from this end, i see the big size multi-color designs (like in the 80's) comming back strong for 2007.
not only with the large companies that can afford the multi-color designs/prints but also with new and smaller brands/companies etc.... that want to stand out from the 1 color inflated market.
more work for screen printers, plastisol transfer makers etc.
i think ur right. retro and vintage are in. while try to limit my designs to one or two colours, the trend is moving towards more colours. i think its just how u use the colours. i've tried the multi-colours but its harder to look "cool" if u know what i mean
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Even if the cost of printing multi-color is coming down, inevitably, you are still going to have to pay more for multi-color designs than you will for 1/2.
Unless they know something about the printing process themselves, most people will not understand that multi-color is more expensive therefore "better". They are most likely interested in the design and message of the shirt.
In the end, if they love it, for whatever reason, they will buy it.
As a buyer I prefer 1/2 colour designs as they tend to be stronger, more tasteful & generally read better (exceptions excepted, obviously).
I don't know where the customers will trend to though. As DTG improves consumers will be faced with more DTG shirts. At first the novelty of DTG will probably have designers outputting a lot of full colour images (a lack of limitations also tends to make people lazier designers), so there'll be more on the market. Market forces are a back and forth game: consumers demand and we supply, but there's also a large element of them simply buying what's on the market (if it's what's in every store it must be what is fashionable, and if it's fashionable... it must be what I like!). So in other words, as DTG technology improves, I would expect to see more full colour shirts sold and more full colour shirts being bought.
As for whether or not there's otherwise demand waiting in the wings... I'm not convinced, but I don't have the research team to give me the real data.
I think there are two major reasons for wearing printed apparel. 1) Liking the design and not caring if other people even look at it, and 2) wanting to share/force the design (or its idea) with/on others.
Because most people avoid staring, if you are wearing something for the second reason, it's probably best if the design and coloring are simple in order to get the message across quickly.
I think most guys have faced this interesting dilemma: Deciding whether or not to get a better look at a design glimpsed on a woman's chest!
This leads me to another thing I've wondered about a lot: front vs. back.
Someone who's shy and/or non-confrontational would probably prefer provocative/arresting/amusing content be printed on the back to avoid having to face onlookers.
Also, if you have something that you absolutely want other people to see, its probably best to put it on the back of a shirt; that way, people can take their time reading/absorbing it without feeling they're invading your privacy.
I personally like to see people's reactions to my designs, so I prefer them on the front.
I think there are two major reasons for wearing printed apparel. 1) Liking the design and not caring if other people even look at it, and 2) wanting to share/force the design (or its idea) with/on others.
Interesting idea there. I've usually merged them into one reason "indentifying with the design", but I kind of like the dual reasons
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This leads me to another thing I've wondered about a lot: front vs. back.
I don't think a design on the back of a t-shirt is a good idea in general. Almost every t-shirt printed has the main design on the front. There are some exceptions with major brands (big johnson logo on the front, funny cartoon on the back), but I think generally, people expect to see the design they bought on the front of the t-shirt.
like all those big jumbo size transfers that Airwaves and others were selling at the time..... Chevy big 4-5-6 color designs.
or the 2 part jumbo size transfers that would rap around those T-Dresses, you would need to apply them with 2 pressings and they came with lines on the back side of the transfer to align them cause they were so huge.
ok, may be now it will be a little different but i did see Leggings advertized a lot lately too ....
also, Fishing related stuff is hot too around here... du-no why really.
I think most guys have faced this interesting dilemma: Deciding whether or not to get a better look at a design glimpsed on a woman's chest!
That's not a dilemma, that's an opportunity
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Originally Posted by mmrtnt
This leads me to another thing I've wondered about a lot: front vs. back.
Someone who's shy and/or non-confrontational would probably prefer provocative/arresting/amusing content be printed on the back to avoid having to face onlookers.
It's not a bad supposition, but I'm guessing there aren't many people bold enough to wear questionable content, but shy enough to want it hidden away behind them.
Personally I hate back designs (especially pocket print front/huge print back... ARGH!), and fortunately I don't think I have to worry about my customers disagreeing with me (though obviously some markets would).
I do love a small element on the back that ties through (The Fast Supper and Pillow Fight on Threadless are great examples of this).
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Originally Posted by mmrtnt
Also, if you have something that you absolutely want other people to see, its probably best to put it on the back of a shirt; that way, people can take their time reading/absorbing it without feeling they're invading your privacy.
If you're putting a big slab of text on a shirt it's probably a good idea. Personally I don't think t-shirts are the medium for longwinded messages, but it definitely floats some designer's boats (and I assume the customers are at least somewhat willing to go there).
If you're putting a big slab of text on a shirt it's probably a good idea.
Yes, of course - What else are we going to read while waiting in line at Starbuck's?
Seriously, though.. I don't think back designs are ever going to be as popular as the front. Why? Most people buy a shirt, and wear it, because they like it, not because they think other people will like it. And you can't really see yourself (in the mirror) wearing a back design.
The other thing is that if you wear a jacket over it, you obscure the design completely.. it kind of cuts down on the versatility of the shirt as part of your wardrobe.
....sometimes the positioning of the design helps selling the shirt.
Yeah, I've seen many designs now that aren't in the typical centred position; like designs being printed around the neck, shoulders and chest or even wrapped around the waist.
I'm not entirely convinced about the multicoloured designs, but I reckon very large and detailed prints are popular. But I suppose different countries have different markets.
One of my designers shocked me by using 10 colors. We didn't print that one but most of our shirts have a minimum of 3 colors, super large and brightly colored on the chest. Then a two color logo on the back.
Times are a Changing ... again. 
