skip school to play bocce” exist. While promoting truancy is not the best example, it would be great for the young players to have shirts they can wear to show they love to play the sport.

Custom bocce ball t-shirts can really be fun to design, especially with the help of other players. Teams can enjoy trying to create a team shirt that shows off the personality of each player, while family members can proudly display their love for the team with their own custom shirts.

How It’s Done: Dye Sublimation for Custom T-Shirts

How dye sublimation printing works is different than more traditional t-shirt printing like silk screening and heat transfer. In dye-sublimation printing, colors are not laid down as individual dots, like inkjet printers. Instead, there is a cellophane ribbon of color. Sublimation is what happens with dry ice when H2O goes right from a solid to a gas, skipping the liquid phase. That’s what happens with the ink. Heat causes the dyes to vaporize and stick in the fabric or on glossy surfaces and then they dry. So, the dye is actually in the fabric instead of sitting on top of it like the other printing types. This means there is no cracking or peeling over time. If you wash your t-shirt gently, the colors should have staying power without fading, too.

Because of the color spectrum used in dye sublimation, the end result is colors that look more like they do in nature. Instead of just the primary colors and their combinations to choose from, you get hues and shades giving your pictures a real life look and definition right on your t-shirts.

It’s important that you choose the right t-shirt. Light colored shirts produce the best result. Here’s why. With dye sublimation, the colors are embedded right into the fabric. The makers of dye sublimation printers explain it this way: if you add a dark red or green to black, you still have black.

The flip side of using a light colored shirt is that its colors will mesh with the colors of the image you print on it. For example, if you use a yellow shirt, the colors in the photo or logo will have some yellow, too.

There are some special transfer papers you can get to use dye sublimation with darker t-shirts. The quality of the t-shirt is important, too. It needs to be at least 50% polyester. The more polyester, the better quality and more vivid your image will print.

When using this printing method, you can simply scan a photo into a computer. Then add text or names and make adjustments. Then, you print. There are printers that you actually put the t-shirt through and print directly on the shirt. The other option is that you print on dye sublimation transfer paper and then heat press or iron the image into your shirt.

Because most of the work is done on the computer, it’s easy to make changes when using dye sublimation. This means if you are ordering shirts from a professional printer there are no screen set up charges and usually no minimum orders required. The cost of dye sublimation printers is dropping. If you’re doing it at home, just be sure to get the appropriate transfer paper, a polyester t-shirt and follow the instructions to get the right temperature for your iron. You’ll be putting clear photo-quality images on your t-shirts in a snap.

Increase Blood Donor Awareness with T-Shirts

While most of your t-shirt designs will probably be for fun, every once in a while an issue will come up that is very important to you. It may be personal or work-related, or just a cause that means a lot to you. What better way to raise awareness than by literally wearing the issue on your chest? Designing a t-shirt about the issue you care about is a great way to use your imagination and draw attention to something you believe is important for people to know about. But be prepared: if your t-shirt succeeds, you may have to answer questions on the street!

Blood donation is an important and ongoing issue. In times of crisis or national emergency, blood donation numbers usually go way up. People are willing to help when help is needed. What a lot of people don’t realize, however, is that help is always needed, even during calmer days. It is a great idea to donate blood regularly—to make a habit of it. Many people may not think that they can make a difference, but you may want to enlighten them and tell them that they definitely can.

One area of knowledge that could help raise the number of blood donors is eligibility. You could make a t-shirt detailing where and when people can go donate blood. Very often people use ignorance as an excuse to sit back and not do anything proactive to affect the world around them. Your custom t-shirt is a chance to inform people of their options. What types of blood are the rarest and most needed? How do people find out their own blood type? Are there any conditions that might prevent people from being able to donate blood—like sickness, menstruation, pregnancy, or certain medications? If so, how long should a person wait, for example, after being sick or being on antibiotics to donate blood?

Other questions you could answer on your t-shirt: where are the nearest locations for donating blood? How much time will donating blood take out of the day? Are there side effects, and if so, what are they? Does it cost money to donate blood? How often can you donate blood? What happens to blood after it is collected? What is it used for during times of peace and non-crisis?

With information like this on your t-shirt, you can attract the attention of people walking past you, or coworkers and friends. Most of the information about blood donation is easy to understand—it’s just that a lot of people haven’t been educated about it. Some simple facts in people’s minds might make the difference between them never donating blood at all, and possibly beginning a lifelong routine of donating blood regularly. Your t-shirt could include anything from a slogan prompting people to ask you about blood donation to a list of statistics or helpful facts. This could at least open up a dialogue with interested people about the issue of blood donation. At most, you might save a life.

BMX Riders do Tricks for BMX Style T-Shirts

BMX stands for bicycle motocross and consists of races which take place on a dirt track. The dirt track typically has a number of hills, bumps and dips enabling the racers to launch into the air while traveling at high speeds. It also typically has a number of turns which really makes the race interesting. In addition to track races there are also BMX freestyle events where participants perform tricks and are awarded points for categories such as style, difficulty and originality. However, more than just being a sport BMX is also a lifestyle. It is this lifestyle element which draws many of the fans of the sport to create custom BMX t-shirts to show their support for their favorite riders.

A popular option for custom BMX t-shirts is to create a t-shirt which offers your favorite racer encouragement. Whether you are going to see a friend or a family member compete, he is likely to be encouraged when he sees a large group in the audience wearing matching t-shirts designed just for him. Custom t-shirts with a catchy phrase encouraging the rider to go fast, beat the competitors or even just be safe is likely to be appreciated by your favorite BMX rider.

What better way to show your support for your favorite BMX rider than to have his picture emblazoned across your t-shirt. Creating custom BMX t-shirts with this type of picture is very easy. The picture can be screen printed or embroidered onto the t-shirt. You also have a number of different options for the type of picture you select. You may choose a close up of the BMX rider’s face, a full length shot of the BMX rider or even a picture of the BMX rider on his bike. Regardless of the picture you select, as long as it is easily identifiable, the BMX rider you are supporting will surely appreciate the gesture.

Custom BMX t-shirts which feature a personal message for a particular BMX rider are also very popular. This may include an inside joke or a question for a particular BMX rider. Whether you are creating a custom BMX t-shirt for yourself or for a large group, this type of message t-shirt can be very effective for getting the BMX rider’s attention. If he is a friend or family member, he will surely appreciate the gesture. However, if you are simply a fan of the BMX rider, your custom BMX t-shirt may attract the rider’s attention and compel him to seek you out after the race.

BMX fans that are supporting a freestyle BMX rider have other options available to them. They may wish to have custom BMX t-shirts created with the name of a particular move on the t-shirt. The move may be one which is a trademark of the BMX rider or it may be a move which he is attempting for the first time. This type of custom BMX t-shirt not only shows your support for a particular BMX rider but can also offer him a great deal of moral support. This is especially true if the BMX rider is attempting a new trick for the first time in competition.

The Next Generation of Social T-shirts – Hearts, Hugs, and SMS

T-Shirts have the ability to connect us as social beings or they can disconnect us from one another. The reactions they can evoke are based on the image, phrase, color or pattern of a t-shirt. Up until recently they have been used to display art, make statements or simply cover your skin. There purpose has now evolved into another form of ingenious social interaction. Below are three examples of the next generation of t-shirts.

1. The 8 Bit Dynamic Life Shirt
ThinkGeek.com released a black t-shirt with six red hearts and during normal activities the number of glowing hearts is two and a half. But if you get within hugging distance of another person who is wearing the same shirt six hearts will light up on both shirts.

These seem really fun to wear as a couple or even just by yourself and hope that someday you will run into someone else who has the same t-shirt. I would love to see the hearts do more than just react to another t-shirt but to actually measure the temperature or moisture and change like the old mood rings. With something like that it could be the same way with hearts or actually opposite so the more worked up you get it would show danger skulls letting people know they should stay away.

Buy: 8 Bit Dynamic Heart Shirt

2. Reactee SMS/Text T-Shirts
Reactee launched a line of t-shirts that don’t change form or colors but it does leave an open invitation for others communicate with you. If someone sees your t-shirt and sends a SMS to the number on the shirt they will receive a custom text message response from the creator of the t-shirt. These shirts can be used by political activists, organizations, people who want a date or anyone who wants a new way to communicate whether for business or personal reasons. You can browse creations by others or you can create your own reaction t-shirt.

What is great about Reactee is that there are so many opportunities entreprenuers to use this concept to connect with strangers

Buy or Create your own Reactee

3. Hug Shirt
The Hug Shirt by Cute Circuit is a shirt allows people send hugs via cellphone. Inside of the Hug Shirt are sensors that “feel the strength of the touch, the skin warmth and the heartbeat rate of the sender and actuators that recreate the sensation of touch, warmth and emotion of the hug to the shirt of the distant loved one”. When you send a hug using your mobile phone it delivers the hug data to your friend’s phone and transmits it by Bluetooth to their shirt. Hugs can now be sent around the world. The Hug Shirt uses RoHS components so it lead-free and non-toxic. To wash your shirt you remove the sensors and they can easily be put back with little effort. Hugs can be sent whether or not both parties have a hug shirt but it sure is more fun if a couple each has their own shirt. The shirt has received great reviews but don’t excited yet as it has not been released for sale to the public just yet. The Hug Shirt was expected to hit the market in mid-2007 but it hasn’t hit the street yet. It will be priced “around the same as an iPod” (CNN)

While this may not be a shirt that you will wear everyday it does open up a new world for those who are still trying to work on that long distance relationship.

More Info on the Hug Shirt: Visit Cute Circuit

Filmmaker to wear one t-shirt for 126 days

A New Zealand filmmaker really wants to attend Film Academy in New York from July to November. Jamie Lawrence came up with the idea to sell advertising on his t-shirt and wear the SAME t-shirt for 126 days. The 126 days is the number of days he will be at the Film Academy. The t-shirt will have the phrase ‘They’ve got my back!’ and sponsors will fill the rest. Jaime will be studying screenwriting and acting for film. While he has only a few sponsors so far he stated “I’m incredibly stoked and so grateful to gain sponsorship from people who not only believe in my dream but also who believe in me. It’s pretty humbling.”

Jaime is hoping to raise $20,000 to make his dream of attending the Film Academy a reality. If you want to support Jaime please visit www.2thebigapple.com.

Source: Scoop

15 Celebrities Wearing their Favorite T-Shirts

It is easy to learn about a person by the t-shirts that they wear. Whether the t-shirt is blank, full of color or maybe with a slogan it says a lot about their personality. Here is your change to read into some of your favorite celebrities who are wearing their favorite t-shirts.

Matt Damon in a plain navy t-shirt
Terrence Howard in a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt
Andy Richter in fairty t-shirt
Neil Patrick Harris in a random shirt from Clovis New Mexico
Jason Segel in an Instant Sorrow band t-shirt
Alyson Hannigan in a yellow rubber ducky t-shirt
Michael Cera in shirt with the name Shirley on it
Jonah Hill in a shirt with an alien and the phrase “Hi How are you”.
Jane Krakowski in a shirt with the phrase “Easily Distracted”
Tracy Morgan with the phrase “King of what I do”
Tina Fey with The Who t-shirt
ChloÃ« Sevigny with a “Tell em Groucho sent you”
Rainn Wilson with a periodic t-shirt t-shirt.
Jack McBrayer with a Central gym shirt
Portia de Rossi in an Iggy Pop t-shirt

Source: Entertainment Weekly

An Example of T-Shirt Fundraising – Selling T-Shirts to Help a Cancer Foundation

T-Shirts are a great way to raise money for what you care about and sometimes you will find that it can bring people together. Sixteen juniors in Wilton High School will shave their heads and sell t-shirts on March 13th to raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The Foundation is a volunteer based organization that works that focuses on childhood cancer. The head shaving event is done in honor of Brent McCressh who was diagnosed with cancer at the young age of two and a half. The McCressh family is hoping to raise $300,000 in 2008 and the Wilton students are doing what they can to help out and hope to raise $50,000. The idea of head shaving was to help the kids who have cancer to not feel out of place. But the fundraising will be done primarily by selling t-shirts.

Last November they ordered 70 shirts and people bought up the shirts so they ordered another 150 in January and sold them in the first week. The students are excited to raise money and unite Wilton students at the same time. The students have raise $2000 so far and are not stopping until they raise more money to donate. If you want to help or learn more visit brentswarriors.org, stbaldricks.org and the Acorn-Online.

Print on Demand T-Shirts – One at a Time!

Everybody knows that uniforms are a great way to look like a team. From businesses to softball teams, professional, custom clothing can make anyone look and feel like a tightly knit group. But what about those times when you want to express your individuality? Most professional t-shirt companies have strict minimums when ordering a custom design. If buying 20 or 30 shirts is not an option for you, not to worry, consider a company that prints “On Demand.”

Print on Demand means you won’t end up with a huge box of t-shirts sitting in your garage, just waiting for your next garage sale. You order just the number of t-shirts that you need–so no money, or garage space, goes to waste.

With Print on Demand services there is no minimum, making the possibilities for personal expression endless. Some companies who offer this service have a prepared selection of designs–from inspirational messages to elaborate images–for their customers to choose from. Print on Demand services are also useful for the small business owner who may only need five or six shirts printed today but will require more in the future. Many companies can keep your design on record and re-print t-shirts when needed.

Print on Demand services are slightly more expensive than their silk-screened and bulk-ordered cousins, but the ability to have your shits printed in the size and quantity you require is well worth the price.

Here is a story from one of our customers:

“I first discovered On Demand t-shirts when I began promoting my own knitting shop. I knew I wanted to generate interest in the store but was unsure how to go about it. My partner and I were scheduled to have a booth–selling our yarn and promoting our store–at many local holiday fairs. We had business cards and maps to our store printed up but wanted to get maximum exposure. My partner had the idea to create t shirts with our logo and name. She suggested we make them at home with iron-on transfers. I was a bit hesitant to use a transfer because I know they are easily ruined by washing or excess heat so I began doing research.

I soon found Fibers that would print our shirts On Demand for a slightly higher price per shirt than placing a bulk silk-screened order. We only needed three or four shirts and since we were just starting our business, every penny counted. I placed the order and received the expertly made and professional looking shirts a few weeks later. We wore our shirts to our holiday fairs and as make-shirt uniforms once the store opened. When we were finally able to hire two new employees, we had no trouble printing shirts up in their sizes!

Not only did our shirts help generate business and (clothe our employees!), they served as great “Thank You” gifts to everyone who had supported us along the way. My parents and sisters all received one for their unending love and patronage and my partner often dressed her young son and daughter in them–free advertising at play-group!”

Celebrities back Vegan Lifestyle with T-Shirts

Heather Mills was spotted wearing a bright green t-shirt with the phrase “Vegan, you can’t get greener”. Heather Mills is most commonly known as Paul McCartney’s estranged wife who is in the middle of a divorce battle. Mills is launching Viva, whose organization has the tagline “Vegetarians Voice for Animals”. The group has a series of celebrity backers (though many I have never heard of) and she has recently been approached to be in her own cooking show. While only 0.2-1.3%of the U.S. population, and 0.25-2.24% of people in the UK are vegan there is a growing population who dabble in the casual vegan/vegetarian lifestyle (Flexitarian)

Celebrities are in a unique position. They have followers and they also have a ton of money and together this is a great position to be able to influence change. While most celebrities are not vocal about being vegan or vegetarian there are tons of folks who are. Happy Cow has a list of over 500 famous vegetarians (sorry couldn’t find a list of JUST vegans).
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Source: PopCrunch and Ecorazzi for the Heather Mills story and Wikipedia for the vegan facts

Barack Obama backed by Celebrities – T-Shirt Spotting

Celebrities have a fair bit of influence on their followers and some celebrities are very open political choice. Actor Ryan Phillipe who is known for his recent performances in the movies Stop Loss, Breach, Flags of our Fathers, Crash was spotted wearing a Barack Obama T-Shirt. The t-shirt has a picture of Obama and the phrase “Progress”.

Source: US Magazine

Student Designed a T-Shirt to Help Tornado Victims

As we have mentioned before, t-shirts are a great way to fundraise for a cause. Senior Molly Brown of Jonesboro High School in Arkansas is doing what she can to make a difference. As a student she was unable to go an help in the recovery but she did come up with a great idea to do her part. Brown decided to design a t-shirt, sell it, and give the profits to the tornado victims. In an interview with Region 8 news she is wearing a sweatshirt with the phrase “Recover, Rebuild Region 8. The t-shirt she has for sale has nine towns from Region 8 who were hit by the tornado.

Source: KAIT

Bring Badminton Lovers Together with a T-Shirt

Badminton is the fastest racquet sport in the world. It requires more strength, agility, and quick reflexes than many sports. Those that play or watch this great sport know the challenges it offers.

Why not celebrate your love of this terrific sport. If you are a badminton coach consider creating custom team t-shirts, they are a great way to show your pride. The t-shirts can be designed specifically for your team so they will be unique to your group. For smaller groups, the shirts can be personalized with the name of each player on the back just like a jersey. Names can also be put onto the front of the t-shirt with the back used for the name, logo, and slogan of your team.

If you need a fundraiser, sell your team t-shirts. Badminton parents would be willing to buy a shirt that they can wear to each game. The wearer will get to show pride and support for your organization without having to think of a unique idea. Shirts can be sold not just to parents, but to the local community as well to gain even more exposure for your team and raise a larger amount of funds.

As a parent of a badminton player, you have the option of creating a custom t-shirt to wear to all of your child’s games, practices, or just around town. The shirt can be an excellent way to show support for your player. Having your child’s name and even picture if you are daring, since many teens would find it humiliating, can be fun to wear. The shirt can also include things such as the team’s name, game locations and times, or even statistics if you have any. After each game, you can then add the score next to it so people can see the outcome of each game.

Maybe you don’t actually play the sport or know anyone personally that does. You can still create a shirt showing your love of the game. Just a simple shirt with “I love Badminton” may be enough for you. If you desire a more advanced design, there are plenty of ideas for those as well.

Badminton shirts are fun to create. If the team you cheer on has a color, use that color on your shirt. Your shirt can be a simple white with the text and graphic in color, or the shirt can be the team color with the graphic and text in white, black, or contrasting color for added appeal. With a graphic added and some color, your custom shirt will stand out in the crowd.

Whether your shirt is supporting one particular player, team, or the sport in general your shirt will show your pride and love of the sport. Go have some fun designing your custom badminton t-shirt. The best part of designing your own is how unique it will be. So have fun with it. Wear your pride for all to see and enjoy those games.

Matching T-Shirts for Your Family Members is Growing in Popularity

Show off your pride for your children with matching t-shirts! T-shirts are a fun and inexpensive way to dress alike. Wearing matching clothing is a nice way to show your closeness with your children.

It’s so easy to create your own t-shirt combinations that are perfectly customized for your family. Take pictures of dad and son. Scan them into the computer so you can easily upload the pictures to online t-shirt design sites. Add “Big Guy” and “Little Guy” to their respective shirts. Or use their names with a picture of their favorite activity like hunting, fishing, or a sport. There are thousands of designs to choose from online or you can create your own.

You can also stick with simple text like “Team Daddy” or “I’m on Daddy’s Team.” Put your child’s picture on Dad’s shirt with “I’m Joshua’s Dad.”

When Zane Bennage turned 5, his grandparents bought he and his dad special matching shirts for dad’s favorite sports team. This football season, the father-son team has matching personalized Pittsburgh Steeler t-shirts.

Some families are buying matching t-shirts for family photos. You can put your family crest or favorite activity or everyone’s names right on the shirt. They make great holiday cards.

For mothers and daughters, the options for matching shirts are only as endless as your imagination. Try “My Mom Rocks” for mom and “My Kid Rocks” for daughter. Or, for mom and baby, “Does this diaper make my butt look fat?” and “Does this baby make my butt look big?”

You can keep your t-shirts simple with a design you like and add your names. T-shirts with giant, sparkly flowers and retro band shirts are both trendy right now.

If you don’t find something you like online, at the store or in a catalog, design your own. It’s a great father-son or mother-daughter project to draw or craft something special and unique to your relationship.

Ty Brown and his son, Mark, started with a simple graphic design program on their computer. They used their favorite motorcycle logo and worked their last name into it. Thanks to simple online t-shirt design companies, they uploaded the design and were ordering shirts in no time. Ty’s wife, Jen and their daughter May took a different approach. They went to the fabric store and really started from scratch. 6 year old May picked out accessories to embellish the purple shirts she selected. Once they had buttons, felt and sparkly rhinestones, the two were ready to get to work. Jen cut out big flower pieces from the felt. Then, May helped add the buttons to the flower centers and rhinestones around the edges. Jen used a simple fabric marker to write their names on their shirts.

When everyone’s shirts were done, the Browns had a friend take a picture and their customized t-shirt creations were featured in their annual Christmas card.

Mother-daughter and father-son t-shirts are great for family vacations, too. Get an “I Love NYC” or “Rehobeth Beach” shirt. The boys get one color and put their names on the back in a sports jersey style. The girls can choose another color and have their names embroidered on the front.

Don’t forget holidays and special events. For one group of family friends, all the mothers and daughters get matching shirts for their “girls’ day out.” The trips started as back to school shopping trips to the local shoe store when the kids were young. One year, they decided to head to the large King of Prussia mall for a weekend long visit. They decided to get customized t-shirts to mark the occasion and to help quickly spot each other in the mall. Now, that there are grandchildren to take back to school shopping, it’s become a tradition to get mother-daughter-granddaughter shirts for each family.

Share your Christian Faith with T-Shirts

Millions of people profess to be Christians, but at the same time, the Christian faith is a personal one, and people choose to express that faith in different ways.

Some followers of Christ wear crosses around their necks and bracelets on their wrists. Others attach “Jesus Loves You” stickers or the Ichthus symbol to their car bumpers.

A sizeable segment, however, choose to share their beliefs with those around them by wearing custom T-shirts emblazoned with a Christian message.

Wearing Christian T-shirts lets people know who you worship, and by extension, what you stand for.

Some T-shirts state their beliefs boldly.

Some shirts proclaim JESUS FREAK. Underneath is a “Christian Fish,” or ichthus. It reads “Going against the flow. All day. Every day.”

Another shirt features a large, scary-looking crown of thorns on its gray T-shirt. The message reads “Fit for a King.”

Others use a more subtle touch.

You could make a shirt that features a grumpy face on the front, with a smiling, happy one on the back. Underneath reads: “â€¦ if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Cor 5:17

The point? Once we have Jesus in our heart, God assures us that our past sins do not count against us. The design urges us to live as a new creation, leaving behind the old self and living renewed in Christ.

How about this one? A simple rendering of a man in a rowboat fishing for a man in the water clearly illustrates the verse: “Come follow Me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.” Mark 1:17

Moms, how about a brown shirt that reads: “ So glad I’m a Christian Mom” in bright pink letters. Underneath it reads: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.
Dads, what about an outdoorsman design on a forest green T-shirt aiming to reach hunters searching for a purpose in life. It reads: What are you hunting for? “As the deer panteth for the water, so my soul thirsteth for thee.” Psalm 42:6
Or for tweens, a green shirt pinkly-proclaims “Princess” but in small letters it reads “My Father is the King of Kings!” A shirt like this is a great way to stand firm against the vulgar and demeaning statements we see on many other shirts.

Even toddlers can get in on the t-shirt fun with a shirt featuring an inspired sketch of kids looking up at the cross reads: “This little light of mine/I’m gonna let it shine.”

Whether you wear a Christian T-shirt for its look, feel or message, there’s a host of T-shirt designs and styles to suit Christians of every age and culture. Just remember that people who see you wear a “godly” shirt will expect you to act like to you follow the teachings of Christ. If you don’t, you might as well be wearing a plain, white T.

Go Green with Your Own T-Shirts Designed for St. Patrick’s Day!

I don’t know about you, but I’m from Chicago, and in Chicago St. Patrick’s Day is one of the biggest parties of the year. People all over the city have parties from morning till night. There are two major parades that run through different parts of the city. If the holiday St. Patrick’s Day falls on a weekday, then the city celebrates both the weekend before and the weekend after the actual holiday, plus all the days in between. It’s a little bit like Mardi Gras for the cold weather crowd.

With all the green and gold going around all over the city, it’s hard to really stand out in a crowd of St. Patrick’s Day revelers. What better way to liven up the celebration than with a t-shirt you design yourself just for the occasion? Then you’ll have something truly unique and memorable that you can keep for years to comeâ€¦and wear on every St. Patrick’s Day, if you want!

A lot of people get big groups of friends together to go celebrate on St. Patrick’s Day. Making matching St. Patrick’s Day t-shirts would be a great way to get geared up for the day and then to keep track of each other on the actual day. One of my roommates from college made t-shirts every year with her friends. They would come up with a design and a clever slogan. For St. Patrick’s Day, you can imagine many images and slogans that would be great. You could go from fact-based, nostalgic slogans like “South Side Parade 2008,” to limericks you write yourself for your t-shirts.

Images that come to my mind when I think of St. Patrick’s Day are things like clovers (with four leaves, of course!), leprechauns, pots of gold, and, of course, beer. If these are the types of images that come to your mind, you’re off and running. Be creative and make a collage of your favorite St. Patrick’s Day images. Or you could use pictures of you and your friends and family on past St. Patrick’s Days. Put those pictures on the front or back of the t-shirt and then add text—like “Happy St. Patty’s Day,” or “Erin Go Bragh!” or “Luck O’ the Irish!” Coming back to the idea of the limerick, you could try your hand at writing those funny, songlike poems that people associate with the Irish holiday.

With your matching t-shirts, you and your friends can do three things. First, you can make a statement on a day when the crowds are huge, loud, and friendly. Second, you can assure that you can always spot each other in the crowds when you need to—make those t-shirts bright and recognizable! Third, you can make your own souvenir of a day you’ll never forget, spent with friends and family. The fun of St. Patrick’s Day can be made even bigger if you plan ahead of time and treat yourself and your fellow partiers with special t-shirts you designed yourself.

Support the Democrats with a T-Shirt

As the Presidential election draws near, the talk is turning more and more to who will get the Democratic Party nomination. Will it be Hillary or Obama? Do you know? Do you have an opinion? Share it with the world! Support your political party with a Democrat t-shirt and let everyone know exactly what you think of President Bush. You can do all of this right on your t-shirt!

One fun shirt you can try is a graphic of a donkey kicking an elephant in the rear. No need to explain that one.

Another shirt that is sure to be popular in the upcoming election goes something like,
“01-20-09â€¦Bush’s last day” This is sure to let everyone know that you can’t wait for him to leave the Oval Office.

Another Bush basher tee shows his face in a circle, with these words around the outside: “Not Smarter than a Fifth Grader”. This one definitely reflects the opinion a lot of people have of him these days, and pretty much anything that’s anti-Bush can be said to support the Democrats. For those who feel very strongly that Bush is a complete idiot, try putting one of his many mispronunciations along with his picture on the t-shirt. Definitely a pro-Democrat, anti-Republican t-shirt if there ever was one.

Let’s say, however, that you are looking for a more positive way to show your support for the Democrat Party. If you love Hillary, try a shirt that shows her looking good, and says “Lookin’ Great for 2008!”. If Barack Obama is your man, why not a wear a tee with his winning smile and the words, “Oh Mama! Obama!”.

If you really want to influence others, you can try pointing out the good things that the Democratic Party stands for. They are coming in on a platform of change and reform; a t-shirt that says “It’s Broke, Let’s Fix It; Vote Democrat” is one way you might convince others to go Democrat. At the very least, you will inspire some discussion on the topic.

Other t-shirts are emblazoned with the projects that the democrats want to complete should they take over the White House in 2008. “Going Green” is one slogan that instantly brings to mind the quest to save the environment. Improvements across the nation for healthcare are also on the agenda. Put your support for this cause on your shirt, and get people thinking about it. You may not only spark some conversation about the issue, but you may also convince voters who are otherwise on the fence to go democrat at the polls.

While the Republicans seem to be saying that they are the only ones with moral values, as a Democrat you can refute this. “Democrats have Moral Values Too” or “We Are America” can convey to others that you are not only a Democrat, but are invested in the nation’s government and want to effect a change.

No matter where you stand in your political beliefs, you can share them with a great Democrat t-shirt.