To state that printed hoodies are all the rage these days would be somewhat inaccurate – they’ve been all the rage for a fair few decades now. In fact, it’s actually extremely difficult to imagine a time before the humble hoodie as it exists today burst onto the scene and became the single most important essential in tens of millions of closets the world over. But while printed and designer hoodies have been a pretty big deal for some time, it’s only as of relatively recently that custom hoodies have made their own way into the spotlight.
These days, creating your own garments with your own designs and prints technically has never been easier. Theoretically, all you need to do is to arm yourself with the appropriate transfer materials and a standard household iron – neither of which are likely to set you back a lot of money. However, if you’d prefer your garments to come out looking every bit the picture of professionalism as opposed to another less-than inspiring DIY home effort, there are certain rules to follow and professional tips to heed.
So for those considering putting their own creativity to work in the near future, here’s a quick look at five essential tips from the professionals on creating custom hoodies:
1 – Quality Garments
First and foremost, you simply cannot expect the results to be fully up to par unless you are willing to use high quality garments in the first place. One of the most appealing things about hoodies is the way in which you really do not have to spend a small fortune to take home a seriously high quality garment. Yes, you can spend quite ridiculous sums of money on designer hoodies if you so wish, but realistically there is absolutely no point as what you are looking to invest in is a blank canvas. As far as the professionals are concerned therefore, it’s simply a case of striking a sensible balance – don’t try your luck with the cheapest hoodies on the market, but at the same time don’t waste money overspending. The quality of the garment itself will always be reflected in the final result – it really is as simple as that.
2 – Quality Printing Equipment
The same also applies to the printing equipment you use to get the design onto the hoodie upon its completion. Put simply, there’s a reason why the cheapest iron-on transfers on the market can be picked up for a matter of pennies while professional printing hardware can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds. Suffice to say, you cannot expect the former to produce the same kinds of results as the latter. Not that you can be expected to spend this kind of cash on a DIY home printing effort of course, but it does nonetheless illustrate the importance of quality printing equipment.
3 – Simple, Safe Designs
In terms of the actual designs themselves, perhaps the single most important and commonly voiced rule as far as the professionals are concerned is that of keeping things as safe and simple as possible. Now, this doesn’t in any way mean that the designs must be bland, boring or in any way uninspired – some of the most iconic designs in history are wonderfully simple. In fact, simplicity can be even more striking and elegant that overly-complex designs, so particularly in the early days at least when you are still finding your feet, it’s crucial to err on the side of simplicity rather than going OTT.
4 – Practice Makes Perfect
If this is your first time at bat, you simply cannot expect to hit a home run…you cannot and will not. As such, there’s really no point in trying your luck with the garment you intend to print on without first seeing how things look on an old T-shirt, vest or just a random strip of fabric. You might need a few attempts before you’ll get it right, so don’t risk ruining anything you’d rather keep in good condition.
5 – Call In the Pros
Last but not least, it’s always worth remembering that there are plenty of professional printing services on the market right now that can take your design and get it flawlessly printed on the quality hoodie of your choosing to absolute flawless perfection, every time. No need to invest in equipment, no time wasted, not garments ruined in the process and the guarantee of a perfect outcome – you might find you save time and money while enjoying vastly superior results by calling in the professionals.