We’ve been talking about t-shirt merch printing and promotional items for years now. To help you save time, we decided to compile these articles so you only have one place for everything t-shirt printing and packaging related. A quick read will give you huge tips on how to design, print, package, distribute, and market your promotional tees. Just click the titles you like to go to the full article.
CONCEPTUALIZING YOU T-SHIRT DESIGN:
MERCH BASICS EVERY MUSICIAN SHOULD KNOW
– Merch is essential for bands to survive thus it should be given enough attention. Music Merch is simple in a way that basically, all you’re doing is making custom t-shirts printed, mugs, or key chains. But if you want your merch to be a hit to the fans, then do not just give them a cheap-looking shirt with a lousy design. Here are the things you should know when designing your shirt. Click the title to read the full article.
ANATOMY OF A BAND T-SHIRT
– pros and cons of working directly with a band, record label, merch companies.
INSPIRATION: HELVETICA’s PARODY TEES
INSPIRATION: INTERACTIVE T-SHIRTS
T-SHIRT PRINTING:
6 TIPS ON HOW TO PREPARE ARTWORK FOR T-SHIRT PRINTING
-Use PMS Colors in Your Artwork, Convert All of Your Text to Outlines, Create Your Artwork at Actual Size, Use Vector Artwork As Much As Possible, Expand Your Strokes, Set Your Half-Tones with PMS Colors. Click the title to read the full article.
INK and PRINTING OPTIONS FOR T-SHIRT PRINTING
– Screen Printing, Plastisol, water-based inks, discharge printing, heat transfer, digital printing, simulated process. Click the title to read the full article.
T-SHIRT PACKAGING:
OUT OF THE BOX CONCEPTS FOR T-SHIRT PACKAGING
– A kick-ass custom tee needs to be in a kick-ass t-shirt packaging to get the kind of positive reaction you want from people and to maximize your marketing efforts. Here are some creative t-shirt boxes and t-shirt packaging for inspiration. Click the title to read the full article.
Ten Creative T-Shirt Packaging Made of Cardboard
7 Food Inspired T-Shirt Packaging
8 Creative T-Shirt Packaging That Will Inspire You
SELLING THE TEES:
THE POLITICS OF PRICE MATCHING
Price matching is a practice in which the headlining band on a tour set the merch prices. If that band sell their T-shirts for $40, every other band on the bill must comply with that price. It insures that opening bands are not able to sell their merch for cheaper than the headliners so they do not have an advantage to sell more merch. Click the title to read the full article.
MERCH MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR INDIES
Make Sure Your Name is Big and Bold.
Light up your Merch.
Friends Should Hangout Somewhere else.
Click the title to read the full article.
10 TIPS FOR SELLING MORE MERCH ONLINE
You honestly think your merch is awesome but how come no one buys them? There are so many possible reasons for this phenomenon but I have a feeling that poor online marketing is the main culprit. If you want to increase your merch sales, try these tips. Click the title to read the full article.
CREATING BUZZ FOR YOUR MERCH
-some ways you can promote your tees and merch without spending big bucks. Click the title to read the full article.
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James Hill is a veteran of the music industry. He first worked at Warner Reprise Records then later joined Interscope/ Geffen Records where he managed producers and songwriters and got his first platinum record for Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is. He is now helping indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD/vinyl and merch company in LA.
