This is topic Theatre T Shirt Designs in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 08-09-2010, 06:39 PM:
 
I'm interested in getting some shirts made for the staff and maybe to sell to the public if I think they are good enough. Anyone out there have some good t shirt design ideas?
 

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Posted by David E. Nedrow (Member # 4981) on 08-09-2010, 07:40 PM:
 
This is the Tri City, correct?

Your logo is a little plain, so I might try to do something with the Tri part of the name, maybe a stylized map or something. You know, 3 stars laid out in the approximate map locations of the three cities with a star for the theatre, etc. Maybe make your own "constellation". Assuming there are 3 cities. There are 3 cities, right?

-David
 

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Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 08-09-2010, 10:44 PM:
 
Well, I didn't name the theatre. It was around ten years before I took over. There are three cities in our county though (Jackson, Wellston, and Oak Hill).
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 08-09-2010, 11:33 PM:
 
Maps, even simple ones, will probably be too complicated to function in a proper logo design. Lots of people think they know how to design logos (and even get paid doing so) when all they're really doing is creating graphical illustrations.

The AT&T "Death Star", the Merrill Lynch bull and Target's bullseye are true logos. Dolby's double d is one of the most recognizable logos. A true logo is a symbol that can be reduced to a small size or be legible at long distances (like the McDonald's golden arches).

Sometimes a logo is just lettering, like the Coca-Cola script. A brand "signature" can feature a logo along with brand lettering. The most successful designs still strive to keep things simple so the brand is still legible at small point sizes.

Logo design philosophy aside, one thing I would do is get consistent with the type families that are going to be used on the T-shirts and anything else. The image I saw on the web site featured a sign on the building with type set in Futura Extra Bold. But the other lettering super-imposed on the image is set in another unrelated typeface. Futura may be a plain looking san-serif type family, but it has many different weights and is more versatile and compatible with various themes than most fancy display typefaces. Futura can be used in attractive ways. I liked how it was used in the trailers and opening titles of Watchmen.

I think the real trick with the t-shirt design is deciding on what sort of theme to follow. What kind of imagery best represents the theater? Is there something this theater has which none of the nearby theaters offer?
 

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Posted by David E. Nedrow (Member # 4981) on 08-10-2010, 11:36 AM:
 

quote: Bobby Henderson

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Maps, even simple ones, will probably be too complicated to function in a proper logo design.

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Right. That's why I noted that it should be stylized. For example, playing on the triple city aspect of the name, a stylized "T" with each of the points representing the relative locations of the towns. Luckily, the layout of the towns works for a portrait oriented device, so a capital T-style logo can be derived.

I'm not saying that it's a genius idea, but I think generally theatre/business T-shirts work best if they have some bold, recognizable graphic element. I'm not a fan of just having the business name.

Here's a quick and dirty...


 

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Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 08-10-2010, 12:21 PM:
 
Matt, once you settle on a design, I suggest you look into these guys: Queensboro Shirt Company We've run thru quite a number of companies and never found one that hit the mark on all fronts -- price, turn-over time, price, embroidery and silkscreen ability with no setup charges, customer service, all cotton shirts of very high quality and, oh yah, price! Then we found Queensboro. Now we get all our shirts, caps and polos from then and couldn't be happier. And they will do a minimum order of, get this, 4 shirts, which is unheard of in the custom shirt business.

Highly recommended.
 

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Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 08-10-2010, 12:33 PM:
 
Another vote for Queensboro Shirts Co. We use them and like Frank, will continue to do so. You can save a bundle if you catch one of their sales.
 

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Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 08-10-2010, 01:44 PM:
 
Thanks for the advice.

While the name of the theatre is Tri City, we fortunately draw from a larger, multiple county area, so I'm not sure if I want to emphasize the three towns in the logo/shirt. I guess I'm looking for some kind of clever slogan/idea as well as a logo to put on the shirt. A parody of some kind maybe.

David- You're with the Grandview, correct? I used to work for the Franks in the late nineties (don't hold that against me) before I struck out on my own. Its been a long time since I've been there, but always liked the Grandview (remember seeing The Full Monty and Run Lola Run there).
 

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Posted by David E. Nedrow (Member # 4981) on 08-10-2010, 03:58 PM:
 

quote: Matt Fields

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David- You're with the Grandview, correct? I used to work for the Franks in the late nineties (don't hold that against me) before I struck out on my own.

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quote: Frank Angel

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Queensboro Shirt Company

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