Tips For Making A Logo That Can Be Printed On Clothes

From hoodies to t-shirts, baseball caps, to hi-vis jackets, most businesses use branded clothing, whether as customer merchandise or staff uniforms. However, certain considerations should be taken into account to ensure that your logo shows up to its best advantage on fabric and your branded clothing line is cool, comfortable, and enjoyable to wear.

Read on to discover some tips for making a logo that can be printed on clothes.

Why Do You Need Branded Clothing?

Raising brand awareness is a key component of any business. As Anthem Branding explains, “raising brand awareness is one of the most high-value marketing tactics available to businesses of all sizes.” Without people knowing who you are and what you do best, you won’t only miss out on repeat custom, but you’ll miss out on brand new custom altogether.

Brand awareness can come in a variety of forms. Still, branded uniforms are a great way of making sure your logo is front and center should a new potential customer enter your establishment or see an employee outside their work environment.

How Do You Want Your Logo To Be Printed?

There are several different methods for printing your logo on clothing, so decide which one is best suited to your fabric, budget, and logo design. For instance, your logo can be uploaded to a stitching machine and embroidered onto your fabric. Thick fabrics are most suited for embroideries, such as hoodies and custom trucker hats.

Screen printing is a great logo printing method if you have large quantities that need printing, such as branded t-shirts for merch or uniforms, as the screens have to be custom made for each design. Screen printing is quite durable and can last on fabric for quite a long time.

Alternatively, you could opt for a vinyl sticker transfer. Although this is the least durable printing option, it is also the least expensive. The transfer is printed on a special printer then hot-pressed onto the fabric, though it can peel off if the clothing is washed in hot water.

Logo File Types and Variations For Print

Your graphic designer should have provided you with both a full version of your logo (consisting of symbol, company name and slogan) and a symbol-only version that is better suited to smaller spaces. Consider which version would be most appropriate for your clothing and printing method.

An embroidered logo on a polo shirt, for instance, might look better as a simpler, block color design, whereas a transfer allows you to display your logo in its entirety. Furthermore, ensure that you provide printers with the correct file type of your logo.

A vector EPS file is preferable, as printers can apply the logo to products using their software. If you have opted for embroidery printing, you will have to use a converter to get the correct logo files, such as Convertio. Many printers will also request a PDF or PNG to do a mock-up of your clothing before going ahead with the entire print run.

Request a Mock-Up

Getting a mock-up of your branded clothing is essential for ensuring that you are happy with the appearance of your logo; imagine the horror – not to mention expense – of discovering that an entire print run of t-shirts has been ruined by a badly placed logo.

For instance, a large image of your logo looks better printed on the back of t-shirts and hoodies as it will stay flat, whereas, on the front, they should be no more than two inches in size and on the left breast area.

Summing Up

Using branded merchandise to promote your business is a great move. Avoid going cheap and ending up with a poor quality presentation of your brand.

Remember your want your staff and customers proud to wear your brand on their hoodie, tee or cap and their network of family, friends and associates to also want it. Oh, and your products too. 🙂