While taking a stroll downtown or people watching at your local coffee house you may ask yourself, “Who the h@#$ thought of that to put on a t-shirt?”  You may think you have what it takes to think up a trendy saying or hip and obscure picture to put on your own t-shirt that will blow everyone away.  Here’s the secret, it really is as easy as that.  Here are some tips on answering the question: How do T-shirts become popular?

First things first: in order to make a t-shirt popular, you need an idea for a t-shirt!  A great idea is to think locally.  Make a design for a t-shirt that only applies to the city/town that you live in.  For example, the “Natty Boh” t-shirts (Natural Light Beer) are a huge hit in Baltimore City.  Drive down the beltway to Washington D.C. and nobody would understand why that shirt is so awesome.  People like being misunderstood or just even thought about! It makes the youth feel a part of something that outsiders just don’t get.  Second, think of ideas that go along with current events.  Funny slogans for politics, current trends, and happenings always seem to put a smile on people’s faces.  Did a celebrity do something really stupid this week?  Any given day the answer is probably yes!  Put it on a t-shirt and watch everyone start to ask you, “Where did you get that?”

Secondly, if you decide you want to sell your shirt, understand your target audience!  Don’t try and sell your t-shirt at a surf shop when mostly 50-year-old men are going to find your t-shirt hilarious! Try to make the t-shirt “too hip and cool” for the buyer.  Make it a status symbol.  Make people feel that if they wear this walking down the streets, they are going to get a look or two.  And again, think locally.  Don’t be generic and sell your t-shirt at some big corporate warehouse.  It is far cooler if you can only buy this shirt at this one clothing store or bookstore downtown. People will show up to buy it!  Soon enough someone will be asking you, “How do T-shirts become popular?”

Before we get into screen printing, let’s talk about another
topic that many people wonder about, “Just how do T-shirts become popular?”

How do T-shirts become popular?

T-shirts are popular because they are comfy, they give off that relaxed feeling that so many people thrive for. T-shirts are known as the most comfortable piece of clothing you could ever wear. Most commonly they are designed in cotton, which in itself speaks comfort already.

T-shirts are also very popular because they can be designed in the most clever and artistic ways. This is typically done through screen printing, which is a simplistic procedure created by many clothing industries across the globe.

Screen printing is the process of creating an image on a computer and then simply applying it to the T-shirt itself using a printer and a screen.

The Process of T-Shirt Screen Printing

Screen printing uses light-sensitive materials and film-positive images that can be printed on many different objects like plastic, wood, paper and of course fabric.

Screen printing uses a process of designing a particular image on a computer, this can be any type of design, a logo for a company or a sponsor image for a local band, the image could consist of anything. Typically, it is created through different downloadable applications from the internet.

Once the image is designed, it is then printed out through a laser-jet or ink-jet printer on either a transparent sheet of paper or a piece of vellum. There are special programs that can be bought that convert ink-jet printers for screen-printing positive film prints also.

After the image is created and then printed, the screen process starts. Generally, the screen consists of synthetic screen mesh and is usually stretched over a metal or wood frame. The printer then layers the frame with a light-sensitive emulsion coating.

Once the coating is dry, the printer places the film positive, facing down, on the mesh screen and a piece of glass is placed on the top of it. Light from an exposure lamp and a process of lightly spraying a warm water helps to form an image on the top side of the screen.

The screen is then left to dry and clamped into the screen-printing press where the printer uses a squeegee to wipe ink through the mesh and onto the T-shirt itself.

It is very simple process and every T-shirt is unique too.

The T-shirt is and always will be a classic staple of any wardrobe. What will change, though, is the style of your shirts and what looked great a few years ago, looks worn and dated in today’s fashion world. Here are some of the new trends you’ll see in T-shirts in the coming seasons.

First, it’s time to ditch the ironic tee. You should be ironic, not your clothing. Plus, this trend has seen its day come and go and if you’re wearing an ironic T-shirt these days, it means you look dated, not hip.

Look for subtle all over graphics on T-shirts instead of loud messages. These make a much more stylish statement than any funny saying or throw back “Where’s the Beef?” shirt. Consider tone on tone fabrics and prints.These look cool and chic while catching the attention and curiosity of those around you without screaming for attention.

The runways in Milan and Paris for 2012 were filled with net processing over leather so look to see this trend reinterpreted for the basic T-shirt. Also walking the catwalk were bright solid colors for men and bold, bright floral designs for women. These greens, oranges and yellows will brighten up your spring wardrobe.

Of course, 2012 is the year the Mayans predicted the end of the world so look for T-shirts bringing a little of the apocalypse into the design. Think Mad Max goes casual.

And as always, the classic white T-shirt will never go out of style though shapes usually change. The Jazz Age and F. Scott Fitzgerald are making a comeback so look for drapey styles and fits that get you thinking flapper as much as hipster.

Look your best at work, at brunch or out on the town in 2012. And your best can and should always include a great T-shirt.