| T-shirt production used to be a big pain. You had to | | | | If you end paying two bucks per shirt for T shirt |
| find somebody to do a design for you. You had to | | | | production and sell them for twenty, you are going |
| find a printer who would invariably be a small shop | | | | to find that making a living as an indie band gets a |
| and would charge you an arm and a leg. You had to | | | | whole lot easier. The printers can do these kinds of |
| pick them up yourself and distribute them yourself. | | | | runs because of economy of scale. Your average |
| Still then, as now, T-shirt production was a great tool | | | | small town printer gets a fairly small amount of |
| in any band's toolbox. If the shirt was interesting and | | | | business, but their fixed costs remain the same. |
| memorable, then people took notice of both the shirt | | | | Basically they need to charge a certain amount per |
| and your band. And if you were savvy enough at | | | | shirt in order to cover the costs of employees, |
| business, you could also turn a profit by selling them | | | | equipment, and what not. Big T-shirt production |
| at shows. | | | | printers get a lot, lot more business, so they only |
| One of the realities of 21st century music is that | | | | need to charge minimum prices per shirt printed. So it |
| unless you have a label and serious muscle behind | | | | is really easy to get a great price on T-shirts, even if |
| you, you can probably forget making money by | | | | you are only looking at a small run. |
| selling music. Honestly, even with that kind of | | | | If you are a band that is thinking about doing up a |
| support, you are still unlikely to make a living just | | | | run of shirts, you need to keep a few things in mind. |
| from selling CDs or songs on iTunes. What big name | | | | One, you want to get a design that is eye catching |
| artists have learned is that touring and merchandise | | | | and cool, so people will take notice. This is free |
| are where the real money is made. A song can be | | | | promotion for your band, so put some thought into it. |
| copied and pirated by thousands or even millions of | | | | Second, make sure the band name is visible on it. It is |
| people, but the event, the real thing, is something | | | | cool to have something stealthy, but save that for |
| that cannot be copied. And neither can custom band | | | | when you are already rolling in the dough. If you find |
| merchandise, or at least not effectively, which is why | | | | the right person to do the shirt design and right |
| T-shirt production in the age of the Internet is such a | | | | printer to do the T shirt production, sales can make |
| great thing for bands. You can up load your images | | | | the difference between making it as a band and living |
| to any number of printers doing business on the net | | | | in your Mom's basement. It is your choice. |
| and get your shirts for dirt cheap. | | | | |