Because t-shirts are better than suits

Some people wear suits to work. At startups and tech companies, t-shirts are the uniform. Ever since Apple stores opened to the world – its employees dressed in bright colour t-shirts – casual clothing has been as synonymous with tech as Mark Zuckerburg is with hoodies.

At ICON Printing we regularly print for some of the world’s biggest startups and tech companies – from WeWork to Boiler Room, and even count Google among our clients. If you’re thinking about creating t-shirts for your startup (or any business for that matter), we’ve put together this guide to help you produce t-shirts that will do your team proud.

1. Pick your colour

When it comes to t-shirt printing, colour is everything. Pick a colour that fits not just your brand identity or logo, but the atmosphere and energy you want to create in your company. Bright colours suggest an informal, energetic workplace, while black and white communicates a more serious brand.

In our expert guide to uniform design, founder of uniform design company Field Grey, Janice Turner, says that even for businesses simply using t-shirts for uniform, colour can play an important part. “I think t-shirts are really flexible,” she says. “It might be the same t-shirt, but think of having two different colours that could denote different areas or roles. Or try changing the logo colours so its not too samey.”

2. Go beyond the logo

While printing a simple startup t-shirt with the company logo serves a purpose (and may well be the most appropriate for your company), consider ways to expand on your logo to create a t-shirt that communicates a bigger message about your tech company – like a slogan – or incorporate a more exciting graphic image. Collaborate with artists and designers to create something really wearable – you want create a t-shirt that will be worn with pride.

3. Select comfortable t-shirts

Not all t-shirts were born equal – don’t assume that all brands will be as comfortable to wear as others. If you are printing uniform for your team to wear all day every day, you want to ensure you are printing on a quality brand.

We recently rounded up some of the best choices for blanks to print on – the AS Colour Staple Tee is a great choice for quality as is Stanley/Stella’s Creator t-shirt, which is made from 100% eco cotton, both have a medium weight meaning the hang well and feel great to wear.

4. Order a range of t-shirt sizes

Noone wants to wear an ill-fitting t-shirt. Make sure you order a range of sizes to fit everyone at your startup. A good tip is to order extra of your core sizes, so that if someone loses a t-shirt (or, more likely, spills coffee over it) you have spares available. Ideally, ask your team for their sizes.

If you can’t do that, ICON Printing suggest getting a spread of sizes weighted to the most common ones but still covering the top and bottom ends. As a rough guide, if you were to order 100 t-shirts, we would suggest 10XS, 20S, 40M, 40L, 10XL.

5. Consider the potential for merch

You’ve created an amazing t-shirt for your startup or tech company. Think about ways you could take it beyond the workplace. If you’ve collaborated with artists or graphic designers and produced a t-shirt that could be worn by anyone, consider making them available as merch – it’s a strategy popular with restaurants and street food businesses. Alternatively, think about printing extra runs of t-shirts to give out as promo at company events or product launches.

Summary

Creating an awesome t-shirt for your startup or tech company is easy – but it’s worth getting right. Colour is everything when it comes to t-shirts – choose yours wisely, or mix it up to denote different roles in the company. Think about going beyond the logo with your design – collaborate with graphic designers or artists and tell a story about your business. Next up is the practicals: make sure you pick comfortable t-shirts – especially if they will be worn every day, print on the correct range of sizes (and have spares available). Finally, think about ways you could take your t-shirts beyond the workplace – sell them as merch, or give the t-shirts out as free promo.

Printing t-shirts for your start up or tech company? At ICON Printing we offer fast turnaround printing with an extensive catalogue and our expert team are always happy to help with any design queries. Get a quote in 2 minutes online.