Let’s be honest not everyone who designs clothing is hand-drawing every clothing item and is capable of painting a lovely image. One of the beautiful things about fashion is that you do not need to be an artist in the traditional sense to be capable of creating unique designs. So how are people able to make their clothing designs? Most people choose to use design websites to help their ideas come to life.
The Top Five Websites to Help You Design Clothes are:
- Spreadshirt.com
- Cafepress.com
- Apliiq.com
- Contrado
- Printful.com
Just keep in mind that since these are just websites, the majority of their offerings will be limited. Options will typically include selecting the clothing article you want, its color, material, and patches to name a few items.
If you are looking for a more in-depth 3-D rendering of a clothing item you will need to use designing software. Since they can offer you more options due to their coding capabilities and tools provided. However, a nice option that websites provide is the option to create your design for you, with some offering store and shipping options as well.
While each website offers similar products and opportunities to one another these are our top five picks for a reason. So, we will highlight the pros and cons of each site that we found to provide you with all the details you will need to start designing your clothing items.
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Spreadshirt.com
Spreadshirt is a great option for anyone interested in creating a design rather quickly. Their design options allow you to decide on the type of clothing you want to create (these range from t-shirts to polos, bibs, face masks, and sweatpants) with several design options available to customers.
If you are just beginning and have no idea about the type of designs you are looking for or what exactly you want yet, no worries. They have a section of pre-made designs that you can peruse and use if you choose to. This can be an easy way to create initial designs and see how a product may perform with your demographic before you put the effort into a brand new design. It allows you to have options if you are new to designing clothing, which can be quite helpful.
You can also add text to your design, with different fonts, text sizes, and placement options at your disposal to create the design in your head.
Another plus for Spreadshirt is that if you choose to buy your designs from them, they have no minimum purchase amounts. You can buy one or two of each to see how they perform and go from there without needing to store extra inventory. They do also provide discounts on bulk orders, which could come in handy if your designs are in high demand.
Cafepress.com
Cafepress allows you to design your clothing with any premade images or photographs that you may have. All you have to do is upload them to their website and you can begin planning out their placement, size, and so on. They do offer custom designs for t-shirts, hoodies, aprons, hats, blankets, and more.
This means that you have the opportunity to expand your design options beyond typical fashion pieces if you want to. It is never a bad thing to have options and choices when it comes to designing items since fads and trends are constantly evolving.
One downside to Cafepress however, is their color selection with only eleven colors being offered when you create your design, so if you want a specific color or shade you will not want to purchase your designs (on the clothing) from this company as they do offer that option as well.
Apliiq.com
If you are interested in creating designs with patches, embroidery, appliques, or pocket tees this is the website for you. They offer several design features and options that other sites do not, which can allow your designs and clothing to stand out. There are also eco-friendly options listed on their site if your brand is environmentally conscious.
Their color selection appears to be broad with twenty-plus colors, a multitude of patterns, and more being offered as design options. This enables designers to create their designs with little to no additional work being required.
This site is also small business-friendly as you can buy the designs yourself to sell, sell them on Shopify and have the company create and ship them for you, or add a private label to your clothing that gets printed with them. Allowing a small designer who is just beginning to have more opportunities to ship and sell their items.
They require no minimums, offer worldwide shipping, and have a two-week turnaround time for designs. Those are options that not every small designer could have from the get-go.
Contrado
Contrado is the site for you if you want to design your fabric to go along with your clothing. They offer both options allowing you to create more unique and custom designs for your clothing beyond solid colors and more standard prints.
They also offer different t-shirt styles and fits allowing you to further tailor your items to match the vision that you have. They do also offer wholesale order options and dropshipping to allow you to be more hands-off with the items after the design is made. This option may be ideal for someone who enjoys designing clothing as a hobby but does not intend to make a full-time job out of it.
The downside to this site is that its prices are generally higher than the other options we mentioned. This is due to their high-quality materials, their items are hand-stitched, and created within two days on average. These prices on top of the cut that the site will take for making and shipping the item can cut away at your profit margins.
Printful.com
Now Printful has one of the most in-depth design processes out of this grouping. This is all thanks to their Design Maker which allows you to make product designs, create mock-ups, and more all from their website. This is the best part of the site as you can then take your mock-ups elsewhere if you want to compare prices or ideas.
They allow you to truly customize your design to the fullest extent that a website can. From the label to the sleeves, adding clipart, premium designs, and more you can use their resources to create your design or start from scratch on their site. They offer a wide variety of colors, prints, and options for you to use.
This site also offers printing or embroidery as options, which may not sound like much but it is more variety than your typical design website. They also offer resources and video tutorials to help make the design process as seamless and efficient as possible. This means that anyone, tech-savvy or not, can design clothing items they like and feel confident while doing so.
So the top five websites to help you design clothes are Spreadshirt.com, Cafepress.com, Apliiq.com, Contrado, and Printful.com. These sites have been chosen for their design options, ease of use, and options beyond just creating a design. There is a website for anyone looking to design their clothes.
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Related Questions
Do I have to purchase the clothing items I design on these websites?
Yes, you will have to purchase these items the majority of the time. If you are using a website to design clothing you should be prepared to order the items from that same site. It’s one way that they can ensure a profit from their site. Not that it is a requirement per se, it just makes the process easier as you know for sure that they have the style, prints, fonts, and so on that you want. Most of them do offer no minimums for purchases and thirty-day money-back guarantees which is a nice reassurance to have.
How does dropshipping work when it comes to clothing?
Dropshipping essentially means that you will not need to worry about housing or creating your inventory. Once you create the designs and post your items, the website will create your article and mail it whenever one is sold. This is great for those who want to earn passive income and be relatively hands-off with their items as it does not require much from you after the initial design is made and an agreement is reached.
How do I know if I should use a website or software to create my design?
Websites are ideal for those who are creating simpler designs. By this, we simply mean that there are no frill, gradient colors, or extra stitching required for the design. Once you add those elements to a design the silhouette can drastically change and that is when a 3D rendering offered by a software program can be more beneficial to you. Programs also require you to later find your manufacturer whereas websites can usually create your design for you.
To learn more about how to start your own fashion clothing line check out my startup documents here
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.
Meet Shawn Chun: Entrepreneur and Fashion Business Fan.
I’m a happy individual who happens to be an entrepreneur. I have owned several types of businesses in my life from a coffee shop to an import and export business to an online review business plus a few more and now I create online resources for those interested in starting new ventures. It’s demanding work but I love it. I do it for those passionate about their business and their goals. That’s why when I meet a designer or boutique owner at a craft fair, farmers market, retail location or anywhere else I see myself. I know how hard the struggle is to retain clients, find good employees and keep the business growing all while trying to stay competitive.
That’s why I created Fashion Business Boss: I want to help fashion business owners like you build a thriving business that brings you endless joy and supports your ideal lifestyle.