Archive for the ‘t shirt inspiration’ Category
Are you starting a clothing label and need some info about registering your Trade Mark?
Well, look no further little grasshoppers, all the info you need is below.
What is a Trade Mark?
A trade mark is a brand name, a slogan or a logo. It identifies the services or goods of one person and distinguishes it from the goods and services of another. Examples include:
Trade Mark
(Brand Name)Slogan Logo Shape COCA-COLA STANDARD BANK MOVING FORWARD NIKE JUST DO IT MTN HELLO THE FUTURE Note: The above are all extracts from the South Africa Trade Marks Register.
Thus a brand name is a word or combination of words (e.g. Kentucky Fried Chicken). A slogan is a short phrase or a sentence and a logo is a distinctive picture or symbol. They provide a distinctive identity in the marketplace and can apply to both products and services.
When a trade mark (brand name, slogan or logo) has been registered, nobody else can use this trade mark, or one that is confusingly similar. If this happens, legal action may result.
Must a Trade Mark be Registered?
A trade mark can only be protected as such and defended under the Trade Marks Act , 1993 (Act 194 of 1993) if it is registered. Unregistered trade marks may be defended in terms of common law. The registration procedure results in a registration certificate which has legal status, allowing the owner of the registered trade mark the exclusive right to use that mark.
CIPC administers the Register of Trade Marks which is the record of all the trade marks that have been formally applied for and registered in the Republic of South Africa.
What is the Lifespan of a Trade Mark?
A registered trade mark can be protected forever, provided it is renewed every ten (10) years upon payment of the prescribed renewal fee.
Taken from CIPC (Companies and Intellectual Property Commission)
NB. You have to pay Trade Mark fees and you can click here to find out more about the process involved or registering your label.
Wattaaaaaa!
So what has sushi got to do with t shirts? Well, I’m a connoisseur of both and believe it or not, I can draw some similarities between the two. But in all honesty, I’m hungry at the moment and I need to write a blog post.
So here are 3 tips on how to create a great t shirt label, derived from the art of making sushi:
1. Only use the best ingredients
Sushi : Ask anyone who loves Sushi like I do -when its fresh, it’s the best. Unless you’re trying to poison someone, sushi must be made with the freshest ingredients. You need to get your seafood from a trustworthy supplier . Make sure that anything fresher… is still in the ocean.
T shirts : Great tees in terms of quality also has the best ingredients. The fabric chosen has to be from a supplier that has a great reputation for delivering quality.
Everyone has a t shirt that has become an “old faithful” – it’s most likely that your favourite tee is made from 100% combed cotton, preshrunk and has minimal dye-loss. The characteristics that makes these t shirts so favourable have been planned through fabric engineering and has undergone testing to predict the dimensional stability and comfort.
NB. To determine the fabric quality, do a few wash tests. Here are some guidelines:
- there shouldn’t be more than 3 % shrinkage for natural fabrics such as cotton (no shrinkage for man-made fabrics such as polyester)
- the colour should not run or fade
- the garment should not become thinner or lose fibres
- the garment should not twist (the side-seams should remain on the side of the garments and parallel to each other)
2. Preparation should by done by a trained professional
Sushi : Chefs from China and Japan roll and arrange there sushi according to their own styles, and they spend years learning the craft of sushi-making. The fact is that sushi prepared by a professional, tastes better and is more satisfying.
T shirts : Stating the obvious – you’re more likely to create a successful brand when something is made professionally and according to certain standards . A good clothing manufacturer must have employees that are educated and skilled to ensure good appearance/hanger appeal of the end product. There must be a quality system in place to ensure that the products are constructed according to benchmarks. So if you’re outsourcing your clothing production in South Africa, ask if your CMT is Woolworths, Truworths or Edcon approved.
NB. Problems that may occur when no production quality system is in place:
- skew stitching
- loose threads
- seam puckering / ripples around the fussy areas like the collars or zips
- wrong size numerals in wrong garments
- different colours on different panels of the garments / shading
- loose buttons
- etc
3. Presentation can count in your flavour
Sushi : In Japanese culture, sushi is considered to be an art form because its appearance is just as important as how it tastes. If they wanted, they could have just chucked some raw fish, seaweed, rice and other ingredients on your plate and you would need to figure it out. Instead, each piece of sushi is like a little gift, neatly wrapped. Its a food that looks interesting and that has to be eaten in a certain way; dipped in soy with a bit of wasabi.. for those who’d like some heat. The fact that it’s presented so well, allows it to be retailed at enormous profit margins.
T shirts : T shirts can also be dollied-up to give them a higher sense of value. Clever finishing in forms of printing, labelling, embroidery and packaging can add lots of value to a t shirt. A R20 spent on these extra processes can add up to a R100 in perceived value to your product. So if you’re planning to create a successful t shirt line, you must put careful consideration into the presentation. Even a t shirt of the highest quality can appear to be cheap if not presented properly.
NB. Here are a few ways to increase the perceived value of your t shirts:
- use swing-tags that tells the story of your brand
- use good labelling, preferably woven but printed will do as well
- have washing instructions, either printed or labelled
- unless for promotional purposes, NEVER print your website address on the garment where it’s visible. Your t shirt shouldn’t be a billboard after you’ve sold it as a fashion product
- Embroidery when done properly and on a suitable product, always gives a quality appearance
One may assume that if you’re thinking of starting a clothing brand, that you’ve studied or have some experience in the clothing or fashion industry -but as I’ve discovered, this is more than often not the case. We have many people trying to launch a clothing label as a secondary income, with big dreams that they can be the next success story like Hurley X or Billabong.
Well anything is possible but you need some education - hence this post . One of the things that may befuddle the newby in the world of fashion are the patterns. I will try to clarify patterns for you, so that you are somew
hat prepared and understand it a bit better. This is not a lesson on how to make patterns but rather an explanation of what patterns are and its purpose.
What are patterns?
Patterns are the shapes/templates for the various fabric parts which are sewn up to form the garment. These templates are made up of cardboard cut-outs and represent parts like the sleeve or pocket, etc.
How are patterns developed according to your style?
The Pattern-Maker (PM) starts the pattern-making process from a universal pattern called a block (made of cardboard). So before you even approach a PM, they should have a basic un-tailored version of say, a t shirt. You then present him/her with either a sample or an explanation of what you want. He/she will then amend the basic block according to your specifications/styling and this amended block becomes your base pattern or first pattern size. With your base size you should be handed a detailed specification sheet of measurements, as well as a sketch of the finished product. This is vital for communication through the rest of the manufacturing process.
NB. At this point a sample of your base size must be produced from the material you will be using in production.The pattern may have to be amended several times before you get the base size 100% perfect.
Grading your pattern.
Grading is the term given when scaling your base pattern to create your other sizes.
So, you now have the measurements for your base size and you will now need to determine the measurements for the other sizes. A base size is normally a size Medium, so measurements will be needed for the other sizes in your size chart (ie. small, large, extra large, double extra large and so forth).
Pattern-Graders normally have sets of grading measurements (increments) which they will use to scale your base pattern. These scaled patterns become your various sizes.
NB. You have to be clear before grading as to how you want the fit to be across the sizes (fitted, baggy,etc), so that the grader can use the correct increments. Otherwise, provide samples of t shirts across the sizes (if available) so that grading is accurate.
Marker making.
Markers are an arrangement of your different pattern sizes on brown paper and are used as guides for the fabric cutters.
The fabric is meticulously piled by the act of layering on a cutting table and are sliced according to your markers’ lengths. The markers are placed on top for the cutter, who follow the guides with his cutting machine so that multiple garments are cut simultaneously.
The cost for marker making is usually included in Cut, Make, Trim /CMT costs.
NB. A good set of markers can reduce the cost of your product considerably if it’s made properly as you’ll save on the biggest cost input, ie. fabric.
Things to remember when developing your pattern.
- It often takes a few attempts to get your pattern perfect.
- Always consider the manufacturing process when designing a garment and how it affects your patterns and the quality of the final product.
- If you are using different CMT’s, it’s always good to have 2 sets of patterns for each style.
- It is very important to indicate to your PM what type of fabric will be used because a stretch fabric will have a different pattern to a non-stretch, even when the styles are identical.
For all those Gears of War fans, you can download the vector artwork shown on this t shirt right here. Use it for t shirts, posters, stickers or whatever you like.
Download File
gears_of_war_marcus_fenix_144395
Download the font here
