Posts Tagged ‘clothing design’
Eightyone Design featured in Images Magazine
Images Magazine is a publication produced for textile screen printing, embroiders and garment decorators. It has a circulation of around 10,000 across the UK and Europe.
We were recently featured in Images Magazine showcasing the Summer 08 collection of World Beach Rugby Clothing. The magazine discovered our blog through Google and read our post about how we created the WBR Summer clothing range. Soon enough the magazine got in contact and asked to feature the article. We were more than happy to be included in the publication and thrilled they found us through Google.
We have just had the magazine delivered to our door and are really pleased with the article and the photography! Click here to download a pdf of the magazine and check out the article.
Have you been recently featured in a magazine / publication for a project you are particularly proud of? Are you finding a lot of people are finding through Google? Let us know your tales and stories!
Tags: blog, clothing design
Posted in Blogging, Freelancing, T-shirt / Clothing design | 3 Comments »
Designing the Winter 08/09 WBR World Beach Rugby Clothing Range
As we have previously mentioned (WBR World Beach Rugby Summer 08 T-shirt Design and Development) we have been involved for the last 2 years in designing clothing for a rugby brand called World Beach Rugby (or WBR). In the post above we discuss how we developed the Summer 08 clothing range. After completion of the Summer 2008 range we started work straight away on the Winter 2008/09 additions. We completed these back in May and the items are now available for purchase through the Lovell Rugby online store. In this post we show you the design and development process we went through to create the garments which were added to the WBR range.
Back in April 2008 we met with the guys at Lovell Rugby and discussed their direction for the Winter collection of WBR. They wanted to extend their range of rugby shirts and wanted these to be branded with an imaginary team and crest. We decided upon four team names. We also discussed the sort of colour scheme required which was to feature washed out and distressed charcoals, maroons and browns. They also wanted the patching and neck labels to be slightly different to the summer range to reflect a more vintage and traditional style. We then set to work creating the crests.
In our initial meetings, we had discussed the use of traditional heraldry crests with full decoration. Initially we sketched out four different crest designs ensuring that the overall shape of each of the designs were quite different, allowing them to be distinctive at a glance.
After re-drawing the crests into Illustrator to create ultra crisp vectors we then started on the neck and side patches. They were to have a vintage, yet heraldry feel to them and include the WBR logo design. Including the WBR logo posed quite a problem as it is quite modern and curved which is quite removed from the vintage feel we were going for. So instead of trying to disguise or hide the logo we put it center stage and decorated around it. This branding was then applied to a new set of swing tickets which were to be attached to the garments.
The next step in the design process was to create various colour options. We chose dark tones due to the season and teamed this up with the vintage colours that had been requested. A month later the designs were revealed to the client as well as the clothing manufacturer. They were both happy with the designs. However, some of the crests were too detailed for mass embroidery so some minor amendments were made to the artwork to make the designs slightly bolder.
Once we had received the final pre-production samples we paid another visit to our favourite photographer Mike Evans who produced some beautiful shots for the website and brochure.
Although we were only adding a few extra garment designs to the existing WBR World Beach Rugby Range, this was still quite an involved design process. These sort of classic rugby club crest designs were something we had not put our hand to before. This combined with adding a new ‘vintage style’ to the existing range really took us out of the comfort zone which we had built over the previous 3 ranges. We had all new base garments to work with which meant new fabrics, new finishes and new textures to work around.
Despite this, we are very pleased with the final products. But what do you think of the designs? Is there a project where you have had to try to create something a little out of your comfort zone?
Tags: clothing design, Logo Design, Portfolio, T-shirt / Clothing design
Posted in Portfolio, T-shirt / Clothing design | No Comments »
T-Shirt Design Tips!
Every graphic designer thinks that t-shirt design is easy money - create a website, create your own t-shirt designs and before you know it the whole world and their dog will be wearing your designs on their chest. Unfortunately as most designers eventually realise this isn’t often the case. Graphic design can be a very personal thing and just because you would be proud to wear your designs doesn’t mean that others will.
If you are hell bent on going into t-shirt design here are a few very simple rules to keep you on track:
Theme Your Shirt
Having a theme to your t-shirt design is a good idea. However usually one theme is enough, you don’t want people staring at your t-shirt like a magic eye painting trying to figure out what it is. Keep it simple!
Copyright Rules!
If you are running out of ideas to complete your collection do not be tempted to use stock designs or photography that breeches the copyright - you cannot use other peoples designs on your product and sell them - you are selling something that is not yours.
Not a Novel
Nice bold text can look great on a t-shirt, however do not be tempted to write a novel. People will not be able to read all the text and the most popular t-shirt design tends to be clear and simple.
B**?!! Naughty Words
You may think that writing a blue joke or scribbling a naughty picture on a t-shirt constitutes a great design, and a small proportion of your market may agree with you. However there is a time and a place for those types of things, and many people can be very offended by your design.
Grainy Pictures
There is no problem with putting pictures on a t-shirt (unless they fall in line with the category above!), but always ensure that they are good enough quality, no one wants to wear a t-shirt with a pixilated, blurry image on.
KISS - Keep it Simple Stupid!
As I’ve mentioned earlier don’t go OTT - especially when it comes to special prints. Raised print, applique, metallic ink, flocking… (the list is endless) are all excellent applications and can make your designs stand out, but make sure you use them in moderation otherwise you’ll be left with a frankenstein design with a mixture of themes and textures confusing the eye.
Yoke, Back and Sleeves
Don’t forget that designs don’t have to be limited to just the chest, work other areas of the t-shirt to create more of unique feel, this also gives the impression of added value to your piece.
Swing Tickets and Labels
Have you thought about how you are going to display key information that your t-shirt has to include ie sizes, washing instructions, bar codes etc? If you leave these till last they will look like an after thought and not part of the t-shirt. A simple t-shirt can be given a new lease of life with a funky well thought out side patch and inside label.
Creating successful t-shirt designs and seeing other people wearing your garments can feel amazing, knowing that they like your designs so much that they want to wear them is a huge compliment. However trying to sell 10,000 florecent orange t-shirts with a pornographic image on at a boot sale is not an amazing feeling. Tread carefully and follow the tips above and you should be on your way to creating a fantastic range of t-shirts!
Tags: clothing design, T-shirt / Clothing design
Posted in Graphic Design | 1 Comment »