Printed T-shirts are the perfect promotional gift.

Salespeople always want their advertising strategies to be successful, achieve their marketing goals and leave a lasting positive impression on their target audience. One of the most cost-effective marketing strategies is gifting with promotional products, including promotional T-shirts.

Companies that use this type of marketing tactic want to gift products that will be used frequently and for a long time by their existing and potential customers. In addition, customers and business partners value gifts that have practical value, are pleasing to the eye and are quality made. Printed t-shirts, which are appropriately selected and produced, have all these listed properties.

The Advertising Speciality Institute research shows this product is retained and used by 63% of consumers for more than a year and 47% for more than two years or more. In addition, 80% of consumers have at least one at home, while Millennials have as many as five.

On average, gift recipients keep and use promotional T-shirts for as much as 14 months, which indicates the popularity of this type of product. In addition, the listed facts confirm that T-shirts are genuinely the perfect promotional gift. But if you're wondering why this is so, read on.
 

Promotional T-shirts and their history

Printing and T-shirts merged in the early 1950s when several Miami-based Florida companies began adorning this piece of clothing with resort names and logos. Still, promotional T-shirts became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. They became a product of art, protests, souvenirs and advertising.
 

The first promotional T-shirt was made in 1939 for The Wizard of Oz.

With them, people began to express their views, and companies like Coca-Cola and Disney found in them the perfect product to advertise. In the 21st century, the trend of their popularity is not declining, as they are worn by athletes, movie stars, musicians, models, intellectuals, and everyday people from babies to the elderly.
 

T-shirts with print are walking billboards.

One hundred years ago, this textile product was created as a solution for men's underwear. Cheap T-shirts were used mainly by workers and farmers. Today, however, the T-shirt has evolved into a trendy garment. Furthermore, it has developed into expressing yourself and your values. It is also used as an advertising tool for many companies and organizations. T-shirts with print are one of the deepest forms of individualistic expression. They are man's way of communicating with the world what is most important to him without saying words.

The power of advertising on them is indisputable, as it gives people who like the same band, for example, a sense of camaraderie and belonging. However, according to research by the Advertising Speciality Institute, a promotional T-shirt generates 3,400 impressions over its lifetime, which means that one that costs $ 7 has a CPI (cost per impression) of $ 0.002 per display. Such a price is challenging to achieve with any other form of advertising.

The first fact evident from the above data is that t-shirts are cheap, and most start-ups and small businesses can afford them. But, more importantly, there is another fact that shows how many times just one can increase the visibility of your company, product or service. Therefore, it is not uncommon for T-shirts with prints to be often referred to as "Walking Billboards" as a vast number of people sees them in their life cycle.

What do you need to know before ordering t-shirts with print?

This piece of clothing can, on the one hand, cause enthusiasm and the desire to have it yourself, that is, positive emotions, and on the other hand, it can also arouse resentment, fear and negative emotions. A poorly designed and low-quality product can have the opposite effect for a company that wants to make a name for itself. Therefore, it is always good to follow specific criteria before ordering:

• Material type: 100% cotton or ecologically organic cotton is usually the most suitable natural material for most people, but recently, artificial materials, such as fabrics made of quick-drying polyesters, have also become popular, especially among athletes.

• Fabric weight: The weight of a good and quality T-shirt for printing should be between 150 and 180 GSM (grams per square meter). Less weight means too thin textiles that can quickly destroy. They are not suitable for maintenance and not comfortable to wear. Greater weight means too thick clothing, which will cause us many headaches and discomfort on hot days.

• Size: The most commonly used sizes are S, M, L, XL and XXL, but due to the different size and dimension tables in Europe, the UK and the US, it is advisable to ask for samples before ordering so you can check the size and quality of the material yourself.

• Colour: It’s always good to opt for the colours that sell best and that people wear the most. This is especially true for neutral colours such as black, white, navy blue and grey, which are excellent for printing a logo or design. Furthermore, when choosing the colour of T-shirts, it is also necessary to adapt to the overall image of the company or organization.

• Accessories: Little things like the branded label, personalization, or original packaging can perfect your promotional T-shirt.

By following all the above criteria, you will ensure that your promotional T-shirt will always be in the top drawer of your existing and potential customers' homes.

What are the T-shirt printing techniques?

The best T-shirt printing techniques are:

• Screen printing is mainly used to print T-shirts in more significant editions. This is a technique where the colour is transferred directly to the shirt through a mesh, each colour separately. This T-shirt printing technique is ancient but still the most popular.

• Screen printing transfer is when the design is printed on a special paper called transfer in a screen printing technique. This is then transferred to the item with a heat press. Screen transfer is also used for printing tiny details on T-shirts, and with the addition of glue, we also achieve a very high absorption of colours into the base material.

• Digital transfer is a method where the logo is printed on a special foil using a printer. This foil can then be trimmed to the desired shape. Such a transfer is transferred to a T-shirt with a heat press.

• DTG (direct to garment) printing is a method where a special printer prints the design on the shirt directly. There are no colour restrictions with this technique, but the print price is relatively high, so we use it for small editions and the personalization of T-shirts.
   

Why should you include promotional T-shirts in your advertising strategy?

When it comes to company promotion, many different forms of advertising are available. Still, gifting is one of the most effective methods, while a T-shirt for printing is one of the most effective promotional products. The reasons for this are as follows:

• Walking billboard: If a piece of clothing is printed with your brand, everyone who wears it will advertise for you for free. This way, dressed pedestrians will become ambassadors of your brand.

• Practical value: As a piece of clothing, it can be worn every day, so the promotional T-shirt is handy. Promotional gifts are generally friendlier than other advertising forms and enter the gift recipient's private life. In this way, we achieve those most genuine feelings of the home environment.

• Affordable: Making promotional T-shirts is cost-effective compared to other ways of advertising, which will reflect in your company's budget. In addition, it will also offer you the opportunity to order more of these products and consequently better promotion. And remember, cheap T-shirts can also be quality, you just have to find the right supplier.

• A blank canvas for design: This piece of clothing offers much space for branding, printing a logo, slogan or even an advertising message. Quality design of promotional T-shirts can turn an advertising product into a fashionable piece of clothing that most will be happy to wear and thus advertise your company or brand.

• Available in different models: In general, there are many promotional T-shirts to choose from. You can order them for the youngest and the oldest, male or female models, different cuts and shapes, and various materials. The primary guideline should be quality, which is almost always the key to the success of an advertising campaign.

• Perfect workwear: A branded T-shirt will give employees a sense of being part of the same team and a greater sense of belonging to the company. It will ensure a tidy appearance among employees.

• They will never go out of fashion: This piece of clothing is a “classic” and people will always wear it. If you ensure that the T-shirt is of good quality and the printing on the T-shirts is durable, this promotional product will be in use for many years.

With all the above benefits, it is clear that a promotional T-shirt is the perfect promotional gift. It is timeless and serves as one of the best products to advertise your business.