Top 6 design inspiration web sources for apparel graphic design

Epic t-shirt graphic designs don’t just fall out of thin air!

That’s why we built this list of websites that we frequent often for creative design inspiration. We recognise that design inspiration can come from anywhere and at any time, however over the years we have realised that nine times out of ten we are under strict time constraints and randomly browsing the internet hoping to stumble across a design concept that fits the design brief can take hours and hours. This list has been tried, tested and refined over the years and is always our first go-to when we have a t-shirt graphic to design or a new vector art pack for the web store.

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WEBSITE #1: www.designspiration.net

>> www.designspiration.net

High level design work and great search functionality make this website a must visit for design inspiration. Designspiration offers a very handy, Search By Color option on the main menu. If you know the base fabric color of the garment you are designing for, then this function will be your best friend. The color search option will allow you to select up to 5 colors. Designspiration then uses these colors to generate a palette of graphic inspirations based on the colors you chose. So handy!

WEBSITE #2: www.google.com/imghp

>> www.google.com/imghp

Ok, this one is obvious but hear us out. There is no denying that Google is the greatest search engine in the world. What we love about Google Images is, they give us a set of extra tools to refine our search results. Being able to refine our search results eliminates millions of images that don’t really relate to what we need.
Next time you’re in Google’s image search, search for a key-word, lets say: Vector Skulls, then click on search tools and you will be able search by image size, color and type.

• Image size: Selecting large will eliminate images that are too small to print out for tracing or manipulating.
• Color: Like Designspirations color search, this option is a massive help in selecting a colour scheme for designs. Why reinvent the wheel? See what others have done and learn from it.
• Type: Refining by ‘Type’ is a huge time saver. Google will allow you to search for face, photo, clip art, line drawing and animated. Consider you have a vector based logo to design for a t-shirt, refining by line drawing will present you will outlined images (usually black in color) which is fantastic as a starting point for inspiration.

WEBSITE #3: www.behance.net

>> www.behance.net

Behance is a high-end design portfolio website. The standard and quality of design work showcased here is forward thinking, technically sound and well….inspiring. Many designers have produced works for well known industry leading brands. Behance showcases design work from every creative field. Use the search bar to locate apparel specific designs or select a design category such as, ‘Illustration’, to gain ideas and be truly inspired…..we do, it’s great!

WEBSITE #4: www.ffffound.com

>> www.ffffound.com

Another design inspiration mash up that we frequent regularly. New images added every hour keeps the design inspiration fresh. Tip: ffffound also has a handy iPhone app called iFOUND, search for it in the app store.

WEBSITE #5: www.teespiration.co.uk

>> www.teespiration.co.uk

Great site for t-shirt specific design inspiration.

WEBSITE #6: www.asos.com

>> www.asos.com

Online clothing store. ASOS stock a huge range of contemporary clothing brands that makes this website a great place to find current clothing designs and trends. As well as the main website there is an ‘Outfits & Looks’ section (you’ll find a link at the top of the website) this is definitely worth a look too.

BONUS LIST

We thought these websites were worth a mention too. Enjoy!

www.threadless.com
www.designbyhumans.com
www.pinterest.com
www.tshirtfight.com
www.dribbble.com

Do you have any favourite go-to websites for design inspiration that we don’t have on our list? Let us know in the comments section below!