Graphic T-ShirtsMake your own Graphic T-shirt

(affilate links enclosed)

For those parents out there with pre teen to teenage kids. I come to you with a unique solution to an expensive problem. As a parent I often struggle with my kids desires to have the next stylish graphic t-shirts. They aren’t cheap and can get quite expensive.

With a little bit of brainstorming. My wife and I devised a plan to satisfy their wants and help keep the wallet a little fatter. (hopefully) This method actually brings out yours and your kids creative side.

You can save money if you already own a personal cutter that cuts vinyl. Although you don’t need a cricut to create your own shirts, but it does come in handy and saves time. If you already have one that’s a major expense that you don’t have to worry about.

Meeting of the minds

We figured out that together we can sit down at the computer and design their own graphic t-shirts. This makes their wardrobe unique because of the personal touch and other kids want to know where they bought the shirt. Just a fair warning in advance. This process can be just as nerve wracking and possibly longer than a shopping trip to the mall.(coming from a dads perspective) So sit down and buckle up it will be fun.

Materials for your Graphic T-shirts

The materials needed for this tutorial are as follows. Of course you need the computer with a graphics design software program installed. I personally like and use CorelDraw. Its what I use at work and home. So I am most familiar with it. You can use what you know. There are several programs available.

Considered by many the holy grail is Photo shop. But there are others like Illustrator and paint shop pro. There are also some free programs out there like Gravit Designer, Vectr, SVG-Edit and Inkscape.

A good quality heat transfer vinyl or HTV will also be needed. There are many varieties out there. The heat transfer vinyl that I like and use is Siser Easy Weed.

Siser is the first htv I ever used. I like how easy it is to weed and it is very durable. There are many varieties put out under the Siser label. The sky is the limit and your imagination. Another HTV out there is by craftables. Its another great product to work with and also very economical. Take some time and do your research. You will find a vinyl that works best for you in your situation.

Graphic T-Shirts of course

Make sure you choose a good quality t-shirt blank to use. Blanks are fairly inexpensive so you can design a whole wardrobe. What I like about designing shirts is the sky is the limit. You can go from intricate designs to sayings that feature you or your loved ones personality. My daughters tend to go both ways. One daughter enjoys personality sayings and the other prefers intricate designs. Like I warned before this process can take longer than actually shopping for the graphic tee’s.

Cutting time

Now that we have our design set in our computer. It is time to send it to the cutter. Make sure you position your design so you don’t waste vinyl that could be used for other projects. Also dont forget to cut your design in reverse so it will appear right on your shirt. Like I said before my preference is the Cricut. Also remember the shiny side of the vinyl is face down on your mat.

The cutting time can be fairly quick, but it all depends on the difficulty of your design. Sayings with standard fonts are always quicker. Cursive fonts take longer and add time to your weeding process. Weeding is the term used in removing the excess vinyl material from your design. The design pictured is a little more complex so it did take a little longer to cut and to weed.

Time to press your design. I personally own a heat press, so that’s what I use. The great thing is that most heat transfer vinyl can be applied with an ordinary household iron. Just be sure to follow the directions of the htv that you purchase. For example with Siser easy weed you press your design on medium pressure for 10-15 seconds at 305 degrees fahrenheit/105 degrees celsius. It is then a hot or cold peel.

Congratulations, you are now on your way to saving money and making custom shirts for your loved ones. I would love to see some of your designs. I am amazed at the talent and creativity of our readers. If you have any questions or comments please ask below.

Another great post on t-shirt design can be read here.