Custom Apparel & Merch Design for Brands
Illustrated t-shirts, hats, totes, bandanas, and more, designed for production and built for brands that actually care about what goes on their merch. Every design is original artwork, not clip art on a blank tee.
Merch Design for Brands That Care About the Details
I design custom merchandise for brands that want more than a logo slapped on a blank tee. If you care about the artwork, the print quality, and how it all feels in someone's hands, we should talk.
Outdoor & Lifestyle Brands
Nature-inspired, hand-illustrated merch for brands in the outdoor, adventure, and lifestyle space. T-shirts, hats, bandanas, and totes with artwork that connects to the places and experiences your customers love.
Breweries, Coffee Shops & Restaurants
Custom illustrated merch that extends your brand beyond the counter. From printed tees for your staff to branded totes your customers will actually use, I design merch that works as marketing, not just merchandise.
Small Businesses & Local Retailers
Custom apparel and merchandise for small businesses that want to stand out at events, markets, pop-ups, or in their own retail space. I handle the design and can coordinate with your printer or help you find one.
Nonprofits, Wildlife & Conservation Organizations
Purpose-driven, illustrated merchandise that helps tell your story and support your mission. From educational graphics to species-focused designs, I create apparel and goods that inspire connection, spark conversation, and give your supporters something meaningful to wear and share.
What I Design
T-Shirts & Apparel
Illustrated designs for screen printing, DTG, heat transfer, or embroidery. I design with your printing method in mind so the artwork translates from screen to shirt without compromise.
Hats & Headwear
Custom designs for embroidered caps, beanies, bucket hats, and trucker hats. Includes artwork formatted for the specific hat style and embroidery or print specifications.
Totes & Bags
Illustrated tote bags, drawstring bags, and pouches. Great for retail, events, and brand giveaways. Designs are production-ready for your chosen printing method.
Bandanas & Accessories
Custom illustrated bandanas, patches, pins, and stickers. These smaller items work well as add-ons, gift-with-purchase items, or standalone retail products.
How
custom apparel & merch
design works
Every merch project follows a structured process so you know what to expect and have input at every stage.
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We align on goals, audience, product types, quantities, budget, timeline, and design style. I'll ask about printing methods, color limitations, and any brand guidelines to work within. When helpful, I create a moodboard to define the style, tone, and color direction before sketching begins.
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I create 1 to 3 initial design concepts, including illustrations, typography, and layout ideas. These show possible directions for your merch and give you something concrete to react to.
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You review the initial concepts and provide feedback on overall style, direction, and placement. I refine based on your input.
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I present the polished concepts in full color on mockups so you can see how they'll look on your actual products. We fine-tune colors, typography, details, and layout.
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I prepare your designs as print-ready files for your chosen printing method and provide specifications for your printer. I can coordinate directly with your production partner if needed.
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You receive all finalized files, including alternate colorways or placements if included. I'm available for production support or minor adjustments after delivery.
Recent Merch Work
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Cork & Knife Provisions
Custom branded illustrations for t-shirts and hats
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The Growing Candle at REI
Custom candle container illustrations & packaging design
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Eazy Apparel
Multiple custom illustrated t-shirts
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Toledo Classic Women's Summit
Custom tote bag illustration
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Caruso's Restaurant
Custom t-shirt illustration
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A Wandering Path
Book Cover Illustration & Design
Frequently Asked Questions
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I design for t-shirts, hats, totes, bandanas, patches, pins, stickers, and other printed goods. If you have a product in mind that's not on that list, reach out and we can talk about it. The illustration and design process works for most physical products.
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I focus on the design side: creating the artwork, preparing production-ready files, and providing specifications for your printer. I don't print in-house, but I can coordinate with your production partner to make sure the files meet their requirements. If you don't have a printer yet, I can recommend options based on your product type and quantities.
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Print-on-demand is great for simple logo placements, but if you want original illustrated artwork that's designed specifically for your brand and optimized for your printing method, you need a designer. I create artwork that accounts for color separations, print areas, ink limits, and production specs. The result is merch that looks intentional, not like a template with your logo dropped in.
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You'll see 1 to 3 initial concepts, depending on the project scope. From there, we refine one concept through two revision rounds until the design is exactly right. The goal is to get to a strong direction quickly, not to overwhelm you with options.
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It helps to know your product types, approximate quantities, budget range, and any brand guidelines (logo, colors, fonts). But you don't need to have everything figured out. The discovery phase is designed to nail down those details together. If all you have is a rough idea and a sense of your brand's aesthetic, that's enough to start the conversation.
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Yes. If you already have a brand identity (whether I created it or someone else did), I can design merch that feels like a natural extension of your brand. Consistency across your branding and your merch is what makes everything feel cohesive.
Have more questions? Email meow@pipandcricket.com
Let's Make Merch People Actually Want to Wear
Tell me about your brand, what you're looking to create, and any ideas you already have. I'll follow up with questions, a timeline, and a quote. If you're just exploring the idea of custom merch, that's fine too. I'm happy to talk through what makes sense for your brand and your budget.