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91 Posts
Hi guys,
I'm just in the process of starting my own t-shirt line. At the moment I'm spending a lot of time choosing a blank t-shirt. There's so much to choose from and it can get a get a bit daunting at times trying to decide whether to go for the cheaper blanks or the expensive ones. But lately I've been thinking a lot about a certain aspect of the blank tee.
The general consensus with regards to designing an indie/urban/streetwear brand is that American Apparel is the blank to go with, and then to advertise the fact that "We Use American Apparel", because all the cool kids love AA and they will buy your designed t-shirt for that reason.
Generally speaking, I don't really believe this to be true. And on top of that, I believe that letting your customers know what blanks you print on, will cheapen your brand. It kinda ruins the magic, if you know what I mean. Even if I did print on AA, mentioning "blank tees" to your customers just sounds a bit amateur-ish and homemade. I wouldn't want my brand to give off that kind of vibe, personally.
We t-shirt designers/printers are very savvy when it comes to blank tees, and we assume that our customers are the same, also. Again, I don't think that is generally the case.
Back when I didn't design t-shirts and was just another average Joe going shopping for tees, I didn't dwell on what brand of blank shirt was used to print on. If I liked the design and look of the tee and was excited by the vibes the brand was giving off, then I would buy it. I would pay top dollar for it too.
What does everyone else think?
I'm just in the process of starting my own t-shirt line. At the moment I'm spending a lot of time choosing a blank t-shirt. There's so much to choose from and it can get a get a bit daunting at times trying to decide whether to go for the cheaper blanks or the expensive ones. But lately I've been thinking a lot about a certain aspect of the blank tee.
The general consensus with regards to designing an indie/urban/streetwear brand is that American Apparel is the blank to go with, and then to advertise the fact that "We Use American Apparel", because all the cool kids love AA and they will buy your designed t-shirt for that reason.
Generally speaking, I don't really believe this to be true. And on top of that, I believe that letting your customers know what blanks you print on, will cheapen your brand. It kinda ruins the magic, if you know what I mean. Even if I did print on AA, mentioning "blank tees" to your customers just sounds a bit amateur-ish and homemade. I wouldn't want my brand to give off that kind of vibe, personally.
We t-shirt designers/printers are very savvy when it comes to blank tees, and we assume that our customers are the same, also. Again, I don't think that is generally the case.
Back when I didn't design t-shirts and was just another average Joe going shopping for tees, I didn't dwell on what brand of blank shirt was used to print on. If I liked the design and look of the tee and was excited by the vibes the brand was giving off, then I would buy it. I would pay top dollar for it too.
What does everyone else think?