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The Art of Selling T-shirts 

By  Cartess Ross

Presentation is half the battle folks, and if you’re selling t-shirts online, this is even more true. Oftentimes I see great looking t-shirt designs online, but these designers often lose the sale because their presentation SUCKED.

2 people wanted me to critique their website yesterday… They both apparently laid their t-shirts on the kitchen floor and took pictures with their cell phone and uploaded it to their site. As you can imagine, it just looked plain tacky.

Do you expect people to take you seriously if you do this? DO you think these same people would trust you with their credit card number? Probably not.

So if you wanna sell more tees, then you’ve gotta step your game up…

Here are a few ways to do just that.

  1. Get a Model — I generally post ads on Craigslist.com looking for a few guys/gals to come and pose in the t-shirts. If you have  a pretty decent camera, I’d recommend you do this outside. Find a nice park and take a bunch of shots with each model — that way you’ll have a nice background and you don’t have to worry about trying to stage the background in  your home. It just never looks as good as it does outside.
  2. Hire a Photographer — I generally get a local photographer who has his own studio and I bring the models there (2-3 you don’t need a different one for each shirt. 2-3 people are plenty). It costs a little more, but getting professional images allows the photographer to send me the files in the formats I need so I can later use for catalogs.
  3. Get a Mannequin — While this isn’t the best option, it’s better than taking pictures on your kitchen or bathroom floor. You can take outside or stage a nice area in the home if you’re able too. Problem with staging is that you’ll spend more time ‘staging’ than shooting 🙂
  4. Another option — grab some photos from stock photography sites like istockphoto.com and find photos of people wearing blank t-shirts (see sample below)

I do this quite often... it allows me to quickly get tees online and test the market. Most consumers can’t tell it’s fake — but I’ve found that my sales are generally higher (quite significantly), when I have the designs on an actual tee with a person. As I said earlier… Perception is everything.

The Internet allows you to present your company in a positive light — no one has to know you’re just getting started out of you 1 bedroom apartment. The playing field is truly level and the potential for you to make a significant income with your t-shirt business is great if you’re willing to spend time building your own t-shirt business.

I’m about to JACK the price up on my t-shirt course WAY up… I’ll be removing the payment plan option pretty soon as well. If you want in our program so you can get on the fast tracking to designing and selling t-shirts, I’d encourage you to go here and get signed up right this minute — your days are limited and you’ll be locked out.

Sign up by going to this page now!


Cartess Ross


I will guide you through this process and provide you with proven strategies to help you build a t-shirt company. As one of the original pioneers to start selling t-shirts online 20 years ago, I've sold millions of dollars in t shirts to people all over the world. I founded TshirtRiches in 2007 to teach others how to turn their t-shirt ideas into a business. So if you're ready, hop onboard and let's make this money!

Cartess Ross

  • Thanks! I am so glad to hear the information available allowed you to learn what you need!

  • I really don’t recommend any shirts it will have to be a preference. What exactly is it that you look for in a shirt. For starters, I will recommend getting shirts that are 100% cotton.

  • In early stages of launching a Branded T-shirt line with different phrases that are “catchy” or relevant to popular culture and focusing on women’s cuts which are more fitted and mens cuts, which are fuller.  Similar to the “Life is Good” strategy.  Any thoughts on this approach?

    • Sounds like a great strategy… As you’ll find in any niche, you’ll have your challenges getting started and carving out a niche for yourself. Without knowing how ‘catchy’ your phrases are, it’s hard for anyone to predict how well it’ll take off — If someone came to me and said they wanted to build a t-shirt biz model around “Life is Good”, I probably would have laughed under my breath… This biz is so UNPREDICTABLE. Stuff I felt would certainly make me a bundle didn’t make me anything and the ones I thought were simply good enough, made a ton. Get out there in the market place and test, test and test and let the market place vote with their wallets. Have fun!

  • You could base the price on how much your cost is to make the shirt. Once you know you cost, you can base your price on that.

  • Tallicaryan says:

    is it possible to buy artwork from an artist, put it on a shirt and sell it?

    • You could but that would be something you and the artist would need discuss the details of the arrangements. Do you plan to purchase the rights to their designs, etc.
      That’s always an option providing what the artist is willing to do with their designs, etc.

  • Jr Witherow says:

    Hello,mr.Ross I feel like I know you.I am really enjoying this program,
    and I only live 45min.from you I think thats cool to.seeing I am your neighor.
    any way I have went on line and hired a desinger to make my first design,
    my question is what formant should I tell them to sent to me and what size
    its for a tshrit? thanks so much for all your help.and I think your course is worth a lot more than you even think!!!!!!!!!

    • Thanks for the kind words… It’s appreciated!

      Regarding formats/sizes… Contact the transfer company you plan on using and find out from them their required formats. Each company is different and may have different formatting requirements than others… Once you get this info, simply forward it on to your designer.

      Glad to see you taking action, congrats!

  • Correct… IstockPhoto.com is a great place and I also use CanStockPhoto.com

    If you can afford a photographer, that’ll give you the best results.

  • Hello, I am having trouble trying to find someone who does transfer papers. Do you know anyone or a company?

    • We have a source list available for purchase. The source list includes various companies to purchase custom, and pre-made transfers. As well as blank t-shirts at wholesale cost.

      The price for custom transfers will be determined by the amount of colors you have in your design. If you are on a tight budget then I would recommend no more than 2 colors in the design. The more colors in the design the more it will cost to have the designs screen printed onto the release paper.

      If you would, please click the link below to purchase the source list.
      https://www.tshirtriches.com/2011/11/

  • this is an awesome idea, i sell belt buckle not tshirts but i can use this idea in the same way, thank you very very much!

  • is it ok to give my Desighs to the person who will make the pics for me so that is can get it put onto Transfer paper . i am not good with making pics at all so i have been looking for someone . i did fine this girl but she wanting 250 .00 .

    • Hi Trina,
      If you are unable to create the designs, the best thing will be to hire a graphic artist to create the designs for you.

  • When are you going to send me the link for the course .. I ready to get started I trying to get Booth spaces for the spring and summer seasons.

  • I am interested in doing the course but I live in Australia, will it still be useful for me because I know a lot of things a done differently over in America, so really my question is, is it worth doing it?

    • Hi Lisa,

      We have many members that are from the Australia area who’ve purchased our course and are doing quite well. The information/marketing material applies across the board. However, the vendors we’ve included in the course are based out of the US, UK, and Canada. Since the huge spike of Australian members, I am in the process of location vendors that are based in Australia. You’ll be surprised as to the amount of members we have that are from Australia.

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