In case you missed it, Threadless has just announced about its new inks and print methods for artists to use for on their designs (via Death by T-shirt). Designers can now include up to 8 colors on their designs and occupy specialty inks like Super Glow, Puff, High Density, Suede, UV color change, Shimmer, Metallic clear, Glitter, Blister; and heat-applications (flock, vinyl and foils). Most of them which I've never heard before, but explanation are up on the PDF file.
I believe it's good move by Threadless as a leading company in a online T-shirt design competition industry; and on the other hand, a major blowout for Design by Humans*.
The question is, do we need those fancy prints?
I don't know about you but, really, my love for tees are because its simplicity and ease of care-taking -- just throw them up to wash machine if you want to get it clean. But some specialty inks might be too fragile that you can only wash manually "with care and love". That's why, sometime T-shirts with specialty print can put me off although they’re pretty good looking.
Of course this question only be answered by Threadless community, whether they like it or not. Or alternatively, which I suggest, Threadless can print their tees with two printing mode: usual screen-printing or with specialty inks/prints.
*Design by Humans (DBH) is a new company holds similar competition to what Threadless does. What make it comparable to Threadless was prize offered up which up to $5,000 in cash; figures that many smaller competitors couldn't afford. DBH was seen better than Threadless since it offers more printing technique for artists to play with than what Threadless did (before this announcement).
**check also new prints from Pistol Clothing (a customised-tee print company)
3 comments:
Design by humans international shipping : 25.49 dollar. That's ridiculous.
My gut feeling on the new Threadless printing techniques is that we'll probably only ever see one or two shirts a week that take advantage of it. I think Threadless recognizes that its bread and butter is simple pun and parody shirts, which don't really require anything more than a basic screenprint.
Personally, I'm drawn to more advanced techniques (especially inks that add dimension and texture to a print, like suede and flock) so I'm glad that I can buy some of that from Threadless in the future. To compete in the market of artistic shirts, it was a change that needed to be made.
it all depends on how well the designer can put in the different inks and have it mesh conceptually and physically with the design. more tools are always better.
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