Now more than ever, the environment is at the forefront of global issues, which has lead to a question we've been getting more and more of here at Real Thread: "Where can I get a good, eco-friendly t-shirt?" Don't worry, we've got you covered.

In an effort to help you find the perfect t-shirts for your brand, as well as the environment, here's a list of our six favorite companies for eco-friendly and sustainably produced t-shirts.

Alternative Apparel does an awesome job of creating eco-friendly, fashion forward apparel. Committed to sustainability, Alternative produces 80% of their products with sustainable materials and processes. On top of that, their processes include using 60% less water on average, non-toxic dyes, and a line of organic fabrics.

One of our favorite pieces from Alternative Apparel is the 1070 unisex go-to t-shirt. This light-weight 100% cotton t-shirt from Alternative Apparel is the perfect t-shirt for everyday use.

Alternative Apparel also offers a completely organic version of this t-shirt in the 6005. This shirt has a fashion-forward cut made from all organic and recycled materials, which will leave you feeling good for a couple of reasons: it’s super soft, and you’re saving the world. Win, win.

American Apparel has long been a front runner in providing eco-conscious, sustainable apparel. However, after a turbulent couple of years that included an ousted CEO, bankruptcy, new ownership, and some of production shifting to overseas, it left some people unsure if American Apparel would still have the same quality and conscious of old.

The good news though, is that American Apparel does continue to offer a line of environmentally friendly t-shirts and apparel made entirely of organic cotton.

The Unisex Organic Fine Jersey T-shirt has American Apparel’s iconic fit and feel, but is made solely from organic cotton. The Fine Jersey material is a mid-weight, tight-knit organic cotton that maintains a structured fit and a super soft feel. 

This crewneck is a cult classic that has won fans over for years – anyone who tries this tee on is bound to love it from first wear.

Available in a variety of colorways, you’re bound to find a version of this shirt that will work for you.

Royal Apparel have carved out a very strong niche in the corner of eco-friendly apparel. They offer the most extensive line of organic apparel on this list, while also producing all of their garments here in the US.

When we say they have an extensive line of organic apparel, we mean it. Their standard unisex tee comes in four different organic offerings: 100% organic cotton, an eco friendly tri-blend, a bamboo-cotton blend, and our favorite, the hemp-cotton blend. Each shirt has a similar fit, but different benefits.

The organic cotton and tri-blend shirts will feel the most familiar. Both being super soft, with the tri-blend having a bit more of a vintage look to it.

The bamboo fabric has a soft, light feel as well. The difference here is that the bamboo is a bit more insulated, keeping you cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

The hemp-cotton blend has a really unique feel that will soften as the shirt ages – which it definitely will do, because hemp is an exceptionally strong fabric that is bound to last a long time. For more on the history of hemp t-shirts, head here!

Bella+Canvas makes this list not so much for their fabric materials, but for their above-and-beyond approach to manufacturing sustainable and eco-friendly t-shirts. They’ve invested a ton of time and resources into making every facet of their production sites eco-conscious and sustainable.

With fabric houses that use 7x less water than most manufacturers, facilities that run on solar power, and a strong effort to recycle every unused material, you can definitely feel good about ordering about Bella+Canvas.

Looking for a standard, crewneck tee? Try the Canvas 3001, or Bella 6400 for a women’s cut. Or looking for something more unique? Browse through their Fast-Fashion line, a group of more on-trend styles that are still ethically and sustainably produced.

"Good for the planet and its people" is Allmade's motto, and this mission is woven into every piece of apparel they produce. When they started in 2017, they were simply looking to make a great fitting, great feeling t-shirt to print on, without much other consideration in mind.

But, a trip to Haiti to visit a garment manufacturer brought some serious self-reflection and vision for Allmade's founders, and made them decide to pursue making apparel that is kind for the environment, and for the people producing the apparel (while not compromising on the original goal of producing a high-quality t-shirt).

By starting with recycled raw materials, and producing their t-shirts in ethical factories where employees are paid fair labor, Allmade produces a t-shirt you can feel good about wearing from an environmental standpoint, an ethical standpoint, and of course, a comfort standpoint.

One of our favorite Allmade t-shirts is the A2004T Unisex Triblend. This t-shirt is made of 50% recycled polyester, 25% organic ringspun cotton, and 25% TENCEL™ Modal which is made from renewable beech trees. It's soft, fitted, and comes in 8 beautiful colorways.

Known Supply is on a mission, and that mission is to educate buyers about where their clothes come from and why it matters. That's why, on a tag in the inside of each garment they produce, you'll find the signature of the actual person who made your garment.

“If we can get people to understand that there’s a real person behind the product, we can change the way they think about purchasing,” says Known Supply's co-founder Travis Hartanov in an interview with Real Thread last year.

By helping buyers understand that people are behind the apparel process, Known Supply hopes to make all t-shirt and apparel manufacturers more socially and environmentally responsible.

The Known Supply U100 Unisex T-Shirt and W100 Women's T-Shirt are two of our favorite t-shirts out there. Fair trade certified and made of 100% organic cotton, you'll have a hard time putting on another t-shirt after wearing either of these.

It can feel like there aren’t a lot of options for people who want eco-friendly, sustainably-made t-shirts, but it’s really not true! We hope this guide helps you on your journey to find a t-shirt that fits your needs—as well as the environment's.

If you’d like to learn more about any of these products or use one for your next t-shirt design, please contact us! One of our t-shirt experts would love to help walk you through the process.


Learn about some of our favorite sustainable, eco-friendly t-shirt brands and styles. 

The 6 Best Eco-Friendly and Sustainable T-Shirt Brands

After what felt like an endless Winter, Spring has officially arrived. With the change in season comes new life in nature, but it also means loads of new t-shirts and other garments from our favorite apparel companies.

So that you don’t have to do all of the research to find the coolest new pieces of apparel, we did it for you. Here’s a summary of t-shirt trends we’re seeing, as well as a round-up of the best new t-shirts and apparel to print on from Spring ‘19.

Spring is an exciting time in fashion and apparel. Sick of Winter, most people have spent the past couple of months dreaming of warmer weather and the clothes they’ll be wearing with it.

After browsing through countless new garment styles, there are a couple of major trends we noticed in each manufacturer’s Spring lines.

The first major t-shirt and apparel trend we noticed was a lot of new crop top garments available for printing. Whether they’re t-shirts, sweaters, or hoodies, it seems like almost every apparel manufacturer is creating a crop-top version of their classic garments.

For clothing brands, or anyone looking for an edgier, more fashion-forward custom garment, it’s worth checking out some of the crop-top options we’ll link to below.

Another t-shirt trend we’ve seen a lot of this year is the garment-washed look for t-shirts. Made popular by brands like Comfort Colors, the garment-wash t-shirt look is everywhere now. 

Apparel manufacturers are weaving this new fabric style into all of their classic t-shirts, so be on the lookout for these lighter color options when ordering your next round of custom t-shirts.

Next Level 7415 | Inspired Dye Pocket Crew

Next Level Apparel makes some of the most popular basic t-shirts that we print on, so the look, feel, and quality of the brand are familiar.

This new garment will keep the same feel and fit of your favorite Next Level tees, but the garment dye gives it a soft, lived-in look that lends your t-shirt some unique character.

Available in 10 different color options, this t-shirt is definitely worth taking a look for some light, fun, warmer weather vibes.

Alternative Apparel 5114 | Headliner Vintage Jersey Cropped T-Shirt

Among all of the new cropped apparel pieces, this cropped crewneck from Alternative Apparel is easily one of our favorites.

Stitched together with their signature cotton/polyester blend, this cropped t-shirt is crazy soft. The set-in ribbed neckband also adds to the uniqueness of this t-shirt’s look.

This shirt is available in three neutral, earthy color options.

Alternative Apparel 3499 | Origin Cotton Modal T-Shirt

Scoop-neck t-shirts have had a very popular year, and it doesn’t look like that trend is going anywhere. This soft, flowy scoop-neck from Alternative Apparel is one of the best.

Featuring a relaxed fit, wide neck, dropped shoulders, and a shirttail hemline, this t-shirt is the perfect mix of loose and flowy but still flattering.

Independent Trading Co. AFX64CRP | Women’s Lightweight Crop Hooded Pullover

Independent Trading Co. produces some of our favorite fleece products, so naturally, we were thrilled when they came out with a cropped hoodie.

The women’s lightweight crop is soft, slim-fitting, and features a unique raw edge waist hem, making it a really appealing option for streetwear and other fashion-forward brands.

p.s. right now it’s only available in a handful of solid colors, but be on the lookout for a black camo color option in a couple of months.

Bella+Canvas 6501 | Women’s Cropped Long Sleeve

This cropped long sleeve from Bella+Canvas is the perfect piece for transitioning from Winter to Spring. 

Made out of Bella+Canvas’ light, Airlume cotton, this t-shirt works well on its own for warmer spring days, or as a perfect layering piece when temperatures drop a bit.

This t-shirt from Bella-Canvas is a new twist on a classic t-shirt. Through a special finishing process, they give this t-shirt –– a polyester/cotton blend –– a suede look and feel, something very unique to the custom t-shirt world.

Available in 25 different color options, this t-shirt is definitely worth checking out for your next project.

Lane Seven LST002 | Vintage Crewneck Tee

This 100% ringspun cotton t-shirt from Lane Seven Apparel definitely caught our eye. Through a special dye and mineral wash process, they’re able to achieve this natural, washed, vintage look.

With a soft feel, retail fit, and double stitching, you’ll certainly be wearing this t-shirt for a long time to come.

That’s a wrap! As always, all of the garments listed in this post are available for your next custom apparel project. Chat with a member of our team to get started!

Highlighting the best new spring garments for your custom t-shirt and apparel projects. 

One of the coolest things about t-shirts is their ability to unite people together. When you put on a t-shirt with a shared design, color, or slogan, you’re unifying yourself with a cause or company, and the tribe of people who are doing the same.

This is something that the team at BIGEYE, an integrated advertising agency in Orlando, FL, understands well. This week, we had the chance to catch up with our friend LeAnne Ball, Agency Marketing Specialist at BIGEYE, to get the inside scoop on how they’re using t-shirts to unite their team of interns and make them feel at home.

Q: It seems like, at BIGEYE, you all take interns pretty seriously. How many intern classes do you take on each year, and how many interns are in each class?

A: We do take our internship program very seriously and have worked hard to grow it over the last 2 years. We do 1 class a semester, so 3 a year. Depending on the need of each department and the candidates we get determines the number of interns each semester. Normally we range anywhere from 8–12 interns.

Q: What made you all decide to put such a heavy emphasis on your intern program?

A: When I first started at BIGEYE we had a program that only one person in the office was running. We had maybe 5–6 interns a semester, but there was no consistency, true organization, or solid “program” so to speak. Within the first couple of months being at BIGEYE I offered to jump in and help the person running it in efforts to take things off of her plate. I’ve had tons of experience working with students, so it felt natural.

Like many of our employees, as students, we had good and bad experiences, and we don’t ever want BIGEYE to be a bad experience. It’s part of our job as a community to help groom, grow, and teach the youth — so hopefully, even if in a small way, we can be a part of that.

Q: What’s your biggest goal for your internship program when it comes to BIGEYE itself?

A: We want our interns to leaving having a full grasp of what real agency life is like. So many students tour office spaces with school groups and see the “cool” office space agencies have. “You get to wear jeans? Okay, I want to work there!” Is something you hear a lot more often than you’d think.

We want to help them understand that while our dress attire isn’t corporate and our office space is “cool”, we are still a business. We have deadlines, responsibilities, etc. Each intern should understand the ins and outs of their department, but also understand at least 10% of all the others in the agency to help them learn how we all work together.

Q: How about your biggest goal in terms of what each intern will get from their experience?

A: Our goal is that by the end of each semester an intern has a better direction on what type of career they want. Maybe they learn while they are here they don’t want to be on an account team, but they saw/got to know the social interns so they want to try that for their next internship somewhere else.

Q: How does having such a large group of young 20-somethings affect culture in the office?

A: It definitely keeps things poppin’ and keeps the “older” employees young but I think having a handful of 20-somethings in a working environment with their hands-on real-time projects gives them a sense of contribution. They aren’t just fetching coffee, they are working on client projects alongside the employees. In a way, it lifts their maturity and shows them how to juggle the appropriate times to joke and the appropriate times to hustle.

Q: From the outside, it seems like BIGEYE puts a pretty heavy emphasis on company culture — what are some of the things you guys do as a company to cultivate a strong culture?

A: It’s a trade secret. Just kidding! Our Management team does a fantastic job of taking care of our staff. Whether that’s with a day off on their birthday, or a lunch in celebration of a life event, or just an office happy to get people away from their desks one hour earlier. BIGEYE is like a family!

Q: What are some of the things you do to make your interns feel at home and a part of the team?

A: We have a couple of events throughout the semester that we do to help the interns grow, but to also allow them to mingle with our office staff outside of the office. A lot of times the intimidation comes from being in an office space — which isn’t an environment they are used to, so we try to break that down by creating time to get to know them and break the ice, as well as allow them to join certain team outings.

Q: What made you choose t-shirts as a gift to the interns?

A: We’ve given BIGEYE t-shirts to interns before as a swag item to either welcome them to the team or to send them off at the end of the semester, but we wanted to do something that was more specific to them and made them feel important.

Q: How was your experience working with Real Thread? And how’s the final product?

A: Real Thread has been incredible. The team delivered a fantastic customer experience. Everyone was very personable, quick to respond (made me feel like I was your only client — which is a great feeling), and the logistics of my order was seamless. 10/10 would recommend. :)

We love working with people and teams who are using t-shirts for BIG things, and BIGEYE definitely fits the bill. Behind each t-shirt is a message. Though they play a fairly humble part, t-shirts have the power to push your brand story forward.

Looking to start your next t-shirt project? Whether welcoming new employees, promoting a cause, or starting your apparel line, we’re here, ready to help. 

Click here to talk to a team member! We can’t wait to hear about what you’re working on.

See how BIGEYE uses t-shirts to promote their culture and welcome a group of wide-eyed interns. 

How BIGEYE Uses Custom Branded Shirts for Employees

We see a ton of really awesome custom t-shirts every single day. It's kind of the best—I mean, how can you be bored when you've got stacks on stacks on stacks of amazing designs from companies that you love/admire queued up? As a marketing team, we try to get our hands on some of our favorites before they get sent out to their happy homes so that we can have photographic evidence of all of the cool stuff we get to print.

Full disclosure: it's impossible for us to sift through every t-shirt, because, well, we print a lot of them. That said, here are 19 of our favorite shirt designs from the past year.

Design by: Clothe Your Neighbor
Printed on: Next Level 3600 in Natural

Now more than ever, we endorse this message from our pals at Clothe Your Neighbor. We also love how it looks! The blue pops off of the shirt nicely, making sure this message is read and heard loud and clear.

Design by: IZEA
Printed on: Next Level 6210 in Charcoal

We could spend hours getting lost in the depth of this 3D design from our friends at IZEA. This design does a great job of adding intrigue to a simple design. Plus, that subtle gradient looks amazing.

Design by: Hiller GoodspeedHiller Goodspeed
Printed on: Canvas 3001 in Soft Cream

It’s always good to stay humble. This shirt keeps that spirit in mind with a quaint, quirky, hand-drawn feel. Check out more of Hiller Goodspeed’s work for friendly, self-deprecating, silly, and inspiring designs.

Design by: Abstract

Printed on:  Next Level 3600 in Natural

Our friends at Abstract, a design collaboration software, have us reminiscing with this lego-centric take on the design process. Being able to incorporate legos, a beautiful color palette, and represent the design process in an ..abstract.. way make this design a noteworthy one.

Design by: Catalyst ChurchCatalyst Church
Printed on: Canvas 3413 in Mustard

Mustard was one of our most popular t-shirt colors this year, and this shirt wears it flawlessly. The simple typeface and illustration make this shirt a sight to behold.

Design by: Pinsa Pizzeria

Printed on: American Apparel BB401W in Heather Red

Who can argue with this one? A fun food like pizza deserves a playful type-centric design, and the folks at Pinsa Pizzeria really delivered the goods.

Design by: Scarlet Computing Solutions
Printed on: Next Level 6210 in Black

Scarlet Computing Solutions may sound like a mundane name, but this t-shirt design is anything but. It’s all about the details here, and the complex gradients in this design are what make this t-shirt really stand out.

Other computing solutions can only hope to be this cool.

Design by: To Write Love On Her ArmsTo Write Love On Her Arms
Printed on:  Alternative Apparel 8626 in Washed Black

To Write Love On Her Arms really delivers here with a powerful message. The non-profit –– created to bring hope to those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide –– is doing really inspiring work around the world.

Design by: Help Scout
Printed on: Next Level 3600 in Midnight Navy

Help Scout knows how to throw a company retreat. They also know how to design a t-shirt. Help Scout employees work 100% remotely, and twice a year, their whole team gathers for a company retreat to spend some face-to-face time together.

This shirt was designed for their trip to Portugal earlier this year. The color palette that’s somehow both soft and bold has us gushing (and trying to figure out how to get an invite to the next retreat).

Design by: Raised by Kings
Printed on: Next Level 3600 in Black

This simple yet powerful design is from Raised by Kings. This amazing brand focuses on building pride for the city they love (Orlando!), while still giving back to the community. Whenever a garment is purchased from their store, proceeds are donated to help provide meals to hungry children and families in Orlando!

Design by: FridaysTheBomb
Printed on: Next Level 6010 in Vintage Black

Look, we love what we do, but there’s more to it than a paycheck (though it helps!). We love the blend of type and graphics on this design by FridaysTheBomb.

Printing on a tri-blend helped give the design a naturally vintage feel that really enhances the overall look.

For more on tri-blends, what they are, and how they look/feel, be sure to check out What Exactly is a Tri-Blend?

Design by: Kingdom NativeKingdom Native
Printed on: Canvas 3001 in Mauve

Next up is clean, simple, and bold design from Kingdom Native. This great example of minimalism was printed on the Canvas 3001 in Mauve, a color that we saw a ton this year.

Design by: The Ladies EdgeThe Ladies Edge
Printed on: District 137 in Blush Frost

Be inspired by this motivational design by our friends at The Ladies Edge! Notice the detail on this design — metallic gold foil lettering and a touch of animal print! This tank was printed on a District 137 in Blush Frost.

Design by: Good & Well Supply Co.Good & Well Supply Co.
Printed on: Canvas 3001CVC in Heather True Royal

This campy, outdoorsy design was done by Good and Well Supply Co. in collaboration with Oxford Pennant this past Summer. The old school, national park vibes of the mascot have us nostalgic for Summer camping trips and yearning to get outdoors.

Design by: Flomotion
Printed on: Canvas 3413 in Mauve

If you’re a Florida native, you’ve likely had more alligator run-ins than most people would feel comfortable with. This one from Flomotion hits close to home for us.

Design by: Perfect Keto
Printed on: Next Level 6210 in White

80’s design will always live on in some form or fashion, and this funky print from Perfect Keto encapsulates the era perfectly. A white t-shirt serves as a perfect backdrop to let these bright, neon colors really shine.

Design by: Cornerstone Church
Printed on: Next Level 3600 in Banana Cream

We’re suckers for summer-centric t-shirt designs, and this one from the team at Cornerstone Church captures the seasonal vibe perfectly. Yellow isn’t a color for everyone, but this design, paired with a softer, more neutral yellow makes this shirt one that’s really wearable for all.

Design by: Mabl
Printed on: Canvas 3001 in Mint

Iconography has long been a staple in t-shirt design, and clearly, the trend isn’t going anywhere.

This is executed perfectly by the designers at Mabl, a software testing platform, as it blends digital and analog design in a beautiful way.

Design by: Jen Mussari for Inch x Inch
Printed on: Next Level 6210 in Black

Anyone else inspired by this t-shirt design from our friends at Inch x Inch? 🙋 This one is a typographic masterpiece, and the natural heathering of the shirt rounds out the overall feel of this shirt perfectly.

Plus, every t-shirt purchase goes towards donating to youth art education programs. What’s not to like here?

As always, we were blown away this year by the funny, inspiring, and jaw-dropping t-shirt designs that we had the honor of printing. And we're equally blown away by the talented, friendly people who trust to make their artwork come to life.

We can't wait to see what's to come. If you have a t-shirt design you're looking to have printed, talk to our team. Seriously, we can't wait to work with you.

**Editor's note: this post has been edited/updated for accuracy as of December 2021.

Custom t-shirt designs that inspire and break the mold. Be inspired by some of our favorite designs we've seen. 

19 Innovative T-Shirt Designs That We Just Can't Get Enough Of

Move over, Elon Musk—t-shirt designers can be innovators, too. 

The use of color and its psychological effects is one of the most studied, and most controversial, topics in branding and design.

It’s also massively important. In a marketplace where people are, consciously or unconsciously, making up their minds about brands in seconds, the colors that a brand deploys can be heavily influential in the decision a person makes.

In this post, we’ll look at why color psychology is important to you as a designer (of custom t-shirts or anything else) or marketer, and some general guidelines to follow when it comes to colors and the feelings/emotions associated with them.

Colors are incredibly important when it comes to marketing, branding, and design. It can influence where we look, how we perceive, and what we do once we see something.

Brands are in an ongoing battle to win the attention of customers, and the time they have to do it is getting shorter and shorter. Studies show that customers make their judgment on a product within 90 seconds of interaction with it, and about 62%-90% of that judgment is based on color.

Knowing the importance of color in decision making, it’s all the more reason to know how to use these colors and when.

Here’s the thing about color science: it varies. Widely. As much as we’d love to tell you that there’s an exact science behind this stuff, there just isn’t. Too much of what certain colors mean to certain people is dependent on personal experience.

Don’t rely solely on color to convey your brand attributes — they don’t have the power to do that.

However, though colors don’t mean the same things to all people, there are common perceptions that each color shares towards a general audience, and in the context of your overall brand, the colors should feel perfectly at home.

As we said, no one color is going to mean the same thing and feel the same way to everyone. But, each main color family does have certain associations with it that tend to project to a general audience.

Black is a color associated with seriousness and mystery. At it’s best, it brings thoughts of sophistication and control, but it’s darker side can evoke thoughts of depression and even death.

Because of its sophisticated feel, black is used heavily in the high-fashion industry. It also works very well in scenarios where high contrast is needed, like if you need to make something legible.

Blue is an incredibly popular choice of brand color — particularly in the corporate world. Emitting stability and trustworthiness, brands might lean this way if they really want to be seen as dependable, reliable.

Because so many brands default to blue as an easy, safe choice, it can be seen as boring, distant, and cold. But when used in conjunction with friendly, engaging brand assets, it blue will bring the perfect balance of interest and stability.

Brown is a very natural color — wood, earth, stone, etc — giving it a very strong association with nature. Green does this as well, but with stronger ties to life and color. Brown is a bit more grounded, literally and figuratively, as it’s seen in nature in trunks in roots. This association gives it sentiments of balance, comfort, and support.

Like we noted earlier, green is commonly associated with nature, health, and growth. In nature, green most commonly seen in seasons of bloom and harvest, tying it strongly together with life, peace, and vibrancy. If your brand or product is somewhat tied to nature, you’d do well to incorporate some green into the brand.

Orange — Creativity, adventure, enthusiasm

Orange, a mix red and yellow, brings excitement and energy, as well as warmth and shelter. Studies have shown that the color orange can boost a sense of activity and stimulate brain activity. Maybe it’s no coincidence that three of the five marketing-related books on my desk right now heavily feature the color orange. Get active and productive in our Tultex 202 Fine Jersey T-Shirt, it looks great in orange!

Purple is a very regal color, but also has roots in imagination and spirituality. Being the mixture of red in blue, it shares equal characteristics of both, with the power and energy of red, and the stability and trust of blue.

It’s particularly easy to spot its association with nobility with its use in sports. The Sacramento Kings (regal), Orlando City Lions (kings of the jungle), and Minnesota Vikings (conquerors) all make heavy use of the color purple.

Red is a powerful color that’s commonly used to capture attention. Cite the girl in the red coat from Schindler’s List. It’s strongly associated with sentiments of excitement and energy. In short, red is a color that easily stands out. For example, see our American Apparel BB401 in red.

Red can be powerful when employed on things like buttons, or calls to action — anything that demands attention. Depending on the context though, red can also portray aggression and anger. So, use wisely.

Yellow — Happiness, positivity, optimism

Yellow, drawing a lot of its color identity from the sun, is the epitome of happiness, positivity, and warmth. Because it’s color association is so strongly rooted in something this tangible, yellow’s psychological associations are very tangible.

Used with the right balance, yellow brings joy, happiness, and confidence. Too much, though, is known to make people hypercritical, bringing self-esteem and anxiety along with it. Our Bella 8881 Boxy Tee has the perfect amount of yellow to brighten someone's day. 

When it comes to color preferences, men and women have pretty different tastes. Not that the rules are hard and fast, but when it comes to gender, color preferences are pretty clear. Here’s a graph from Kissmetrics:

There are actually a lot of similarities in color preferences here. Notable takeaways being both genders' preference for blue, the huge disparity in preference for purple, and both genders' distaste of brown and orange (sorry, Cleveland).

Studies have also shown that tints, shades, and hues make a major difference in color preference. Women tend to prefer softer colors, while men are more inclined to choose bolder ones.

When it comes to brand colors, be descriptive

When considering colors for your brand or product, don’t be afraid to be specific and descriptive, as the name of the color itself will help influence perception. Want to make someone feel a certain way? Use words to help them get there.

Even these changes are relatively conservative. In elementary school, there was a Crayola crayon between yellow and orange and it was named “mac n’ cheese”. And guess what? There was a fight over that crayon every time!

Don’t be afraid to choose your color and own it.

Well, you may not have gotten any definitive answers about picking your color palette, but hey, that's the nature of colors.

And hopefully, you should be able to take this information and apply it to your color choice. Though there’s no 100% correct answer, informed decisions will yield better results, and we hope this information helps you make those decisions.

Have anything else our team can help with? Let us know! Our team would love to help you flash your brand colors on a set of t-shirts that’ll do justice to all of the hard work that went into choosing them.


Read all about one of the most studied (and controversial) elements of design: color psychology. 

Harnessing the Power of Color Psychology for Your Brand 

We’re more than halfway through the year, and design patterns have begun to form. We’re beginning to see trends in what’s popular in the world of t-shirt design in 2019 — some old, some new — so take a look at what’s popular so far in 2019!

Something we’ve noticed a lot of this year, and last year as well, is an uptick in bright, vibrant t-shirt designs. This applies to the prints themselves, and the actual color of the shirt as well.

Primary colors tend to be a good base to start at when designing for this look. We’d also recommend looking at 100% cotton t-shirt options, as they have less heathering in them. Though, if you prefer the feel of a blend, you can still achieve a bright print using our Bold Ink.

This year, we’ve also seen a boost in heavyweight t-shirts. For reference, we define heavyweight t-shirts as a t-shirt that weighs around 6 oz, compared to your standard shirt that typically weighs around 3.7 to 4.3 oz.

Heavyweight tees tend to be worn baggier, as they’re most closely associated with streetwear, but you may also opt for a heavyweight shirt if you prefer a more structured fit, or simply a heavier shirt as we head into Fall and Winter.

We’re not sure if it’s Stranger Things related or what, but there seems to be a huge demand for nostalgia. Look at the top-grossing films this Summer and you’ll see titles like:

It seems pretty clear that everything from fashion to entertainment is heading back to the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.

We’ve seen this reflected in t-shirt designs as well. Everything from friendly cartoon animals to bright 80s neon is back.

This next trend is one of the apparel industry’s best-kept secrets that looks like it’s finally been let out, and that is mineral wash apparel.

Evoking grunge feelings of the 80s and 90s, mineral wash t-shirts are an awesome option for faded, worn-in looks.

Bella+Canvas has a couple of great mineral wash options in the Bella 6400 (women's) and Canvas 3650 (unisex), the latter of which isn't photographed on our site yet, but has the exact same look as it's women's counterpart.

Now this trend isn’t exactly unique to this year by any means, but it’s worth noting simply for it’s staying power in the t-shirt design world: t-shirts with a small, left chest print on the front and a larger, center-aligned print on the back are favorites time and time again.

We could speculate all day about why people prefer t-shirt designs like this, but to be honest, we don’t know the exact reason why. But we’ll continue wearing them, that’s for sure.

This trend is also a holdover from our list last year, but it deserves to be on the list again because it hasn’t gone anywhere.

T-shirts have a unique ability to convey a message, and type-centric designs tend to convey them best. Whether a company mantra, bit of humor, or words to live by, a clever saying laid out in a way that’s aesthetically pleasing will always resonate with people.

One design trend we’ve seen a lot of that’s both refreshing and engaging is t-shirts with multiple print styles on them, creating an engaging contrast of textures.

Using some combination of our normal water-based ink, foil printing, or metallic ink can create added contrast and intrigue in your design that you may not be able to achieve in the same way simply with color.

So far in 2019, we’ve certainly noticed people being much choosier about the garments they decide to print their shirts on. Typically, we tend to see a lot of shirts printed on simple, basic unisex crewneck t-shirts, and while that’s still a lot of the shirts we print, we’ve noticed customers asking for more specific, unique styles.

Whether it be t-shirts Made in the USA, eco-friendly shirts, or ringer tees, more and more designs are being printed on unique apparel pieces.

So much so, that it caused us to rethink our entire product page. Our last one was stagnant, and we weren’t able to update it with new styles often. But now, we’ll be adding new garment styles regularly.

Pantone may have named Living Coral as the 2019 color of the year, but we have seen otherwise. If there’s been a color of the year so far as far as t-shirts go, Mauve has certainly been it.

A pale purple whose name comes from the mallow flower, mauve has proven incredibly popular so far this year.

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