A team, a fundraiser, a group event—what do all of these typically have in common?

They get matching t-shirts for everyone. When you’re participating in a group activity, it’s much cooler when everyone has the same shirt. It fosters a sense of pride and team spirit.

Now, if a matching t-shirt can bring more pride and spirit into, let’s say, a weekend kickball league, why wouldn’t this also apply to the corporate world? Spoiler alert: it does.

Custom screen printing is a cost-effective method for printing hundreds or thousands of shirts for teams to wear. There are lots of screen printing companies out there, including local print shops.

Although local print shops can produce 50 or 100 garments, they may not have the bandwidth to produce larger numbers of screen printed shirts in a few weeks. That’s where an online, enterprise-level solution like Scrappy Apparel comes in. (More on that later.)

Custom screen printed shirts are beneficial for teams of all kinds, including businesses. Let’s dive deeper into the whos, whats, whys, hows, and everything in between.

What Does Custom Screen Printing Mean?

Custom screen printing is the process of using a stencil to print designs or logos onto fabric. The stencil is placed on top of the fabric and ink is applied to the stencil, which passes through the openings in the stencil and onto the fabric below. Screen printing is often used for basic t-shirts, but it can be used on hoodies, long-sleeve t-shirts, etc. Let your imagination roam free with what you can custom screen print.

Custom screen printing can also produce unique garment designs. Although traditional screen printing methods work best with only a few colors, you can tweak the process to work more effectively for designs with many colors or lots of intricate details. For example, simulated process screen printing is fantastic for photorealistic artwork.

Screen printing is also cost-effective for printing large orders because the cost per shirt goes down as the quantity goes up.

With custom screen printing, you can create a one-of-a-kind shirt that will turn heads. If you’re working with a custom apparel partner that is up to speed on the latest trends and techniques, you can add specialty screen printing options like liquid gold and silver inks, glow-in-the-dark inks, puff, reflective, or burnout.

(You probably know this by now, but the manufacturing partner you work with will have a significant impact on the way your t-shirts turn out. Choose wisely!)

What’s the History Behind Custom Screen Printing?

The history of custom screen printing is a fascinating one. It dates back to the early days of human civilization (during the Song Dynasty from 960–1279 AD, to be exact) when people first began using rudimentary stencils to decorate their clothing. Over time, this simple technique became more and more refined, culminating in the sophisticated prints we see today.

Custom screen printing has come a long way since its humble beginnings. What started as a simple process of stenciling designs onto fabric has evolved into a complex and nuanced art form. Today, custom screen printing can create everything from t-shirts to tapestries. The possibilities are (nearly) endless.

Why Should You Add Corporate Apparel To Your Business?

In the corporate world, it’s crucial to create a sense of teamwork within your business. Sure, happy hours and team events are great for team building.

But imagine giving your team some awesome shirts they’re excited to wear to work or out on the town? When your employees rep your business everywhere they go, that’s a real sign they’re proud of their team.

Here are just a few reasons why corporate apparel is a smart investment:

Company T-Shirts Are Free Advertising

Custom screen-printed shirts are a fantastic way to promote your business. Every time someone asks about that sharp-looking shirt your employee is wearing, they’re getting free advertising for your business. And if you hand out shirts at events or trade shows, you’re sure to make a lasting impression on potential customers.

Screen-Printed Shirts Up Your Professionalism

In today’s world, first impressions are everything. When you’re meeting with a potential client or customer, you want to look as professional as possible. Adding custom screen-printed shirts to your business wardrobe will show that you’re a credible and successful company.

Plus, when your employees are all wearing matching shirts, it creates a sense of unity and shows that you’re a well-organized team. There’s no doubt that custom screen-printed shirts can make your business look more polished and professional.

Custom Shirts Encourage Employee Engagement

When your employees feel like they’re part of a team, they’re more likely to be engaged in their work. And what better way to promote a sense of teamwork than by giving your employees custom shirts they can wear with pride?

How Can Businesses Benefit From Custom Screen Printed Shirts?

Now, we wouldn’t be telling you about custom apparel for your business if it wouldn’t benefit your company.

There are tons of ways that your corporation and team can become bigger and better with custom screen printed t-shirts.

Let’s discuss some of the benefits of custom screen printed business shirts for you and your team:

Build A Sense of Pride For the Company

Think of it like this. When you love a soccer team, you rep their cool shirts at family gatherings, grocery stores, and even someone’s baby shower. Wouldn’t you want your team repping your company like that? Hell yeah you would.

Customized t-shirts can help create a unified look for employees or customers. They get people more involved and connected not only with each other, but with the company’s core values.

When your team feels connected to your values and mission, they’ll be much more likely to work hard and stay loyal to the company. Investing in custom shirts will build pride for your team and turn them into raving fans of the business.

Encourage Employee Interaction and Socializing

When you’re out and about, it can be easy to spot someone wearing one of your company’s custom shirts. This will encourage employees to socialize with each other outside of work.

It also opens up the opportunity for some casual conversation about work. This can help build relationships and foster a sense of community among employees.

Stand Out From the Competition

In today’s competitive business world, it’s more important than ever to make your company stand out. Custom screen-printed shirts will do just that.

When potential clients or customers see your employees wearing matching shirts, they’ll be impressed by your professionalism and unity. This could be the deciding factor in whether or not they choose to do business with you.

Also, if your business has “friendly” competitions against other companies, wouldn’t you want your team to stand out with the coolest shirts? Of course you would, because that would give you an extra edge.

More Bang For Your Buck

Like we mentioned before, screen printing is cost-effective. Compared to other forms of advertising, custom shirts are a pretty inexpensive way to promote your business. And, unlike other forms of advertising, custom shirts can be worn over and over again.

Plus, the more you order, the cheaper each shirt will be. So, if you’re looking for a cost-effective way to promote your business, custom screen-printed shirts are the way to go.

Custom Shirts Make Great Gifts

Whether you’re looking to reward employees for a job well done or thank customers for their loyalty, custom shirts make great gifts. They’re also a thoughtful way to show appreciation during the holidays.

Your employees and customers will be thrilled to receive a shirt with your company’s logo on it—and they’ll be even more excited to wear it.

How Can Companies Create the Best Custom Apparel?

Now that we’ve convinced you, let’s talk about how to make a shirt your employees will actually love.

When it comes to creating your shirts, you’re going to need a stellar design that people will want to actually wear. Here are a few tips for creating your apparel design:

Use a Design That is On-Brand

The design should be reflective of your company’s style and values. It should also be something that people will want to wear outside of work. After all, you want people to be proud to represent your company!

Stick to a Few Colors

Too many colors will make your design look busy and unprofessional. Stick to two or three colors that complement each other well.

Traditional screen printing works best with designs that have fewer colors. However, if your design has lots of colors, speak with our team and we will provide our expert recommendations for your project to ensure it turns out the way you want it to.

Use Your Logo Strategically

For starters, make sure your logo has a clear and visible placement on the design.

Since this shirt will represent your company, you’ll want to make sure that people can quickly see who you are.  No one wants to stop and stare at a shirt for 5 minutes just to figure out which company it’s for—although we want to help you create a design so fire that people can’t look away from it.

Create Your Design in a Vector Format

Vector files are created with mathematical equations instead of pixels. This means that they can be scaled to any size without losing quality—which is essential for printed designs.

If you want your design to look good on a shirt (or anywhere else, for that matter), you need to create it in a vector format (AI or EPS). We recommend creating your vector file in Adobe Illustrator.

For more info, out our free guide on artwork preparation tips for custom apparel.

Follow Your Brand Guidelines

This is important for keeping up a consistent look for your brand. People should be able to see your shirt and quickly recognize it as yours.

Make Sure the Shirt is Comfortable

The shirt should be comfortable to wear. No one wants to be stuck in an itchy shirt all day!

Always Prioritize Quality

It’s better to spend a little extra to have high quality shirts that will last rather than a bunch of cheap shirts that will fall apart. You want your company to be known for having high quality products, so make sure your custom apparel is no different!

Now, you didn’t think Scrappy would leave you by yourself when it comes to making shirts your employees will love, did you? We’ve created this free guide on how to make your employees proud to wear your brand.

Why is Scrappy Apparel the Right Choice For My Custom Apparel Needs?

You’ve got your mind made up about creating custom company shirts. Now, it’s time to pick a custom apparel company to make you the best damn shirts you’ve ever seen. That’s where we come in.

Scrappy Apparel is the Best Screen Printing Company Because We:

1. Produce high-quality, soft-to-the-touch prints that will last wash after wash.

2. Source luxury-level materials to screen print on. Read about our Peruvian Pima Cotton.

3. Offer an extensive pre-production layout review process so you can be sure you love your shirts before you even see them!

4. Offer free shipping, folding, and poly bagging for all orders (because we love you!)

5. Have a team of rockstar Scrappy sales reps who will answer your questions and guide you through each step of the ordering process

6. Provide exceptional customer service to everyone we work with

7. Offer private labeling options for brands that are ready to scale to infinity and beyond

8. Can manufacture 10,000+ shirts without breaking a sweat

9. Deliver all orders with superhuman speed and accuracy. (But seriously, your order will never, ever arrive late.)

10. Have over 16 years of experience in the custom apparel industry, so you know you’re in good hands.

When it comes to creating custom company shirts, Scrappy Apparel is the right choice for you. We’ll make sure you’re 100% satisfied with your order before it even ships.

Ready to order your dream t-shirts? Let’s get this party started: