There are many factors to consider when deciding on a t-shirt for your next promotion. When making your decision, choose a shirt that is going to best represent the culture of your company and brand message. Ultimately the #1 concern is that the shirt is worn by the masses.

Keeping in mind, we can compress any 100% cotton t-shirt; here are some points to think about when choosing your tee:

1.) Brand- Selecting a quality brand that you can trust is essential- Hanes, Gildan, Fruit of the Loom, Alternative Apparel, American Apparel, Anvil, Port & Company, Monster, Jerzees, & District Threads are just a few brands that we use. These brands have dependable stock, an assortment of colors, and quality control. It comes down to personal preference when deciding between them.

2.) Style- Knowing who your target audience is will help you decide what style to use. We can supply ring spun, fashion fit, women’s cut, youth, and long-sleeve shirts. You can even mix styles as long as your artwork remains the same on the shirts.

3.) Print- When selecting your tee it is important to decide what the role of the artwork printed on it will be. You want a shirt that is going to compliment your artwork and give it some pop. Sometimes the artwork will dictate what shirt you print on. For instance, digitally printed shirts used for complex images are printed on either white or light colored shirts.

4.) Color- Most brands offer an array of shirt colors ranging from the basic red to a pigment dyed or ringer tee. Some shirt colors are based on specific PMS colors, so if you want to match your company logo PMS to that of the shirt, it can often be done. This helps further brand your order and message.

5.) Cost- Budget is always a factor. Your most cost effective route is our stock white shirt. This is a basic 5.6oz heavyweight that is commonly used for promotions and is always a safe choice.

Once you have determined the tee you can move forward to putting together a promotion that will work for your company. Tee Compressed is here to assist you. We have a highly trained staff that knows apparel and can help you every step of the way.

Industry: Automotive
Company Promotion: Customer Appreciation Giveaway

Result: Our neighbor down the road, Encinitas Foreign and Domestic Auto (EFADAR) was already a client of our sister division Durrani Design when they asked us about creating a new customer loyalty marketing campaign. We suggested the 3D custom compressed t-shirt shape and they loved the idea. Our design division at Durrani was already managing all of their website design, marketing and search engine optimization so it made sense for us to also come up with the design for their new compressed t-shirts.

Our team took care of every detail for EFADAR: we designed the actual screen print for the t-shirt, shot the photos of their classic Corvair signature surf van, designed the insert card and custom 3D shape and even included the new cutout promotional coupon for their customers. The EFADAR surfboard Corvair truck is a well known icon in the little surf town of Encinitas, so when these 3D compressed t-shirt shapes hit the shelves, they were a huge hit. The order was also split between 3 different t-shirt colors to give the recipient a choice of shirt (the more the recipient likes the shirt, the more often it will be worn). Recipients were also directed towards the company website to enter to win a free auto detail by simply submitting their email address (email addresses are a great tool for marketing campaigns).

We really get excited about projects like this. It lets us really flex our creative muscle and come up with a great campaign start to finish and includes our design team, staff photographers and marketing group.

Compressed t-shirts come in hundreds of shapes including the 3D custom shape shown below. The 3D shape is achieved by using 3 printed insert cards and wrapping all sides of the compressed t-shirt, instead of just the usual front and optional back. With compressed t-shirts you get double the promotional value: first with the compressed shirt and second with people walking around town wearing the t-shirt promoting your company.

Industry: Electrical / Diagnostic
Company Promotion: Trade Show Giveaway

Result: API ordered a classic black t-shirt printed with their logo and information to give away to prospects and customers at trade shows through out the year. This will surely give API a surge of business when the recipients wear these walking billboards.

I often get the question about how or when a custom shape is utilized.  We offer hundreds, in fact over 500, stock shapes that are versatile.  A light bulb can look like a hot air balloon, or a clown.  There are a multitude of categories to choose from including food/beverage, transportation, gaming/sports, the list goes on and on.  We also have the basics- the square, circle or disc shape, and rectangles to choose from.

But, sometimes none of these choices hit the mark.  For instance, I am working on an order for an automotive company.  The surf van they use on their website, and in print has duel purpose.  It represents their industry but also their culture, since they are a beach side shop.  We went through the transportation shapes to see if their specific van could fit in one of our stock vehicle shapes.  The answer was no…we came close but agreed that we wanted an exact fit of their van as the shape.  Therefore, we decided to create a custom shape. 

So, to answer the question how or when the custom shape is utilized- it’s used to brand your company message, whether the message is promoting your company with an exact fit of your logo in a shape or a specific product that has a unique or new shape to it.  Often times a stock shape can convey the message, but in the case where it isn’t the right fit turn to a custom shape to really stand out and make your company memorable.

Custom shapes can be used at any quantity.  The mold is free at 3,000 units or more.  You can trust that if Tee Compressed doesn’t have the stock shape you are looking for, a custom shape can be created to meet your needs.