I've always enjoyed making my own t-shirts. When I was younger it was all about the heat transfers. When I got a little older I became more concerned about quality and became obsessed with screen printing. I've always had fun creating my own shirts and it's been pretty much just a hobby until the advent of online direct to garment printing. Now my hobby has turned into more of an obsession due to the ease of which I can create my own custom designs.

Over the past 6 years personalized gift and apparel websites have grown in both size and technological advances. Many custom t-shirt sites have integrated brilliant user interfaces that allow fairly flexible applications expanding creative control with increased quality. Some of the direct to garment printing found online today is comparable to the quality found with screen printing. Avid t-shirt junkies will be able to see a difference, but the average person probably won't.

For me, the easy user interface combined with the ability to order one-offs without paying a huge set up fee is super appealing. I am pretty excited about how easy it has become to showcase my custom t-shirt designs. With online printing I have a new freedom that allows me to create more types of custom apparel that is even more unique and relevant to me because of it's personal significance. I can honestly say that I am crazy for custom t-shirts.

So, why am I sharing my obsession with you? Well, I imagine that there just might be some other people out there who like their apparel with a bit of personal flair. In fact, if you're reading this, you have probably already spent hundreds of dollars on custom shirts, hats or sweatshirts. If I had put the amount I've spent on personalized gifts into a 401K I imagine that I would be pretty set for retirement.

But, let’s not lose sight of the fact that a big part of creating is for just for the pure joy of making something unique and meaningful. Designing custom t-shirts may not be for everyone, but if you need to convey a message, any kind of message at all, then it is right for you.

That leads me to my point and reason for this article; It is true that I go way overboard when it comes to personalized designs and yes I spend a lot of money doing it but that doesn't mean that you have to. Whether you're crazy about creating custom t-shirts or you just need to order some tees for an upcoming event because your boss told you to; online printers allow you to design, create and print the amount that is right for you at a price that you can afford. You don't have to be crazy about custom t-shirts, but I guarantee you won't hate the price or the experience.