If you're looking to start your own custom clothing line, it's important that you have all your bases covered. Fabric type, printing method, t-shirt design - you need to consider it all.
But something that people might overlook is the significance of using t-shirt mockups. Using a t-shirt mockup for your online business is a game-changing move. It will make your business far more efficient and allows for more experimentation and creativity in your designs.
But where do you start? To a novice, the world of t-shirt mockups can be confusing and overwhelming.
Never fear. Here is our extensive guide to using mockups in your t-shirt printing business.
What Is a T-Shirt Mockup?
Source: envato.com
When running an online business, it's important that you have images of your products to show your customers. Since everything is online, your customers can't just walk into your store to see what your t-shirts look like. They need a way to know what they're getting.
That's where t-shirt mockups come in.
A t-shirt mockup is a downloadable image or video of a blank t-shirt. You can add your own t-shirt design overtop of this image to give you (and your customers) a good idea of what the shirt will look like when it's actually printed off.
If it's done well, your t-shirt mockup should look the same as the printed t-shirt. It should be impossible to tell that it was digitally created.
This might sound intimidating, but don't worry. It's a lot easier than it sounds to create t-shirt mockups.
Why Using Mockups Is Important for Your Business
There are tons of reasons why you should look into using t-shirt mockups for your t-shirt printing business. Let's go through a few of them.
Save Time, Effort, & Money
Without mockups, you would have to go through the entire design and printing process every time you add a new product to your store. Then, you would need to endure the headache of trying to take a photo that's high-quality enough to use as the product photo.
To get the photos that you need and want for your business, you might have to hire a photographer or invest in a good-quality camera, which can be expensive. Not to mention that photoshoots take up loads of time.
T-shirt mockups make all that hassle go away. You can use the hours that you would have spent printing and photographing your new product to design more t-shirts instead. You can run your business much more efficiently.
Professional & High-Quality
Good photos are a big part of what convinces a customer to buy a product. So, you need to present the product in an appealing and eye-catching way.
But it's hard to take good photos of clothing. Anyone who has tried knows the struggle of both displaying the design and getting rid of all the creases. You could have someone model your shirt, but that comes with its own challenges since paying for models can get expensive.
Using a t-shirt mockup provides you with professional, high-quality images of your product that present your design in an attractive light. Plus, you can get mockups with models, so you'll be able to see what your t-shirt looks like on a person without hiring your own models.
A Better-Looking Website
Cohesiveness and unity are important to any online store. Customers are more likely to respect your business and enjoy shopping if your products are clean and well-designed. It will also bring more traffic to your website as people tend to click on good-looking HQ images.
If you take your own product photos, you run the risk of looking sloppy and unprofessional. Since your product photos can't reasonably all be taken on the same day or even in the same place, they'll look different from one another. This will make your online store look amateur and cluttered.
T-shirt mockups allow each product photo to look the same, giving your store a sense of professionalism and unity. It will make the customer's experience much more enjoyable.
Testing New Designs
When running a business, it's important to leave room for new products. The problem is, this can be expensive if you stock up your inventory with new products that don't take off. This risk is always present.
But if you're using a t-shirt mockup, you can add new designs to the file and test it out just like that or order mockups in different colors. You don't have to dip into your inventory and supplies to create a whole new design that might not even sell out. It's a fun, cost-effective way to test out what your customers like and what they don't.
Mockups allow for your creativity to run rampant. After all, designing creative new t-shirts is where the fun comes in. Isn't that why you started a clothing line in the first place?
How Do You Make a T-Shirt Mockup?
There are two main ways you can create a t-shirt mockup. You can use online mockup generators to create a mockup right in your internet browser, or you can make a mockup by using an editing program like Adobe Photoshop.
Online Mockup Generators
Online mockup generators make it easy for you to create a t-shirt mockup. Simply visit their website, search through their many templates, and select the one that you like. Then, choose your fabric color and other customizations before adding your t-shirt design onto the template.
After that, all that's left is for you to purchase the mockup (if need be) and download it. Simple as that!
Some common mockup generators include:
If you don't have a design ready for the template, don't worry. There are lots of options for t-shirt design software that you can use to create stunning designs!
Creating Mockups On Photoshop
A more in-depth way to create a t-shirt mockup is by using editing software like Adobe Photoshop. Before you do this, though, there are some things you'll need to know.
An Adobe Photoshop file is saved in the format "PSD." Think of this as an image type like .jpg or .png, except it would be saved as .psd. This means that you need to have Photoshop downloaded on your device to open any PSD files.
You can find mockup templates in PSD format online. Creative Market, for example, has lots of downloadable PSD t-shirt template files. Once you've found a template you like, open it in Photoshop, and you're ready to start editing!
Source: flowerchildmockups.com
The next step is to add your t-shirt design to the mockup template. There are some important things to keep in mind about this.
First, if you're placing a previously-saved image on top of your t-shirt mockup, it will need to be in PNG format. PNG files have transparent backgrounds, which means that only the design will appear on the t-shirt, not the background color.
However, if you use a JPG file, it won't have the same effect. The background will show up on your t-shirt, not just the image. So, make sure that any images you use have transparent backgrounds.
If you're only putting text on your t-shirt, you don't have to use an image file at all. Instead, you can use the text box in Photoshop to type your slogan or catchphrase directly onto the mockup. Just choose your font, style, and color, and type away!
T-Shirt Mockup Tips
Now that you know the basics, you're almost ready to get going! Here are some tips to help you create outstanding t-shirt mockups for your website.
Keep It Visible
Your custom t-shirt design is the star of the show. Whether it's a funny catchphrase, your business logo, or a carefully crafted art piece, your customers need to see what you've created.
Most t-shirt mockup templates should display your design pretty well, but consider all things. Make sure any creases or folds in the template don't mess up or alter your design in any way.
Stick With Your Theme
The theme or central purpose of your t-shirt should affect the template that you choose. For example, if you design children's clothing, you could choose a child model template or a template with a colorful and fun background.
Since your t-shirt mockups are a way for you to advertise, you need to keep your target audience in mind. The templates you select should reflect your theme.
If your clothing line is geared towards working professionals, you may want to select more businesslike and serious models. If you specialize in shirts with funny slogans or images, you can choose models who look happy or are laughing.
Pay Attention to the Details
T-shirt mockup templates come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. It's important that you consider all the different factors before deciding on one.
Make sure that the background of the template doesn't clash with your design or that the model's look doesn't contradict the t-shirt's message. You want it to look cohesive and purposeful. If you keep an eye out for the small things, it'll make your mockups look that much more professional.
Get Started On Your T-Shirts Today
If you're starting your own clothing line or t-shirt printing business, you need to start using a t-shirt mockup. In addition to its many advantages, it's fun and exciting and is sure to re-ignite your passion for t-shirt designing!
Choose a blank t-shirt from our many options to get started on your design today!
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