Family Reunion T-Shirts

You’ve been given the job of getting the family reunion t-shirts for your family reunion. The first thing that comes to mind for a design is a tree that incorporates various family member's names. Unfortunately, this is the first thing that comes to just about everyone’s mind and so you see that design everywhere. The following are some t-shirt design ideas that might get you out of the family reunion forest. At Custom-T-Shirts-Now we're glad to help with any design idea you might have for your family reunion t-shirts. We have great prices on our custom shirts, and always "FREE SHIPPING".

If you do opt for a tree, you have options to make the design distinctive. A summer or beach-themed family reunion could use a palm tree with coconuts representing names. On a more traditional tree, text can be incorporated throughout, not only on the leaves but also on branches and even underground in the roots.

A different design idea for your shirts could be items that come in groups, especially if the item can be related to the family in some fashion. For example a pizza with names in the slices, a box of crayons for a particularly artistic family, or a carton of eggs (with at least one cracked). If music is prominent in your family, names set into various notes could be a theme.

Time is also a popular theme for reunion shirts. A clock face with names in the numbers’ positions is a possibility, but don’t forget other time keeping devices like wristwatches, sundials, even hourglasses.

Your family name itself could be an inspiration. Chef’s hats for the Baker family, a waterwheel with names around it for the Miller’s. An anvil with hammers or horseshoes for the Smith family. Of course if your last name is Johnson, you might want to forgo this option.

While a tree motif can make an excellent design, don’t be afraid to expand your horizons and bring other ideas into the mix when coming up with your family reunion t-shirt design.

Your two main choices of shirt in screen printing are 50/50 cotton/polyester blend and 100% cotton. Which type you would choose depends on your own aesthetic preference and the particular needs for the job.

100% cotton t-shirts, such as Hanes Beefy T and Fruit of the Loom Heavy and Lofteez, are a denser fabric and have a heavier feel. Ringspun 100% cotton t-shirts have a soft, almost fuzzy, feel. However that same texture can show through on an image, giving it a worn look. After washing, the fibers can break through the ink film, causing the image to look dull.

An area where 100% cotton shirts, non-ringspun, work well is 4-color process printing. A higher weight shirt (6 oz. or higher) provides a denser, tighter surface to hold the small, fine dots and continuous ink layer of a detailed 4-color process image.

50/50 cotton/poly blend shirts, such as Jerzees Heavyweight 50/50 and Fruit of the Loom Best, have the advantage in pricing and durability. They also have less shrinkage than 100% cotton, although new processes have made shrinkage much less of a problem for 100% cotton than it used to be. T-shirts that are going to be worn and washed often will last longer when printed on 50/50 textiles. 50/50 shirts also have a lighter feel that some people prefer.

My personal opinion is the 100% cotton t-shirt is the best, it holds a print great, it is soft to wear, it breaths on hot days and it gets a nice well worn feel & look to it.

In the final analysis, the main consideration in choosing between 50/50 and 100% cotton, other than some technical considerations regarding printing, will be your own personal preference in the weight and feel of the material. For a lighter feel and a more durable shirt, choose 50/50 blend. For a heavier, more luxurious feel go with 100% cotton.