Custom business shirts don’t have to break the bank or make you go over your marketing budget. When t-shirts are fun and stylish, and tailored to a specific demographic, your advertising dollars will go further. It is important that you get a good idea of the people who are most likely to wear your custom t-shirts. No business owner wants to waste money on business shirts that no one will wear because the shirts are ugly or don’t fit right. Make sure you know your target audience before investing your marketing funds into this type of promotional product.

The first step in getting your money’s worth of advertising using custom t-shirts is deciding on the type of t-shirts you want to stock. Consider these ideas when making your decision:

1. Use promo t-shirts that are larger and roomier to get the guys’ attention.

2. Woo the women with pretty promotional shirts in the sizes and colors they want.

3. Entertain the youngest company members with custom kid’s t-shirts in fun styles.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Give the gift of comfort with roomy men's promotional t-shirts

There are many reasons why getting custom t-shirts with your company name and logo on them will be a hit with your employees and customers. Give your employees a great reason to show their team spirit by handing out promotional t-shirts at your next company meeting or party. T-shirts made specifically for men are roomier. Get these men's t-shirts and the guys won't complain that they don't like the style or that they don't fit right. The few dollars you will spend per piece for these business shirts will stretch your advertising and marketing budget further.

I recommend: The BrokenArrowWear website offers up a great selection of custom t-shirts such as this ultra cotton t-shirt that is around $3.50 for 500 up to about $18.00 for the minimum of 6 shirts. These price ranges are for white t-shirts. 4PromoProducts.com is your one-stop-shop for all of your personalized t-shirt needs. Prices here range from around $6.00 for 72 color t-shirts down to about $3.00 for 1000 or more neutral color t-shirts.

Cater to the feminine crowd with women's custom t-shirts

Women's and men's bodies are shaped differently. Because of this, women tend to prefer the more feminine styles of promotional t-shirts. Stock up on imprinted t-shirts that all of your female customers and employees will love. These shirts tend to cost a little bit more because of the number of styles and the different kinds of fabrics that are available. To keep your costs down, consider getting only one or two styles.

I recommend: Check out SonicShack for promotional t-shirts that range in price from around $16.00 to $20.00 depending on size. The minimum quantity requirement is 12 and the quantity discount applies with an order of more than one size. Empire Promotional Products will make you look great in these 100% cotton t-shirts that cost between around $5.00 for 72 down to $4.00 for 576.

Get the little ones involved with corporate tees made especially for them

Kids love wearing fun promotional t-shirts. These business t-shirts are among the lowest cost shirts available and will be a hit at any employee party. Give them away as prizes or hide them in a scavenger hunt. The kids will be proud to wear their new shirts in public, making this a great way to advertise your goods and services.

I recommend: The kids will love these Comfortsoft Tees from the 4imprint website. Prices for each piece are from $2.50 to $6.50. Any one of these stylish t-shirts on the MerchPress website will be a hit with the kids. Prices range from $5.50 to $26.50 and up, depending on the style.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When looking into the pricing and costs of custom t-shirts, gather some information for other kinds of t-shirts such as long-sleeved t-shirts as well. These items are great to have on hand as promotional t-shirt products during the winter months.

Any time that we hear, see, or read the words "Free T-Shirts!", our interest is piqued.

How many times have you done this yourself, you swarm with the crowd to be sure to get your free t-shirt giveaway before supplies run out. Or, you collect your receipts and product barcodes to mail in for a freebie, not even knowing what the promotion is even about. I've even been to events where people that are just wandering by will ask for event shirts for an event they know nothing about yet still feel entitled to get a free item from.

There is no doubt that people like free promotional items, especially clothing items, often times that is even regardless of what is even printed on the item. So how do we make the most out of our promotional apparel opportunity? How do we get some bang for our buck, and not feel like we're being taken advantage of or like our message isn't being heard?

First, you want to have a clear goal for what you want your promotion to achieve. Decide whether your promotional apparel item is meant to be: a gift or loyalty reward; a goodwill gesture; a vehicle to communicate a message or slogan; intended to be a walking billboard; a source of information; a brand-equity builder; conversation starter; etc.

Then be clear on who your target audience is. Is the recipient of your promotional item a potentially new, or an already existing, customer? Are you trying to impress the recipient with your free item so that your brand stays top-of-mind at their next purchase occassion? or is this a regular customer who is essentially someone that will endorse your product if someone asks them about the logoed shirt that they are wearing? Each scenario would have a different strategy behind it.

Decide what impact you want your design elements to have. Is your message meant to be a loud attention getter, a conversation starter, or do you want to just display a subtle stately logo? If you have a well thought out plan, you are more likely to achieve it.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Do-it-Yourself Design vs. Hiring a Professional Designer

If graphic design isn't your specialty, you might want to leave this to a professional. Definitely do your homework and browse online portfolios to get an idea of what others are doing and how you might want to do something similar or something different.

I recommend: A hybrid approach to design could include using a template service. You can find one through your favorite search engine by searching for "t-shirt templates". These templates allow the users to use free online software to mix-and-match colors and drag-and-drop design elements to create your own unique combination of elements.
*Note: If you are new to promotional apparel marketing, and your first order is large or very important, consider partnering with your promotional products supplier, or hiring a promotional products consultant in order to get some good advice and arrive at a unique offering that is consistent with your goals.

Decide how you want your item printed.

Having your logo and/or message put onto an apparel item can be achieved in several ways, including: embroidery, screen printing, silk screening, imprinting, etc. *Note: Don't be afraid to ask for an actual print sample if you are not sure what a particular printing process will look like.

I recommend: Refer to unbiased industry resources to learn the appropriate terminology to use with your promotional apparel supplier. Industry associations with good online terminology lists include: the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI.org) and the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASICentral.com).

It's okay to scale-down your investment in certain elements, but try not to skimp on quality.

Promotional apparel items include quite a range of choices, such as: caps, hats, dress shirts, jackets, windshirts, sport shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, hoodies, t-shirts, turtlenecks, vests, tanks, etc. This gives you a broad range of items and costs to select from. And, surely the size of your promotion budget will dictate the options that you will or won't be able to consider.

I recommend: Keep in mind that the quality of the apparel & caps that you choose matters. If you can't afford the more expensive fleece or outerwear items, that's okay. Go with a standard t-shirt instead, but do consider selecting a brand-name item to give that good impression of quality. Promotional apparel items come under popular brand names, such as Fruit of the Loom, Hanes, Jerzees, etc. Quality is especially important if you are concerned about the wearer's perception of your company since the brand will be less evident to the observer.
*Note: If your budget limits your consideration set, consider investing in an item with a lower per unit cost but invest more in your choice of print design.

Seasonality and pricing are significant decision-influencing factors.

Your budget will be the biggest determing factor in your promotional apparel choices and decisions. How much you can spend and how many items you need, together will determine your per-unit item price range. If you need a large quantity of items, you can more easily rule out the more expensive outerwear items, etc.

I recommend: Promotional apparel, just like all clothing, is worn in whichever season it is appropriate for. Once your price range has been determined, then you will want to decide what "season" you are shopping for. A lighter-weight lower-cost item can still offer a range of choices, from an everyday item, like a t-shirt, to a more seasonal item, like a tank-top for summer or a turtleneck for winter.

Choose a quality, easy care, easy wear, fabric.

Fabrics reflect quality and seasonality. It's always advisable to go with an item that is easy care. You have choices here too, such as: 100% cotton, 50/50 blend, silk, quick drying, fleece, woven, knit, mesh, twill, canvas, poplin, etc.

I recommend: A quality fabric that is comfortable for the wearer, will be worn and used more often than not. An easy care, easy wear fabric will retain a quality look even if it is heavily worn or not so well-taken care of by the person wearing it.

Know the demographics of your audience.

Know if your item needs to appeal to a broad audience, or if you can cater to a particular type. Do you need a unisex shirt, or can you specialize in women's apparel? Do you need a one-size-fits-all item, or do you need to offer choice of sizes? Is your audience adults only, or do you need to offer children and infant sizes, too? Having a one-size-fits-all size significantly simplifies your planning and forecasting efforts, and minimizes the impact of any incorrect sizing assumptions.

I recommend: One recent study by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) showed that for the hard-to-reach 18-34 year old demographic, "promotional products may be effectively employed as a stand-alone advertising medium (second to television in terms of reported information value)". So you want to have your promotional item, as well as your imprinted message, to be age-appropriate to your target audience.

Know how you are going to distribute your promotional apparel item.

There are many ways to get a message out. Promotional apparel items can be appropriate vehicles in a variety of situations, such as: groups; events; business functions; sales forces; teams; and a broad range of other customers and clients.

I recommend: Promotional apparel items can be distributed in many different ways and to accomplish many different objectives, such as: at an event sign-up area; at the completion of an event; for the crew or staff of an event; for the participants of an event; as a mail-order reward; by cashing in a voucher, a coupon, or points; by being tossed into the audience at an event; at a booth at a tradeshow; to raise money at a fundraiser; as an incentive to try something new (an opportunity for you to upsell); as a contest prize; by mail as a free sample or introduction; etc. There is a lot of room for creativity (and keeping costs down) here.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Since goodwill and word-of-mouth advertising is hard to measure, be sure to measure them whenever you get the opportunity. Make sure that your website's signup areas and any print forms your customers fill out include a question asking: 'How did you hear about us?'. Then track how often a promotional item is mentioned.
• •  If promotional apparel (e.g., clothing) items are not as affordable or as unique as your budget would prefer, consider going with promotional headwear which can start at a price range that is at par or even lower than the per-unit cost of a standard t-shirt. The types of headwear include: baseball caps, visors, knit or fleece caps, wind or sun hats, headbands, skull caps, or beanie caps -- many of which happen to be trendy with the younger audience.
• •  When deciding on the colors and placement of your logo and message, don't feel limited to only the front, back, or pocket area. Also use the collars, cuffs, trim, and shirt edges or seams. Have a design that is over the shoulder, or that snakes around the side. Be a little off-beat if that is consistent with the strategy for the image you want to portray.

Just about everyone wears promotional t-shirts these days. Whether they are promoting a favorite band or a favorite company, t-shirts have become a staple of everyone’s wardrobe. Long-sleeved or short, t-shirts are a great way to get your company name and logo out there, noticed and remembered. Many small businesses are turning to giving away imprinted t-shirts at trade shows and conventions because they can be a very cost-effective method of advertising your goods and services.

If you are looking to buy business t-shirts, there are a few items you should think about before making a decision. Consider these ideas when exploring your options:

1. Look to long-sleeved custom t-shirts to promote your business throughout the year.

2. Buy imprinted t-shirts in bulk to get the most bang for your buck.

3. Spoil your customers and employees with a high-quality embroidered t-shirt.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Promote your business all year round with long-sleeved custom t-shirts

Just because it's a t-shirt doesn't mean it has to be short-sleeved. Advertise your business in the cooler months by wearing and giving away custom, long-sleeved corporate tees in a variety of colors and styles. These shirts are the perfect way to keep your company name front and center throughout all of the seasons.

I recommend: Motivators Promotional Products has a great selection of long-sleeved t-shirts in all of the latest styles and colors. CustomInk can make you the perfect shirt, at the perfect price.

Take advantage of the versatility of short-sleeved screen-printed business t-shirts

Screen-printed business shirts are an economical way to promote your business and services. Order these shirts in large quantities because this is a cost-effective method of advertising your company at trade shows, conferences and other corporate events.

I recommend: SpecialTeeGrafx has a large number of customizable t-shirts available in today’s hottest colors. UberPrints can screen-print your company name and logo on any low-cost t-shirt you choose.

Impress potential customers with classy, embroidered business shirts

Purchasing custom business shirts embroidered with your company name and logo is the perfect way to say 'thank you' and 'congratulations' to employees and clients alike. These high-quality shirts will last for years to come, and they will serve as a reminder of your good taste and great service.

I recommend: Bender Apparel Graphics offers high quality t-shirts with custom embroidery options at a click of your mouse. Find the perfect embroidered t-shirt on the Stitch America website.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To ensure you are making the most of custom t-shirts, make your purchase decisions based on the climate of the area in which you do the most business. For example, areas that have year-round snow and cold temperatures would get more use out of a long-sleeved custom t-shirt as opposed to a short-sleeved one.

There are several processes used when creating custom T shirts, each with its own advantages and drawbacks. Knowing more about each can help you decide which one is right for your situation. Once you've decided on the process, there are other custom T shirts key terms that you will want to know about which relate to choosing the best type of shirt fabric. Some key terms help explain aspects in regards to creating an image that will result in the best graphic on your custom shirt. Learning these terms will help you choose the right printing company for your custom T shirt.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Cotton knit fabric

Fabric comes in many types, but most manufacturers make t-shirts from some kind of cotton knit fabric. Despite this narrow classification, there are still many different types, and it's good to know the differences and the benefits of each.

I recommend: Browse over a glossary containing entries for common types of fabric used for custom t-shirts at Samurai Graphix.

Pantone Matching System (PMS)

The Pantone Matching System, usually referred to as PMS, is a standard that allows graphic artists to match colors, so the color specified on a computer screen looks the same as the color printed, whether printed on paper or fabric.

I recommend: Learn more about the Pantone Matching System and how you can use it to make sure colors are accurate at Indigo Clothing.

Image resolution

Most customized shirts use imprinting to transfer the image from a computer to the custom T-shirt. Image resolution refers both to the size (dimensions) of an image and the number of pixels or dots per inch that make up the image. Most companies that produce customized shirts require an image that has 300 dots per inch (DPI), no matter what size it is.

I recommend: Read a detailed explanation of image resolution and how it affects the quality of the image on your customized shirt at Screen Printed Wear, a division of Broken Arrow Wear.

Screen printing

Screen printing is one of the common methods of printing an image onto fabric. This process produces an image with multiple colors that is washable. With screen printing, you can transfer the image in different sizes.

I recommend: Read an explanation of screen printing at BlueCotton. View a step-by-step explanation with photos of the screen printing process at Artik.

Embroidery

Embroidery is the process of putting an image, logo or name onto fabric using complicated decorative stitching. Old-fashioned embroidery resulted in simple logos in one or two colors, but computer technology allows today's machinery to reproduce multi-colored logos and complicated designs. This process is still a relatively expensive manner of customizing a T shirt, but it also results in a classy and attractive product often worth the extra cost.

I recommend: Find a definition of embroidery along with a long list of other embroidery-related terms at Embroidery Authority.

Direct-to-garment printing

Newer digital printing technology allows some companies to produce shirts with quality images at low quantities for a reasonable per-item price. These companies use a direct-to-garment printing system.

I recommend: Find a brief explanation of direct-to-garment printing and other processes used to customize apparel and other items made of fabric at Clothes2order.com, a division of Quayside Clothing.