People nowadays are attracted more and more to non-standard t-shirts, with designs that draw attention and make them stand out of the crowd. We know that the number of designers is continuously growing, and, for them, there is a place for competition, a place where they can get the chance to print their design and probably see it on the street, on someone’s t-shirt. Along with the increasing number of t-shirt designers, the number of crowd-sourcing sites which promote artists by launching attractive contests is also enlarging. These online market sites are gathering active members/ designers who play an active role in bringing out new styles, ideas, concepts, mixtures and through them, gaining the worldwide recognition they deserve. Designers are being challenged to create not only for the sake of the money, as for art itself.
We’ve made a TOP 5 of the most popular and enticing competition sites, based on their popularity, innovative system and prizes.
We’ve made a TOP 5 of the most popular and enticing competition sites, based on their popularity, innovative system and prizes.
Considered the “Godfather” of t-shirt voting site in online t-shirt market industry, Threadless founded in 2000. The main idea came as a thread on a forum, and their goal was not to make profit, but to have fun with t-shirt designs. Their popularity spread so much due tot their concept based on an online community members, submitting their designs and actively participating in the voting system. It’s that community that led the company to its way to success. In their beginnings, the prize for a winning t-shirt was $ 50, but it increased from the moment the company enlarged it’s profit, to $ 2,000 cashfor a winning t-shirt, plus $ 500 Threadless Gift Certificate (that can be redeemed for $ 200 cash), $ 500 cash, if the design is reprinted, and up to $ 10,000 more if you win a “Bestee”in the Threadless annual awards. As guidelines, only 5 colours are allowed for a design project. Threadless prints a thousand copies of a winning design, in order to be sold, and another 2 old ones, which get the chance to be reprinted. Also, based on rating scale ranging from 0 to 5, the top six designs get printed. The company increased their product line also by printing on kids size t-shirts, hoodies and longsleeves, and has released their first store in Chicago in 2007, where the tees are changing every Friday, offering diversity and keeping up with new trends. Due to its huge community
(more than 700,000), it’s good to know that the main customers are the site’s members, and that thousand t-shirts are selling because it’s cool to have a t-shirt that is rare, and has very slim chances to get reprinted (except for the successive and great demands). Because it was the first, the most innovative, and having the biggest prizes, Threadless certainly deserves the first place into out top.
(more than 700,000), it’s good to know that the main customers are the site’s members, and that thousand t-shirts are selling because it’s cool to have a t-shirt that is rare, and has very slim chances to get reprinted (except for the successive and great demands). Because it was the first, the most innovative, and having the biggest prizes, Threadless certainly deserves the first place into out top.
DesignByHumans is centered on the same idea as Threadless where artists can buy into the opportunity to expose their talented skills, in order to snag the prizes put on stake. The winners are chosen from the designs submitted by and voted by site members anddepending on the number of votes received, the most popular one gets printed. The main thing that differentiates DesignByHumans from Threadless is that, in this case, for t-shirt designs, are allowed up to 14 colors, as well as gradients and half-tones, and the designers can make use of 8 different printing technologies, ranging from fuzzy text to embroidered. This things offer the designers a greater area for their imagination field, giving them the opportunity to express their talent on their maximum amount. The innovative contests that attract designers are “Shirt of the day” (5 wins per week) rewarded with $ 750 ($500 cash, $250 credit for the site), “Shirt of the Week”, which gets $ 1,000 cash, and “Shirt of the Month”, whose designer receive $ 1750 ($ 1500 cash, and $ 250 credit). Designers have also another possibility to get paid, depending on the number of t-shirts sold over the life of the design, and that is called the “DBH Rock Star Awards”. Although it has lower prizes, DBH is considered by some artists more appropriate for submittingtheir designs, because they think it’s more supporting.
Almightys reveals a consistent social network, having plenty of new ideas and resources. They even have a “T-shirt design guide”, with examples of previous winners. The voting system is based on members. They give the vote, then the site takes into consideration the top 3 designs that have achieved the most votes or comments. The winners earn commissions based on the sales of their shirts, ranging from two to one euros for a sold tee (that depends which place did the t-shirt design won in the contest). That’s a great encouraging for the designers, because, the more the site sells, the more the designer receives.
The designer can win a gold, silver or bronze prize. The gold prize consists in 2 euros per tee for the first 50 sales, while earning the silver prize, the designer receives 1,50 euros for every shirt.
Teetonic provides a non-stop, themeless competition, encouraging entrants to expose their designs to the public, and let the site’s community vote it, rate it, comment upon it or even make it the winner. Unlike the other sites we’ve mentioned, Teetonic in location based, having the biggest community in Scotish customers. The highest rated designs win 100 cash for the prize. To this, Teetonic offers the designer 50p for every tee design that the site sells. The designer also gets a high-quality t-shirt with his own design on it. As comparing Teetonic to DesignByHumans or Threadless, the prizes are not so attractive, but the site still provides plenty of good work.
If we’ve mentioned about the fact that is cool to have a rare and limited t-shirt, take a look at this site, and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. TeeFury prints no more than one tee per day. The winning designer gets $ 1 per shirt sold, and, the most important, maintains full rights to their artwork (on DBH, the sites takes the full rights of the posted design, even if it’s a winner or not ). The site’s community plays a crucial role in sustaining the winner. They have to decide quickly if they want to buy the tee or not, because the design is on sale only for 24 hours, and after that, it’s gone for good, and another one takes its place. The price for a tee is pretty good, only $9 per tee, plus $2 for shipping. That’s a limited-edition every day in its true meaning, and stimulates any designer to become the winner of the day.
I hope this helps for you designers out there, and you take the good decision submitting to the most attractive one for you. Good luck everybody in getting the prizes and the respect you deserve.
Nice post, TeeFury seems interesting. Also, all of the links in the post from DBH on point to DesignByHumans, for what it’s worth.
Tx for the comment, George, DBH is also our favorite. Good luck if you are going to submit. Also, interesting site.. the Logo Contest :). Do you know about http://www.99designs.com ?
Yeah, Threadless is definitely the top t-shirt design competition site out there. It’s good that they award designers with $2,000 for their designs, but one top of that they, have the Bestee awards, which gives $20,000 for design of the year. I like their whole business model in general.
I like threadless and I think it’s cool that the shirts are all sorta rare there, but at the same time, I hate it. Not only is it annoying if you never get the chance to buy a shirt because it’s time has already come and gone, but as a designer, you’re basically paid to put your design in a grave. Once it’s printed, it most likely won’t be printed again, and you own no rights. Bye bye, design.
Interesting article!
thank you for your post. i also have discovered Monsieur Poulet, it is in french but also in enlgish. 2 euros par saled t shirt.
how to add my design for competition,thank you……
,..] blog.tshirt-factory.com is another relavant source of information on this topic,..]
As a Newbie, I am always searching online for articles that can help me. Thank you
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I’m surprised that you don’t mention shirt.woot.com.
Their contest prints 3 winning shirts each week, pays $1000 up front, AND pays $2 per shirt after the first day. Winning is strictly by vote, which is less than ideal, but since they keep the top 20 selling shirts for sale until they drop off the list, artists can potentially make a lot of money.
Maybe you could edit the webpage title
TOP 5 COMPETITION SITES | T-shirt Factory Blog to more better for your webpage you create. I liked the blog post yet.
Full marks to Threadless. Fantastic competitions website, and I have recently bought 4 of their designs (including my favourite “Captain Obvious”)
Thanks, will list these on Australian competitions online website.