10 T-Shirt Design Trends for 2021

Our 2021 t-shirt design trends are here and the start of a new year has brought in some of the best trends yet. We’ve studied all our favorite designs from the past year to help you get ahead on all of the newest trends in custom apparel.

Explore the 10 new t-shirt design trends for 2021 below and see how you can get the look for your next t-shirt creation.Our 2021 t-shirt design trends are here and the start of a new decade has brought in some of the best trends yet. We’ve studied all our favorite designs from the past year to help you get ahead on all of the newest trends in custom apparel.

Explore the 20 new t-shirt design trends for 2021 below and see how you can get the look for your next t-shirt creation.

1. Rainbows

Colorful rainbows have become quite a popular image to use on t-shirt designs! Rainbows evoke joy, hope, and wonder, making them the perfect image for almost any type of t-shirt. Many designers have paired a bright rainbow with an inspirational word or phrase that ties into their cause or mission.

2. Animal Portraits

With the rise of Animal influencers on social media, we’ve seen a new trend of large animal portraits on shirts, in the likeness of the pet celebs they’re meant to celebrate. Designers create large, stylized portraits of dogs, cats, turtles, cows, and more! This is a great design idea if you are the parent of a pet celebrity, or if you’re designing merchandise for an Animal Rescue or Conservation Organization.

3. Artwork on Shirts

Popular artists are moving their creations out of Instagram and onto shirts! Artists select work that’s been a fan-favorite on social media and translate that into a printable apparel design.

4. Mountains

Mountains can be symbolic of challenges, setting goals and achieving them, or simply being outside in nature. The beauty of mountains and the many ways they can be visually represented makes them a very popular imagery choice for apparel.

5. Retro Typography

Designers are throwing it back to the 60’s and 70’s with retro fonts in psychedelic colors. Using a groovy font in a funky color is an easy way to create a simple graphic tee that is easy to pair with other accessories. With a simple and retro graphic tee, you can dress your look up or down.

6. Inspirational Words

We’ve seen a rise in t-shirt designs lately that simply and beautifully encourage the wearer and anyone who sees the shirt being worn out and about. Inspirational quotes are no longer just for iPhone wallpapers and dorm room walls. They can now go anywhere by being printed on custom apparel.

7. Abstract Drawings

Organic, abstracted forms make for compelling t-shirt designs and can stand alone or be combined with text. Some of our most popular abstract drawing shirts use a mixture of colorful and creative strokes and lines to make their design stand out.

8. Repeating Text Designs

Say it a little louder for the people in the back. Repeating your message is a surefire way to get your point across. It will make the desired impact, and result in a well-designed shirt at the same time. This t-shirt design idea is perfect if you aren’t super design-savvy, but still want to create a trendy tee on your own.

9. ’90’s Vibes

The dream of the 90’s is alive and well, with neon colors, geometric shapes, and MTV vibes abundant. As Gen Z’ers and Youtubers create merch for their subscribers and followers, they tend to look to the 1990’s for design inspiration.

10. Handwritten Typography

You can never go wrong with hand-drawn designs or fonts. Your hand-drawn letterforms can have a range of different moods, so it can be funky, retro, bold, or delicate. The flexibility you have when you draw your own lettering makes it a great choice for almost any t-shirt you’re designing.

2021 is just getting started, and we cannot wait to see what our community of creators design this year. Spotted a trend not mentioned here? Let us know!