Starting your own line of custom apparel in Atlanta Georgia can be a worthwhile but challenging pursuit. With over 5 million people in the metro area there are plenty of opportunities for budding designers. We’ve helped hundreds of customers with their custom t-shirts, hoodies and other garments. Below are some of the top tips we have for those looking to break into starting their own apparel line. Quality Shirts Equals Quality Prints When selecting your garments to decorate, when possible always go with a more popular high quality brand. The difference in price is usually around $1.00 - $2.50 more than using a Gildan or Fruit of the Loom. Your customers will notice the difference in materials and fit. Brands like Alternative Apparel or Next Level are often softer and better fitting than other brands. You’ll also benefit from the brand recognition. Customers most likely already have shirts made by these brands and are familiar with how they fit and feel. You’ll also find the most modern styles and colors offered when using brands like Bella Canvas or those listed above. Quality Art Equals Quality Prints It’s perfectly fine to sketch out ideas on the back of a napkin or plain paper. You’ll just want to have a graphic designer create the final artwork in vector format. If you don’t have a designer or aren’t familiar with vector art, it’s worth learning at least the basics when starting your own line of custom apparel. With your designs in vector format your artwork will come out printing great no matter what method of decoration is used. Vector files work great for screen printing, direct to garment and embroidery. You can also use the same files for [...]

4th of July in Atlanta is always a great time no matter what age or interests. There is always plenty to do from Woodstock to Downtown Atlanta. Of course there are lots of firework shows to attend. The are also sporting events, concerts and more this 4th. Oh say can you see Atlanta United? Another sell out home game for the cities newest sports team, our Atlanta United. The games at Bobby Dodd have been electric with a fun family friendly atmosphere. While this games already sold out there are plenty of tickets on re-sale sites and you can often find them for sale around the stadium. Suntrust Park Baseball and Fireworks The new home of the Atlanta Braves is sure to be a fun traditional 4th of July celebration. What could be more American than baseball and fireworks? So root root root for the home team, hopefully the Atlanta Braves will win another world series soon. Tickets start at $52. Centennial Olympic Park 4th of July Celebration Centennial Olympic Park features live music and a 9:45 PM fireworks show this is always a great time even with the crowds. This year Bobby Brown among a list of other will be performing live. There will be plenty of food and drink vendors all afternoon. This event gets full quick so make sure and arrive early. Taking MARTA is always the best way to go if you can use the trains. Have a House Party Some of the best 4th events are the smaller personal ones. Nothing beats getting the grill fired up before lighting off a bunch of fireworks with neighbors, friends and family. Just make sure to be safe. Make sure pets are safely [...]

How to Reduce Costs When Screen Printing Are you interested in how to save money and reduce the cost of ordering screen printed shirts? Often just a few small changes can result in big savings. Lets review some of the costs associated with custom screen printing and how you can save money when designing the graphics for your t-shirts. Number of Colors and Locations The number 1 factor in pricing for screen printing is the number of colors in the artwork and locations. For example each of the trees in this image are the same except for the number of colors that would be printed. You can see even with a 2 color print the design stays the same. The cost difference between a 2 color and 6 color print can be significant. So if someone was looking to save money on screen printing they should reduce the number of colors in the design. Just Like Real Estate Location Matters The old adage from real estate "location location location" also rings true for printing. Set up for screen printing is based on the number of locations being printed. Front, back, left sleeve and right sleeve are all considered a location. Printing just a front print will cost less than printing on the front, back and sleeve. Size of the print isn't usually a factor, set up costs are per screen. So even if you are printing a small front left chest or a full size front print, the set up costs are the same. The price can increase quickly when printing multiple locations for smaller orders. The reason being is the setup costs aren't divided by as many items as say a 144 piece order. [...]

There are many differences between direct to garment and screen printing. Both methods overlap providing similar results with some key differences. Screen printing involves using mesh screens where the ink is pushed through the open portion of the mesh (only the design) onto a garment. DTG (direct to garment) is similar to inkjet printers only instead of printing on paper the ink is applied directly to the garment. Using DTG you can print vibrant full color designs that require additional setup costs if done with screen printing. Each color used when screen printing requires its own screen and film. There are none of the “screen fees” or setup when using DTG. Comparing the costs of both printing methods is heavily dependent on the artwork. There isn’t a right or wrong way just options. Simple 1-2 color designs are almost always screen printed. Full color designs are most often printed using DTG. One note about direct to garment prints, they look best on 100% cotton fabrics. Larger orders with multiple colors in the design the setup costs associated with screen printing are much lower. How to Decide Which Printing Method to Use? The number of colors are the best indicator of which style of custom apparel printing to use. Screen printing is usually the lower cost. Examples of 1-2 color prints are sports uniforms and basic logos. Full color pictures and vibrant comic book style art has more shading and colors that makes DTG the obvious choice. Send Us Your Artwork If you’re unsure what option is best please send us your artwork. Someone from Atlanta Shirt will quickly respond outlining the best print options. Often the choice is made for aesthetics some people just like [...]