Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult situations anyone can endure. Many cultures have traditions regarding what is done for the passing of a loved one. Some people may seek ways to honor a loved one with a custom memorial T-shirt. Doing this can send a powerful and lasting message that honors your loved one for many years, and can also bring comfort to other family members in the grieving period.
American culture holds memorial T-shirts in high regard, as it is a common way to honor someone who has passed on. Especially on the east and west coasts, the act of honoring late rappers from the pop culture world has been gaining popularity since the early 2000’s. Shirts are most commonly worn to memorialize someone who has passed away too soon. The Shirt Guy Store offers custom t-shirts in Buffalo, N.Y.
Memorial T-Shirt Variables
Memorial T-shirts can send a strong message, and they’re also valuable because of how highly customizable they are. One can fully express themselves and portray the message of how they’d like with a creative picture being painted on the memorial T-shirt. Designs can be done by hand, but they typically last much longer—and look better—when designed and crafted by professionals.
Photo Selection Advice
The most popular and impactful memorial shirts designs are those that have a photo printed on the T-shirt. Being able to see the face of your loved one is the strongest way to make an impact as well as remembering them, as you’ll be able to see their face every time someone wears the shirt. Using a high quality image is important, as well as picking out a photo that promotes happy thoughts.
Ideal photos will depict your loved one in a healthy and happy state, dressed well and smiling. Avoiding any distractions such as bright clothing, or other people present in the background of the selected photo. It’s also important not to select a photo in which the loved one is too young, as many people may not recognize them. If the loved one had a prized possession they always kept around, finding a photo that includes the item may provide more comfort for families and friends.
Photo Borders
One of the most important aspects regarding photos for a memorial T-shirt are the borders. Ensuring that the photo is cropped well and adding a border frame to the image is essential. This provides your shirt a high-quality look. This even presents the opportunity to make a cut-out of the image, eliminating other distractions and background elements, and put it into a background that is blank and surrounded by neat borders.
High-Quality Resolution
A common mistake made by memorial shirts designers is selecting a low-resolution photo. When it comes to a photo printed on T-shirts, image quality is essential. Without a high resolution photo, it will be hard to see the departed on the memorial shirts in good detail. Even if the photo is high-quality, it’s essential to ensure that the photo being printed is in high resolution as well.
Design Elements
Once the best photo has been selected, the next step is to find out what sort of design elements suit the T-shirt design best. These elements bring the T-shirt to life and add extra information and comfort. These design elements can include
- Clip art
- Keywords
- Pre-made designs
- Phrases
These design elements add a unique touch to the memorial shirts, as well as making them more personal and relevant. Adding elements that are directly related to the departed will bring the entire T-shirt together. For example, adding clip art from hobbies or personal interests that the loved one had is always a great way to add warmth and remembrance. Pre-made designs are also a great way to implement something, but with a professional touch to it.
There are many popular memorial slogans that people use to honor their loved ones. Some of these include “In Loving Memory” or “Forever In Our Hearts.” These really wrap up the memorial T-shirt nicely and bring everything together.
Memorial slogans feature prominent lettering at the bottom or top of the photograph which further explains the remembrance. It is also important to select appropriate fonts. Picking one that isn’t too cartoony or bold is essential, as font choices are a key part of conveying the message.
Life Details
When remembering the life of a loved one, you may want to include relevant details on T-shirts such as life details. This includes their name, years they were alive for, what they were known for, and maybe a favorite quote for loved ones to remember them by.
Listing what they were known for can include lifetime achievements, how they treated others, important roles, credentials, and anything else they can be celebrated for. Adding information on family members is also sometimes a nice touch, as this adds a sense of closeness within the family.
The Shirt Guy Store
At The Shirt Guy Store—a shirt printing business that makes custom t-shirts in Buffalo, N.Y.—we want to provide you with the best service possible. You don’t need to be a graphic designer to have the perfect customized designed t-shirt, as we can do that for you!
Using our vast library of clip art and templates, our talented art department team is ready to help you create the perfect t-shirt. For more information on what we can do for you, or for any other questions, please contact us.