A good design can change the way a person looks. That’s why so many people are interested in fashion and style trends. Designing your own clothes gives you a chance to show off your creativity. While many DIY articles teach how to customize apparel, we can show you how to create your designs from scratch! And, best of all, you don’t have to be an artist to do it. How to design apparel-
Whether you want to become a fashion designer or just put a little personal flair onto your clothes, there’s an easy way to add some of your designer styles to them– all without breaking the bank. Here’s how you can get started:
What is your style? How to design apparel
Do you have a specific color palette you want to stick with? Are there specific shapes or patterns that inspire you? Is there a certain mood associated with your brand (silly, sexy, elegant)? Take some time to figure out what style resonates with you and use this as a starting point for creating new designs.
Who is your customer?
After establishing your style, it’s time to think about your customer. Are they male or female? What age group do they fall into? What is their income level? You’ll have to decide if you’re going to be targeting one customer segment or multiple customer segments. An excellent way to determine this is by looking at who buys apparel from similar brands. If all of their customers are men between the ages of 25 and 35 who make over $50k per year, then it might be safe to assume that this is the ideal demographic for this type of product.
The Next Steps:
- Choose a piece of clothing you want to design. If you’re just starting out, pick something simple like a t-shirt or pair of jeans.
- Gather your supplies. You’ll need sharpies, fabric paint or paint pens, and anything else you want to experiment with. You can also use an iron-on transfer paper to print images from the computer onto your clothing.
- Decide what you want to do with it. This step is the hardest because there are so many options! You can choose to makeover your clothes with paint, bedazzle them, or even make them into something completely new. Some ideas are to cut up old t-shirts and sew them together in a new way, dye your clothes different colors or even add studs, sequins or other embellishments to make them unique!
- Start designing! There are no rules when it comes to fashion–the only thing that really matters is if you like what you’ve created!
There are different ways to produce apparel, How to design apparel:
Bespoke/custom work is done by hand or by pattern makers who produce one item at a time. This approach can be expensive and time-consuming but may be ideal if you want very involved clothing or to have only one or two sample garments as an example.
- Flat Printing- How to design apparel
This is the most common method of printing apparel. It uses the same technology as a typical desktop printer, but the inks are specially made to adhere to polyester and cotton fabrics. This type of apparel is washed after being printed, which causes the material to shrink. Because of this, it’s best to print a few extra shirts in case there are any sizing issues after washing.
- Plastisol Transfer
A plastisol transfer is a thin piece of polyester that has been pre-printed with plastisol inks. The transfer is then adhered to your shirt using a heat press. This method works well for full-color designs that require more than one ink color due to the design process. Also, since it’s on top of the shirt, you can feel the printed texture.
- Cut and Sew
The cut-and-sew method is one of the most common methods used by clothing manufacturers. The process starts with individual fabric pieces cut out and assembled together. These pieces are then sewn together using a machine or by hand. Finally, the product is completed with finishing touches such as buttons, zippers, etc. The cut-and-sew method is typically used to create more complex designs. Although it takes longer to produce, the intricate details make it worth it.
- Full Dye Sublimation
For full dye sublimation, the artwork is printed onto paper, then placed on polyester fabric or other synthetic material with a heat press. Since the artwork goes directly into the fibers, this method allows for unlimited colors and patterns. The full dye-sublimation method can be used to produce various products, including T-shirts, hoodies, towels, beach blankets, and more — as long as they are made out of polyester or other synthetic materials like spandex or nylon. This method will not work on cotton because cotton fibers cannot withstand high temperatures without burning.
- Screen Printing
This is a traditional method of apparel production that involves using blocks of metal to imprint a design on blank garments. The critical benefit of screen printing is its versatility. You can print on just about any material: cotton, polyester, nylon and blends all work fine. Because it uses ink rather than fabric, it can be used on dark-colored clothing and light-colored. The color palette available through screen printing is also extremely wide, so complex designs are easy to achieve.
- Direct-to-Garment printing
Unlike screen printing, direct-to-garment printing doesn’t require any screens or blocks. Instead, printers use inkjet technology to lay down ink directly onto clothing. The process is more time-consuming than screen printing, but it allows companies to create highly detailed graphics on a smaller number of garments.
- Direct-to-film Printing
Direct-to-film printing has emerged as a popular technique in apparel design. This innovative method involves transferring intricate and vibrant designs directly onto the fabric, bypassing the need for traditional screen printing processes. By utilizing advanced digital technology, direct-to-film printing ensures remarkable detail and color accuracy, resulting in visually striking and durable garments. The STS Mutoh DTF printer stands out for its exceptional performance and reliability in direct-to-film printing for apparel design.
- Embroidery
Embroidery produces beautiful, high-quality results but is often expensive and time-consuming. Most embroidered products are sold at the higher end of the market and feature a simple logo or design. The embroidery process involves using a needle and thread to create an image on a garment. Embroidery can be used with all sorts of different materials, including cotton, fleece, wool and microfiber. It is particularly effective on polo shirts, caps and jackets as it creates a durable finish that stands up well to everyday wear and tears.
The Final Word
The process of designing apparel ranges in difficulty based on the complexity of the product and your individual level of experience. However, if you work well under pressure, enjoy challenges, and are looking to get into the clothing industry, go for it! Turn your designs into a moneymaking empire. Your designs show your identity to the world, so don’t feel obligated to worry about their flaws because we all have them. You learn about yourself as an artist and business person by making them.
