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A two part guide to starting your own T shirt label. Part 1, Market Research, Design and Label.

So you want to start a T shirt fashion label? This could be part of an endeavour to sell your own t-shirt designs or to provide a custom T shirt printing service for customers. Whatever your business plans, the first step to success is market research.

Research:
As any business advisor worth his salt will tell you: Know your market! Identify what age range, gender and class you want to market your t-shirt label too and study the fashion trends of this group, if you want to provide a custom t-shirt printing business then study the marketing, websites and styles of established T shirt printers.

Design:
This should be guided by the results of your market research. T shirt printing technique, cut, and the fabric for your t-shirts should be based upon the prevailing trends of your rivals; there’s plenty of room for innovation in your actual printed t shirt designs once you’ve met the expectations of your target buyer.

Label:
The all important t-shirt label; this is your brand and a promise to the consumer that any t shirt bearing this label will meet with your t shirt printing, style and fabric quality promise. Try out lots of different names, but focus on adjectives and nouns which resonate with your target market. So if, for example, your t shirt designs are for young academics, try something like “Geek Pie”.

Read on in the next part of this guide to find out how to source your t shirts for printing and to find advice on the all important process of choosing between screen printing and digital direct to garment printing which will complete your journey to becoming a fully fledged fashion label.