American Bonsai T-Shirts

[The Bonsai Herald]

Dude, just sayin. Don't really care what you're selling, just a word of unsolicited advice.

Thanks for that, I didn't think about it and I should have.

I'm always looking for good tshirts and would be interested in one...but not with those tree symbols on them. Put something on the shirt that actually looks like a bonsai and I'll consider it. I'm sure many others will feel the same.

It's not so much what you want your trees to look like, it's what people generally associate with the term bonsai. Unless you're only making these for yourself, that is. In which case...carry on!

Then is there any other way you could show what bonsai is? People who don't know bonsai could just look at the shirt and think it's just another word for tree. If you could show a tree in a pot I think you'll sell more.

Both really good points. I think I am going to redesign the shirts, change the name, and post them again.

I'll share when I do. In the meantime, does anyone have any reccomendations for text to put on the shirts?

Thanks for all the feedback,

Andrew

 

[michaelj]

I do feel the need to ask though... Do you think these guys will be Ok with you using their company name on your shirts?
http://www.americanbonsai.com/Bonsai-Gear-s/1514.htm

My shirts don't say American Bonsai Society or American Bonsai Nursery. They just say American Bonsai. It's an ideal, just like having "peace" on your shirt.

I'm not mass producing these or branding. I'm simply making a basic shirt to wear, and just wanted to share it with anyone else who might be interested.

It's not quite like that, but you're probably okay. They only trademarked it for tools and the like. Using the phrase, and nothing else, in apparel, would not create the likelihood of confusion and would probably not be considered an infringement. In fact, there are several other businesses using the term American Bonsai in their products or business names.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

That's a good point Ryan, thank you for making it! My issue is that I don't every bonsai graphic that I've seen. I preferred a conifer of deciduous tree in nature because that's what I want my trees to look like. I don't want my trees to look like bonsai, I want them to look like trees!

The thing with using a bonsai graphic to make money is that it's hard. Really hard. You can't just take a drawing of a bonsai and use it to make money. When I burn bonsai designs into clocks, I realized I couldn't do that. I had to get a picture of one of my trees and sketch it out in Photoshop, then use that. It's a complicated process.

 

[Redwood Ryan]

In the meantime, does anyone have any reccomendations for text to put on the shirts?

What about something like "American Bonsai Artist"?

 

[JoeR]

For me to wear a bonsai shirt, it must:

Show I am a practicer of said hobby.

Show a tree in a pot, preferably a classical japanese style tree; one that comes to mind when you hear the word bonsai. I suppose that would probably be a conifer, possibly like Eric's juniper in that thread that was ruined by arguments?

Have a cool modern vibe. I dont want to look like a dork wearing a shirt that looks like my grandmother made and it must make bonsai seem like an interesting modern hobby not a boring tradition only meant for older japanese citizens.

Attract peoples attention and make them want to ask me what it is. Appeal to plder and younger people.

Maybe even have one of those codes that you can scan with your phone that brings you to a web page?

 

[Eric Group]

Hi Eric! I'm not really too concerned about it. I see American Bonsai as a concept. I'm not trying to brand the shirt or anything.

Andrew

I hear you man... Sorry I started this downward spiral on your thread. They are very nice, basic shirts. I'd wear the first one any day.

 

[The Bonsai Herald]

Thanks Eric!

After listening to the feedback, I decided to redesign the shirts to be actually bonsai (in pots). Getting help from a graphic design friend. Also want to change the text.

Anybody else's feedback would be great! I liked what JoeR had to say! Modern and clean, but recognizable as bonsai.

 

[johng]

If you are going to try again anyhow....

From reading what you wrote....Why American? Isn't the notion you are trying to achieve bigger than that? Different than that?
Maybe... Natural Bonsai....Inspired Bonsai....idk but for me American doesn't really work

Think Japanese Bonsai vs Classical bonsai

America is just too big...Although we may have similar intent the trees/bonsai from the southeast are completely different than those of the northwest. And American is also too small as it seems to me that the notion you are implying about creating artistic representations of natural trees is being done to some extent by everyone doing bonsai...not just those in the U.S.

Just something to chew on while you rethink your shirts

 

[Nybonsai12]

Put a guy bending over in his yard with a pink thong creeping up his backside, the words American bonsai below it and then you have yourself a t shirt.

 

[Smoke]

I'll share when I do. In the meantime, does anyone have any reccomendations for text to put on the shirts?

Thanks for all the feedback,

Andrew

SMOKE, social sledgehammer

 

[Smoke]

Smoke
I Piss Excellence

 

[Djtommy]

how about
"Bonsai,
I didnt do it"

 

[Eric Group]

If you are changing it up... Why not just make Bonsai Herald Tees with a cool graphic on them?

Rep/ promote your OWN brand, gives the Bonsai lover their tie to the art form...

Try something with your avatar logo over the chest/ shirt pocket area and a tree on the back maybe... I love that color green for the shirt itself.. A lot of these Bozos cracking on you in this thread might not buy it (it seems you have gotten and undue negative response on this site I don't really understand... Not just this thread, but your others as well..) but if your primary goal is to make something you'd wear... Who cares what they think, right?

Make a cool enough shirt, you might have something marketable... Something you can promote with, something to offer people down the line, something to sell... Don't go with multiple colors- the printin gets more expensive every color you add. Stick with dark background colored tee with white print or invert it to white tee with dark print..

Keep us posted.

 

[JudyB]

Make sure that you offer the shirt in colors other than white. Who can keep a white shirt clean workin on trees!

 

[JoeR]

I forgot to mention I do like the origional shirt, and I would wear it, but it just doesnt say 'bonsai' to me.

 

[JudyB]

Also at the risk of a woman having a (gasp) idea, perhaps you could offer in women's sizes as well, mens T's don't fit the female form as well. Course you'll have to see if you can make it with attachable apron...

and BTW, - I don't know nothin bout birthin no babies!

Sorry just couldn't stop myself there...

 

[M. Frary]

. Who can keep a white shirt clean workin on trees!

I can't even keep one clean sitting on the couch.

 

[michaelj]

Thanks Eric!

After listening to the feedback, I decided to redesign the shirts to be actually bonsai (in pots). Getting help from a graphic design friend. Also want to change the text.

Anybody else's feedback would be great! I liked what JoeR had to say! Modern and clean, but recognizable as bonsai.

I agree that using just words or just a tree or leaf, rather than an immediately recognizable bonsai image, is going to hurt the response. Logos, shirts, and other things with graphics will get a better response if it clearly connotes a bonsai.

You can legally obtain decent bonsai photos and clip art for nothing or next to nothing if you look in the right places. Some quick examples include:

http://www.dreamstime.com/illustration/bonsai.html

http://www.fotosearch.com/illustration/bonsai.html

http://www.123rf.com/clipart-vector/bonsai.html

http://www.shutterstock.com/s/"bonsai+tree"/search.html

http://www.picgifs.com/clip-art/bonsai/

http://www.canstockphoto.com/illustration/bonsai.html

https://pixabay.com/en/bonsai-tree-dwarf-tree-garden-154570/

Some sites will get you a limited number of freebies with a trial membership. Not sure if that applies to any of the links above, though. Look for one that allows commercial use, royalty free and you'll find it's a lot cheaper than using a graphic designer (unless it's just a favor from your buddy).

 

[DallasBonsai]

We did a few shirts like the one bellow:

I have one that's a dark silver that I love. We did a few white ones, but they got dirty the second you even looked at a bonsai. Out of the shirts we have that were professionally screen printed vs the low run prints from Spreadshirt.com, I like the Spreadshirt ones more.

If you use Spreadshirt.com to print a single shirt with a custom design - just make sure you select a quality blank American Apparel tee. Most of the price is in the printing service so you want the best blank possible.

 

[M. Frary]

We did a few shirts like the one bellow:

I have one that's a dark silver that I love. We did a few white ones, but they got dirty the second you even looked at a bonsai. Out of the shirts we have that were professionally screen printed vs the low run prints from Spreadshirt.com, I like the Spreadshirt ones more.

If you use Spreadshirt.com to print a single shirt with a custom design - just make sure you select a quality blank American Apparel tee. Most of the price is in the printing service so you want the best blank possible.

Do you print anything on the back?
Putting stuff on the backs of t shirts is a great way for your message or logo or whatever to be seen. Especially on the backs of people who wears a 3x shirt. Kind of like a moving billboard.
That's another thing. More people need to make t shirts in the larger sizes. For us full figured people. No one likes seeing a hairy belly or butt crack. Being built like a marine mammal has advantages but there are some glaring drawbacks.