The Story of the Customized T-Shirt

by Artik Toronto Custom Promotional Products

Today, you can’t take a walk without seeing dozens of customized t-shirts. From intensely detailed band shirts, to vintage baseball tees to branded t-shirts promoting company logos and messages.

It wasn’t always this way! Before the year 960 AD, screen printing didn’t even exist, and it was only in the mid 1900s that customized t-shirts became a popular apparel style. It’s kinda hard to believe that customized screen printed tees are a relatively new phenomenon considering how common they are, but there is an incredible story behind the printed tee you’re wearing right now.

960 – The Birth of Screen Printing

Screen printing, also known as silk screening is the process of running ink through porous material onto fabric or paper. The ink finds it’s way through the silk, allowing you to reprint complex designs without redrawing the art each time. You can see amazing silk screens created in China during the Song Dynasty, stunning scenes with complex details.

1907 – Screen Printing in Europe

In the 1800s, silk screening had made it’s way into Europe, but it wasn’t easy to access silk. It was in 1907 that Samuel Simon patented modern screen-printing in England. People screen printed Art Deco designs onto wallpaper, giving art prints to the masses during the height of the Industrial Revolution. As advertisers, decorators and artists experimented with the medium, the modern customized t-shirt was similarly being developed.

1913 – The First T-Shirts

During the Spanish-American War, the U.S. Navy began issuing t-shaped undergarments to American soldiers. This buttonless slip-on garment was inexpensive to produce and simple to make during wartimes. Over the years, different materials have been used to create t-shirts, with a cotton and polyester blend being a lightweight, durable result.

1960s – Screen Printing Customizes T-Shirts

In the 1960s artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein used screen printing to create an iconic pop art style. At the same time, companies in Miami, Florida began customizing t-shirts with resort names and experimenting with different styles. This was the age of tie-dye shirts, when everyone began creating trippy customized t-shirts at home! Suddenly protestors, rockers, hippies and artists were customizing t-shirts with smiley faces, Che Guevera’s face and of course I <3 NEW YORK.

1980s – Brands Embrace the Customized T-Shirt

In the 80s, we saw brands like Coca-Cola, MTV and countless bands embrace the customized t-shirt as a way to promote themselves and build a following. Customized tees with distressed or faded prints, customized tees with bright and bold colours and experimental designs became mainstream. The 1980s was also the time that Artik opened it’s doors, a Toronto print shop that customized tees for brands, bands, charities and groups of all shapes and sizes.

Present Day – Customized Tees are a Staple

Nowadays, t-shirts have gotten softer and more comfortable, making them a staple in most people’s wardrobe. Even a billionaire playboy philanthropist like Tony Stark wears customized tees just about everyday! Artik has been printing customized tees for the last 30+ years, and we’ve noticed more muted colours and tasteful designs are the modern trend. Where people used to wear big funny sayings on customized tees, today we see intricate patterns or small in-jokes screen printed on customized tees.

The customized t-shirt has come a long way, and we’re excited to see what’s next for this relatively new piece of apparel!