10 great design ideas for company t-shirts
Company t-shirts can be great and worn by your employees daily or they can be worn only for obligatory events. The main difference usually is in the design and the cut of a t-shirt. If a person doesn’t feel comfortable and beautiful in a piece of clothing, they won’t wear it. So, if you want to give your employees the joy of wearing your company t-shirt proudly, keep reading!
The t-shirt style and color
Before we get to the fun and trendy print designs that will have all the attention of the shirt, let’s talk about different t-shirt styles. There is a variety of necklines, fits, cuts, and fabrics to choose from when it comes to t-shirts. Not to mention the base color. It all makes a unique t-shirt look and everyone prefers a different style.
Let employees choose a t-shirt style
If you have the chance, have the option for your employees to choose what style of t-shirt they would like. How to do that? First, you will need to know your print on demand partner (for example, us, Printseekers.com!) and the options they offer for t-shirts. Then make a questionnaire and ask people to give you their size and preferred t-shirt model (based on multiple choice). Make sure you have listed all the available t-shirt choices and that people can choose from those.
One color for all or different for everyone?
It depends on the goal of why you are getting employees t-shirts. If it is a holiday or seasonal gift and not meant for any special occasion, let them choose. That way you increase the chance that the company t-shirt will be worn on a daily basis and outside the workspace.
If the shirts are meant for a specific event, like sports games, it is best for all to have the same color t-shirts so you as a company team can feel and look unified.
Print design ideas for company t-shirts
Once you have sorted out what kind of t-shirts to get, let’s move on to what are some great ideas for designs for company t-shirts! Just a reminder, when creating a t-shirt design for a company keep in mind the main goal – it is a branding opportunity. So when choosing a design, yes, make it relevant to the user aka t-shirt wearer, but make sure your company’s name and logo are also somewhere visible on the shirt.
- Minimalism theme
Minimalism is on trend for a few years now. Ride that train and make your company t-shirts in a minimalist style. It means not going overboard with anything.
A single word
It can be a printed single word. You can make it small and place it on one side of the chest, or make it big and make it occupy the whole t-shirt. To keep it minimalistic, make sure the font is simple and without any embellishments.
A single image
A single image can also be a part of a minimalistic style. Just make sure the image is clear and doesn’t contain lots of colors. You want to avoid a busy feeling, so go for the opposite – a design that you can understand at first glimpse.
- Have employees choose the design
It is a t-shirt for employees so ask your employees what they want to see on the t-shirt! It can be a contest where employees can submit their ideas for designs and then everyone votes for the best one. It can also be a suggestion box situation where everyone submits their ideas, and you choose the one you like the most.
Letting employees choose the design can be a really great bonding moment as well as a great way how to once more let your employees feel heard and valued. Also, if the design is chosen by the people for whom the shirts are being made, there is a much bigger chance that they will wear it even in their free time!
- Company culture quotes and sayings
Building on getting inspiration from employee ideas, why not showcase your company culture on a t-shirt? it can be a company’s motto, an inside joke, a saying that’s often used within your company or field, and so on. A shirt like that will make it extra special and relevant just for the involved people, making it exclusive. And we all love to get our hands on exclusive items!
- Trendy designs
If you make company t-shirts every year, you can choose to make them trendy and relevant to the exact moment. Also, a t-shirt is a piece of clothing that does get a lot of wear and even high-quality pieces are replaceable at some point. So, with t-shirts, go ahead, and chase that trend!
- Pop culture inspired
Taking about trendy designs, pop cultured inspired t-shirts are definitely a good choice. It can be a trendy meme, quote, or joke customized to fit your company’s vibe. Not a fan of today’s pop culture references? Look back and try something vintage! Vintage is definitely having a comeback these days, and old-school pop culture references can be a pretty big hit.
- Animal designs
Animals are not only cute, but they can represent specific characteristics and even departments in your company. Why not play around with this idea? Just make sure that no one is offended by the animals you choose to represent them. The animal design can be cartoonish or geometrical. It can have a vintage feel or be realistic. You can also mix it with a fun quote or other text.
There are lots of fun ideas – it can be a red fox holding a balloon or something more serious like a geometrical drawing of a wolf. Make sure you choose something that resonated with your company’s culture and make people feel good and excited!
- Humorous designs
T-shirts with jokes can be a hit or a miss. When going for a humorous t-shirt design, make sure it aligns with your company values. Also, for humorous designs, it is best to make a vote by your employees or ask a third party's opinion. You want it to be funny, but not offensive. You also want to be sure that your employees are fine with wearing a t-shirt with a joke, not all people are interested in that. So, before you create a humorous design for your company’s t-shirt, evaluate all the positions and make an informed decision.
- Occupation-related t-shirt designs
There is no better design for a company t-shirt than one that is related to one's profession. It is also a fun idea to create different t-shirts for every department. For example, you might create a t-shirt for the design department that says “Designer Squad” or “Pack of ITs” for the IT department. You can marry the text with a fun illustration.
- Design related to your company’s field of work
Make the t-shirt relevant to your situation by choosing a design that reflects your company’s work. It can be a text or maybe an illustration. You can make it an obvious design or conceal it a little. For example, if you own a car dealership, an obvious design could be an illustration of a car but a little bit concealed design would be an image of a car freshener or the wheel. Play around with the idea, until you find the right one!
- Nature-inspired designs
Nature is really on trend and it can be a good idea to incorporate it into your company t-shirt design. Simple flower designs, words decorated with leaves, nature scenes, and already mentioned animals can make a company t-shirt design pop and make it wearable for everyday occasions.
Look for inspiration outside! Take a stroll and notice small and big things in nature. Even if your company’s field of work is not related to nature, that’s fine! We all are part of nature. And your company shirt that has a nature theme can serve as a reminder to go outdoors and relax a little bit.
- Company logo
Having a company t-shirt with a company logo is a classic. It’s simple, it is straight forward and it is wearable. If an employee is proud to work there, they will be proud to wear a shirt with the company’s logo. There are situations when it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel, just go with what works and has worked for decades!
- Holiday shirts
If you are feeling festive, inspire your whole team to celebrate holidays more! Just make sure you are choosing holidays that are not religious since you might have employees from different religions on your team. Try the 4th of July, Women’s Day, etc. There are plenty of non-religious holidays to celebrate together with everyone.
Conclusion
There are lots of options to choose from when creating a design for a company shirt. You can go for a classic company logo shirt or make it fun and trendy with a pop culture reference or an inside joke. If you are confused about what design to get, look for inspiration in shops and see what people are wearing on the streets. Then recreating something similar with the added bonus of your company logo.
