A wrong combination of ink color in a design and the choice of shirt color to use will not only be an eye-sore but will also be a waste of resources. It will always be helpful to know what ink color goes best with specific shirt color so that the design and base will match well, and for the beauty of the design to stand out. Whenever I have clients in my shirt printing business who are undecided about the color combinations, I usually give them advice so that their resources won’t be wasted, as well as everyone’s effort and time. I even give them graphic samples so they can picture out the combinations that I recommend.
What are the best color combinations for T-shirts? The best color combinations are:
- Red + White
- Green + Gray
- Blue + White
- Blue + Yellow
- Blue + Gray
- Blue + Blue
- Red + Orange + Yellow
- Neon + Bright Colors
- Rainbow + Light/Dark
Color choices are always subjective; it is based on your preference or sometimes based on what a specific theme dictates. Although customers will always have the final say on what colors to use in the design and which shirt color to use, it would not hurt you and your business to give them friendly advice on what will make their project better. Show them a t-shirt color template that they can refer to. There are lots of shirts and ink combo ideas to play with, a proper mix and match will always do. Let us just avoid combinations that would not complement each other or a shirt color that will overpower the design.
Choosing the Best Ink Colors For Your T-Shirt
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What do you enjoy most when making your own designs? I bet you are enjoying mixing and matching colors and discovering a combination that works well with your design. And you also have to make the right ink and shirt color combinations.
Well, choosing the right color is always the most enjoyable part of designing, but let us not forget that it is also the most tricky part.
But how can choosing the right colors for your design become tricky? Well, it is because picking your colors and its shades in the computer would not always print the same shade in the finished product.
But why? It is because computer screens more often than not have filters that make your colors look more vibrant and appealing.
That is why it is important for us as custom shirt printers to know how to check for color contrasts. And if you think that there’s an issue with the color choices in your client’s design, feel free to contact them and discuss alternative color options for their design.
And since making the right color combination is quite tricky, that sometimes you think your choices match your preference but generally unappealing and is not acceptable, I will be sharing a quick guide on how to mix and match colors that are sure hit:
- If you are using light colored shirts, make extra precaution when using pastel colored designs. These colors, like yellow, baby blue, or light pink will be visible on light colored shirts but not too much at a distance.
Of course, we would definitely love that our design will be seen and be obvious since it is basically the purpose of a design. So, to solve this issue, we can always add a darker shade of outline for our pastel colored design.
With this, the design will be highlighted and will be more eye-catchy. That’s how you should handle light colored designs on light colored shirts.
- Dark colored shirts, on the other hand, work well when partnered with light colored designs. It will definitely make your design stand out, but be wary!
Because light colored designs on dark colored shirts like that of maroon and forest green tend to distort the print color, making them appear brownish in shade or even distorts the color’s intended vibrancy.
Ink and Shirt Color Combinations That Stand Out
Does picking the right ink and shirt color combination overwhelm you? Are you feeling weary about what colors to have in your next design?
Though it is always safe to go for the classic black and white options, there are still lots of color combinations that will work every time you use them. And having a two-color shirt designs is pretty basic so you may refer to the combinations below.
Red and White Shirt Color Combinations
Red and white complement each other very well, making it a hit combination that will make your design stand out. Designs with fine line works appear best with the strong contrast of design color and the shirt base.
The logic behind this goes the same way with any bright colored ink making a well-blended design on white fabric, or white ink making sharp prints on dark colored fabrics.
Take a look at the logos of Coca-Cola, Quicksilver, and Pinterest. These popular brands emerged in their respective markets while being represented by beautifully mixed up red and white logos.
Green and Gray Shirt Color Combinations
These colors really make a perfect combination. Gray really brings out the magnificence in green whether it is on an earthy tone or even Teal. Having a design that is heavily tinted in green will have an outstanding visual appearance on a background of purely gray.
This Boston Celtics tank top is a good example of an awesome blend of green and gray for garments and design. These two colors complement well and mutually brings out the best of their hues.
Blue and White Shirt Color Combinations
I know of two colors that make the most tranquil impression of all color combos that I know – Blue and White, the palette that will make you feel at peace.
Facebook, Twitter, and Oreo are three of the many popular brands that stuck in using the classic combination of Blue and White. Although their success is not attributed to these color combinations, they still chose to be represented by these colors.
Blue and Yellow Shirt Color Combinations
What do you think about combining two colors of very different characteristics? Would they clash and overpower each other? I think Blue and Yellow goes well despite their differences.
There is really a spark in combining these two primary colors in one design that appeals to the eyes. Shades of Yellow projects warmth while shades of Blue project cool and combining the two makes a neutral balance that results in a balanced design.
Make your design extra detailed by adding a few other shades of both colors. For sure, you will discover how these two colors blend well with each other.
To give you a good glimpse of popular brands which tapped these color combination, here are the logos of Ikea and Pokemon.
Blue and Gray Shirt Color Combinations
Both Blue and Gray has many shades in their own realms. And since there are numerous types of these two colors, the combination in creating designs and shirts will also be endless.
Below is one sample of an awesomely made baseball shirt using the color combination of Blue and Gray on both the garment and the design.
Blue and Blue Shirt Color Combinations
Utilizing different shades of Blue inks on a Blue shirt of different shade looks super amazing together. Your key for a successful Blue to Blue design and shirt is the right contrast. Try mixing up Light Blue or Baby Blue with Midnight or Navy Blue, or Ice Blue with Royal Blue.
This Dallas Mavericks shirt makes use of Blue designs on a darker shade of shirt. The contrast between the different shades of Blue did not create a boring appeal despite the monochromatic approach and even made up one appealing shirt.
Red, Orange and Yellow Shirt Color Combinations
Although they belong to the same spectrum of colors, Red, Orange, and Yellow all have their own character as a color.
Red, Orange, and Yellow are all warm colors, but despite being in the same spectrum of color, they can create wonderful designs that radiate fun and energy. Such designs can be perfectly printed on neutral tone shirts for color balance.
You can play with these colors on dark blue or purple shirts to see an awesome contrast that works.
If you can’t imagine one design that makes use of the combination of these three colors, let me share Mastercard’s logo. It goes well on both White and dark colored backgrounds.
Neon and Bright Colors Shirt Color Combinations
There’s this notion that neon colors would not go well with bright colors. Well, it actually works too, but it does not fit certain themes because everything may look too overwhelming.
Blending in neon colors with bright colors will only work in contrast or by pairing it with neutrally toned shirts such as black and white. The neutral background will help the design radiate and become outstanding.
Rainbow and Light/Dark Shirt Color Combinations
Who does not love rainbow colors here? Do you like making designs using colors of different spectrums all together? Why not!
Because color is so much fun, you can create designs with many tones. But keep in mind that this kind of design will of course cost you more than basic designs with fewer colors.
Colorful designs work well on both light and dark shirts.
The Endless Possibility of Matching Colors
There are so many colors and very wide spectrum available to choose from in creating your wonderful designs. The ink and shirt color combinations that I have shared are not the only options available, there are plenty of choices beyond that and it is endless.
But of course, not because the choices are plenty, all color pairings will be acceptable. Let us stick with the quick guide that I have shared earlier to help us come up with a good decision in color matching.
Remember that perfect color matches translate to perfect designs and perfect shirts.
Related Questions:
What is a tie-dye print? It is a printing process that involves folding, pleating, crumpling, or twisting of fabric and binding it with strings or rubber bands before applying dyes of different colors.
What color works best with neutral tones? Neutral tones being neutral colors have the ability to be paired to virtually any color without compromising the design. It has the ability to complement the design or even make the design outstanding.
What are considered as neutral colors? Neutral colors include black, white, gray, beige, and brown.
