Say you’re looking through your wardrobe in the morning, deciding what to wear. On the one hand, you have a regular t-shirt that’s a bit boxy, is boring to look at, and isn’t particularly comfortable. On the other hand, you have a t-shirt that fits well, has a cool screen print and is wonderfully soft on your skin.

If you’re like most people, this isn’t a difficult choice to make. Now imagine the people you’ve sent t-shirts to. They have to make the same decision. The question you need to answer is, have you made it easy for them to choose your t-shirt by providing a quality screen printed garment they’ll enjoy wearing, or is your shirt just another tee they’ll never wear?

When it comes to screen printed t-shirts or any product for that matter, quality is always an investment. While it can be tempting to cut cost in the short-term by ordering cheap or economy tees, going with a premium option may end up saving you money overall. Price shouldn’t be the point, let me explain.

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 “It’s ready”, you whisper to yourself. You look to your window and notice the soft, glowing blueness of dawn seeping through your blinds. You’ve just spent hours finishing the t-shirt design that’s been haunting your mind for the past couple of days and images of people wearing your custom t-shirts start flooding your mind.

What’s next? You have the design, now you need the screen printed t-shirt. When starting your own custom t-shirt line, it’s important to understand how large a part the quality of your garment plays in the success of your brand. You may have a stylish design idea, but if the t-shirt your graphic is printed on doesn’t feel good or fit well, will people wear it? [Read more…]

Someone once said, “Too much of anything is bad.” That can be said of many things like sugar, alcohol, or Nickelback. But can the same be said about custom t shirts? Strange segue, we know, but we want to discuss how printing in bulk can be beneficial for your brand or business.

We normally associate “bulk” purchasing with wholesale stores like Sam’s Club or Costco where the idea is to purchase large quantities of goods that are assembled in packs or lots at a reduced cost. Now, how exactly can that be applied to custom t shirts and is it worth doing so? Let’s take a look.

The More You Order, The Lower The Cost Per Unit.

Businesses like restaurants purchase materials they need like paper towels, straws or silverware in bulk as it helps save in costs. In the standard practice of bulk or wholesaling, the cost per unit will decrease as more of the item is purchased in each transaction. You’ll find that many screen printing businesses will engage in the same practice. The more you print, the less the cost per unit. Now, there are several situations where it could be very beneficial to print in bulk.

Athletic Jerseys or Uniforms.

If you’re looking to print jerseys or uniforms for an athletic club, you should keep in mind the possibility of wear and tear. Whether it’s for a corporate softball team, a little league team, or something else that requires lots of athletic movement, having extras in case you need to replace a damaged jersey or custom t shirt would be a good idea. Most screen printing companies will charge a significantly high fee to print just one garment as it requires utilizing resources such as ink and screens which normally are used for large orders. Who knows? You might make it to the championship and the last thing you’ll want is your star player wearing an apron with numbers written on the back because you didn’t have an extra jersey.

Promotion/Marketing

There are numerous ways to get your business out there to the public. We’ve actually covered some pretty cool marketing methods here . One of the strategies we discussed is printing custom t shirts with your logo or design and giving them away as prizes. This method creates impressions and brand awareness. Not only is this a great way to connect with your employees or customers, you’ll also receive free promotion when the garment is worn. It’s definitely one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your business. Need an example? Try this on for size: That was a kind of a pun, by the way.

Sujan Patel is a titan in the marketing industry and he explains how he made over $900K in revenue by giving away t-shirts. You can read his article here.

Spend Money To Make Money. 

Earlier in this article, we touched on how bulk printing can be more cost effective in the long run. However, that doesn’t mean you should go for the cheapest material you can find. The key here is durability. Also, quality. Oh yeah, can’t forget comfortableness. Ok well, those were a few keywords. Point is, you want those who receive your shirts to love wearing them. Quality equals longevity. The longer a person wear your shirt, the more publicity your brand/business/charity/etc gets. The last thing you want is for your shirt to be worn only once and then used as a wash rag the following weekend. Another plus is you’ll get consistent quality on your orders since they’re all done in a single run.

Ok well, those were a few keywords. Point is, you want those who receive your custom t shirts to love wearing them. Quality equals longevity. The longer a person wears your shirt, the more publicity your brand/business/charity/etc gets. The last thing you want is for your shirt to be worn only once and then used as a wash rag the following weekend. Another plus is you’ll get consistent quality on your orders since they’re all done in a single run.

We would love to be your screen printer. To make your custom t shirts happen, shoot us an email or give us a call!

In the world of screen printing, there are often a few variables that will drive someone to place a custom printed t shirt order. Most of the time, people buy based on price. This happens when someone is on a budget, working with someone else’s money, looking to get the most bang for their buck.

In some cases, this tactic can work well, for example, when shopping for a kids party and thinking about decorations, food or entertainment. But bargain shopping doesn’t always lead to the best outcome for custom printed t shirts. At least not always the one we would hope for. This is what many call getting what we pay for.

This concept tells us that price and quality are directly linked. And when we shop for the absolute lowest price, we are often sacrificing something far more important, experience. The experience that a person has with the product they purchased is the most important way to measure success.

So what might a business do to cut costs? Often, the answer lies in the quality of the materials, final product and customer service offered. The end result is a product or service that may be acceptable, but never great.

At OH BOY!, we are after great. Insanely great. Our commitment is to the pursuit of perfection. Our desire is to make every experience a great one. Our attention to detail drives us to produce the best screen printed products in our industry. [Read more…]

In our previous blog entries,

we’ve covered a broad spectrum of ways to market your custom shirt brand. For this article, however, we’re going to concentrate on the most powerful marketing tool at your disposal: the internet. There are 7 billion people on this planet. About 3 billion are connected to the world wide web. The internet is vast and its potential as a marketing tool is limitless.

Before we get into how you can utilize the web to expand and promote your custom shirts, we need to address a common misconception in regard to fashion marketing. Marketing does not make the brand. Contradictory? Paradoxical? Let us elaborate. [Read more…]

Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest once said, “If knowledge is a key, then show me the door.” Well, we want to give you some keys that will shed some info on how the ordering process works. Understanding the ins and outs of an order will certainly help the process move smoother. Now, let’s open some doors.

Know The Screen Printing Process.

If you’re reading this, then that means you’re on our blog. It’s nice, right? We may not have cute kitten videos but you can still scroll through our site and take a gander at the various custom printed t-shirts that we offer. You can also familiarize yourself with the screen printing methods we use. It’s important to know the different screen printing options we have so that the finished result is what you were looking for. Here’s a list of best practices.

Choose The Garment That Works Best for You.

The quality of the garment we’re going to screen print on is just as important as the quality of the artwork. Not every shirt is created equal. Some are thicker, lighter, softer, with wider or slimmer cuts. It all depends on what you’re looking for, whether it be a sports jersey or something more fashionable. You don’t want to print a trendy looking design on a shirt that looks like it is better suited for a softball game. Well, unless you have a fashion forward softball team, that is. You can educate yourself on the various garments we provide here. [Read more…]

Use custom t-shirt mock ups to your brand’s advantage.

We can tell you about a mouth-watering burger with a half-pound, hand-formed 78-percent-lean Prime Angus chuck patty measuring three-quarters of an inch thick and topped with melted Gouda cheese, avocado, caramelized onion tendrils complemented with a fluffy green lettuce leaf, a sweet, but firm tomato slice, and a spicy house-made sour pickle. It might raise an eyebrow or two. But if we show you a picture of this glorious beast, you might just ask where you can sink your teeth into one.

Humans are a visual folk. When it comes to marketing, the right kind of imagery will have a major impact on the customer’s decision to buy a product or service. This is especially true when it comes to the custom t-shirt industry. You might have a pretty neat online store for potential customers to browse but if you don’t have the right imagery showcasing your custom printed shirts, rather than just displaying it, you’re not effectively utilizing the tools at your disposal. [Read more…]

We’re going to answer that with a resounding “HECK YES!” As an aspiring musician or an artist, selling custom t-shirts is a vital component to the success of your brand. As an aspiring musician or an artist, selling custom t-shirts is a vital component to the success of your brand. Yes, you read that twice. No, it was not a typo. It’s so important, we had you read it again.

Merchandise has always been an integral part of the growth of musical artists for a variety of reasons. It can be a very helpful source of income, it allows fans to relate or connect to the music culture or lifestyle the artists identify themselves with and it’s a great tool for marketing as well.

There’s an array of ways to merchandise. You can market your brand through buttons, badges, posters, etc. One of the more effective and classic methods is screen printing t-shirts. Nirvana, Zepplin, Slayer, Beethoven, all bands and artists that have developed a cult merch following with their t-shirts becoming iconic in the fashion world. Ok, maybe not Beethoven, but he definitely deserves to be in the mix. While you might not be at their level just yet, the “concert t-shirt” is a powerful marketing tool that can also help you with your gas fund for those city to city tours. Not to mention, people in Austin love wearing custom t-shirts!

While you might not be at their level just yet, the “concert t-shirt” is a powerful marketing tool that can also help you with your gas fund for those city to city tours. Not to mention, people in Austin love wearing custom t-shirts! [Read more…]

As an entrepreneur, you already understand the importance of marketing. However, we live in a world over-saturated with it. Understanding which methods of marketing are more effective can be tricky, with ads before every video, every three pages of a magazine, and billboards every hundred feet. Advertising can also take a good chunk out of your budget and may sometimes lead to strategies that yield little results. [Read more…]

What Is Your Brand?

Unless your goal is to fill the generic t-shirt rack at Walmart and convenience stores, your custom t-shirt line needs to have an identity. There needs to be meaning behind the name and purpose behind the product. When someone is digging in their closet and feel in a certain mood, they’ll bust out a certain article of clothing that portrays that mood. When someone has a party to attend and they want to portray a certain image of themselves, they’ll bust out a certain article of clothing that will portray that image. When someone…well, you get the idea. Your custom t-shirt brand should convey a sort of attitude, belief, or idea you feel is worth representing.

Who Is Your Custom T-Shirt Brand For?

Billabong started out making durable board shorts for surfers in Australia. Now the company has grown into a brand that isn’t just for surfers but for those who love a laid-back, sunny day filled life on the beach. The Hundreds is all about trendy, urban alternative street culture where as Starter has found a revitalization in the ironic hipster scene. Who is your custom t-shirt brand for? Finding and understanding your demographic is key in creating a successful brand. If you’re producing your own line of custom t-shirts because you feel a certain idea or style you like is hard to find, then marketing to like-minded individuals will increase your chances of success. Once this happens, your brand will appeal to those who are attracted by certain elements of what it represents.

Honest Feedback Is Golden

Friends are awesome. They’ll bail you out of a Mexican jail after a wild night in Tijuana. Well, unless they’re in there with you. True friends will always support you, but sometimes, that can be a problem. Especially, if you’re in the creative field. Ideas and creativity can be stifled by overly supportive feedback. Don’t limit feedback to just friends. Find opinions from a variety of people you know will be constructively honest and thoughtful regarding what you’re trying to accomplish. The more honest feedback you get on your brand, the better of an idea you’ll have on the direction you’re taking.

Make a Quality Product

We talk a lot about quality t-shirts and screen printing here at Oh Boy. It’s the staple of our business and should be for anyone serious about their custom printed t-shirts. Quality is everything and first impressions are paramount at any level of the fashion industry. If you believe you have a quality idea, then the finished product must be on the same level. Do the research. Look into the different types of fabrics and garments that are out there. Work with the best material your budget allows for. Far too many times we’ve seen great design ideas stifled by poor execution. The level of quality represents the amount of respect you have for your custom printed t-shirts. It must be up to your own standard. We have a great piece on the type of garments used in the screen printing industry here.

Market Effectively

Budgeting is essential for any small start-up so it’s important to ensure money is being invested wisely. If you’re in the garment industry, then your custom t-shirt needs to be seen. It’s a very good idea to invest in hiring models and photographers that will capture the essence of your brand. The models should represent what your brand is about. The photographers should be able to manifest your vision into work that does your line justice. You don’t want your brand to be seen as amateurish or cheap so the services you hire shouldn’t be either of those two. Of course, if you’re on a budget, you shouldn’t pour all your money into marketing, but ensure that the money you do spend yields professional results. Remember that in the creative industry, you get what you pay for. Creating an online presence is also key when marketing effectively. Utilize social media to all of it’s potential.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

We can sit here and pretend we don’t know the lyrics to Hanson’s “mmm bop” or Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping”. We do. Especially after a few pints. We all love one hit wonders, but in the creative industry, a one hit wonder is you want to avoid becoming. Having an incredible custom t-shirt that sells is awesome but the last thing you want to do is bet the success of your t-shirt brand on just one hit. Ideas for the next round of clothing must always be coming. Ideas that still represent the brand, but are fresh and different. If you’re mostly doing custom t-shirts, also consider tanks or sweaters. Avoid pigeonholing your clothing line, but continue to perverse the essence of your brand.

Keep at It

Failure is almost guaranteed. That’s kind of a harsh statement to read especially if you’re trying to get a business off the ground, but it’s the truth. However, it’s in our failures where we learn the most about ourselves. One road may close but we can always find another path. And if there isn’t one, we can get our machetes and axes out and make one. If you truly believe that you have a solid idea that can become successful, then make that a reality. Success doesn’t normally happen overnight. It happens through long hours and missed lunches. Believe in yourself and believe in your brand.