Most people think of a custom T-shirt as something designed to be worn. This Halloween, we decided to use a few shirts differently.
We wanted to decorate the Kolormatrix lobby with something more personal than ordinary store-bought Halloween decorations. Instead of filling the room with generic monsters and movie characters, we created original horror artwork starring people—and dogs—you may recognize from around Kolormatrix.
The result was a collection of custom DTF shirts featuring Brian as a zombie screen printer, Tanya as a beautiful but frightening vampire, and our rescue dogs Winnie and Newton as the stars of their own junkyard horror scene.
We applied the transfers to black shirts, placed the shirts on mannequin displays and used them as one-of-a-kind Halloween decorations throughout the lobby.
It was fun, a little frightening and a great example of what becomes possible when custom artwork and DTF printing come together.
Our Lobby Needed Something Different
Seasonal decorations can make a showroom, office or retail space feel more inviting, but we wanted our Halloween display to reflect what Kolormatrix actually does.
We help people turn creative ideas into printed products, so it made sense to use our own DTF capabilities to create the decorations.
Rather than producing a large quantity of one design, we created three completely different pieces of artwork. Each shirt became part of the display, but it could still be removed from the mannequin and worn after Halloween.
That is one of the advantages of decorating with printed apparel: the display does not have to become disposable when the season ends.
Brian: The Zombie Screen Printer
Brian has spent more than 30 years in the screen-printing industry, so naturally his Halloween transformation had to take place inside a print shop.
The artwork turns him into a frightening zombie screen printer surrounded by frames, ink, printing equipment and the remains of a production room that has clearly experienced a very bad day.
The design contains photographic facial detail, dramatic lighting, smoke, shadows, distressed edges and intense red and blue color. Those details would require significant preparation and multiple screens to reproduce through conventional screen printing—especially for one shirt.
DTF allowed us to reproduce the complete full-color image as a single transfer and apply it directly to a black garment.
It is unmistakably Brian, but hopefully not the version of Brian you will meet during one of our classes.
Tanya: The Vampire Behind Kolormatrix
Tanya’s design took a different direction. Instead of a traditional costume, we placed her in a dark Victorian setting and transformed her into an elegant but menacing vampire.
The finished artwork combines her recognizable appearance with candlelight, gothic furniture, moonlight, bats and deep red, blue and black tones.
Fine details in her hair, clothing, jewelry and surroundings help the image feel more like a scene from a classic vampire film than a simple clip-art design.
Printed on a black shirt, the dark portions of the artwork blend naturally into the garment while the face, moon, candles and highlights remain vivid. That combination gives the design depth without requiring a large rectangular background around the image.
Winnie and Newton: The Junkyard Dogs
Our rescue dogs Winnie and Newton may not be very frightening in real life, but their Halloween alter egos are another story.
For their design, we imagined them as the stars of an old-fashioned horror movie set in a junkyard at night. The final scene includes wrecked vehicles, industrial equipment, fire, fog and a full moon—with two very angry-looking dogs coming directly toward the viewer.
The artwork still preserves the dogs’ individual markings and recognizable features, but places them inside a completely fictional scene.
This shirt may be our favorite example of how personal photographs can become imaginative custom artwork. A family pet, shop mascot or familiar face can be turned into something humorous, dramatic, heroic or—in this case—slightly terrifying.
Why DTF Worked So Well for This Project
These shirts were not intended to become a large production order. Each design was created for a specific mannequin and a specific part of the lobby display.
That made DTF a natural choice.
One-of-a-Kind Designs Are Practical
DTF makes it possible to produce a single custom transfer without preparing a separate screen for every color. That is especially useful for personalized gifts, prototypes, seasonal decorations and special-event pieces.
Photographic Detail and Full Color
Each Halloween design uses detailed faces, atmospheric lighting, gradients, shadows and a wide range of colors. DTF can reproduce those elements in one complete transfer.
Excellent Results on Black Shirts
A controlled white-ink underbase allows bright colors and fine details to remain visible on dark garments. The black shirt can also become part of the artwork when the design is prepared with distressed or transparent outer edges.
Every Shirt Can Be Completely Different
Brian’s zombie print, Tanya’s vampire portrait and the dogs’ junkyard scene share a Halloween theme, but the artwork is otherwise completely different. DTF allowed us to produce all three without forcing them into the same color palette or production setup.
The Decorations Can Still Be Used
After Halloween, we can remove the shirts from the mannequin displays, wear them, save them for next year or give them to someone as a very unusual gift.
From Photograph to Finished Halloween Display
The project followed the same basic workflow we use for other custom DTF projects:
- Choose the subject and concept. We selected personal photographs and decided how each person or pet would be transformed.
- Create the artwork. Each subject was placed into an original Halloween scene with the appropriate lighting, atmosphere and composition.
- Prepare the file for DTF. The artwork was sized, checked for resolution and prepared with appropriate outer edges for printing on a black shirt.
- Print and cure the transfer. The designs were printed in full color with a white underbase, powdered and properly cured.
- Apply the transfers. Each design was positioned and heat applied to a black shirt using the appropriate time, temperature and pressure.
- Create the display. The completed shirts were placed on mannequin forms and arranged throughout the Kolormatrix lobby with our other Halloween decorations.
Other Ways Businesses Can Decorate With DTF
Seasonal mannequin shirts are only one possibility. Custom DTF transfers can help businesses create temporary displays without ordering large quantities of permanent signage or merchandise.
Possible ideas include:
- Christmas shirts displayed throughout a retail store
- Employee caricatures for a company anniversary
- Shop mascots dressed for different seasons
- Special shirts for grand openings and open houses
- Trade-show booth decorations
- School, church or community-event displays
- Memorial and recognition displays
- Product-launch shirts
- Photo backdrops featuring branded apparel
- Contest prizes and customer giveaways
- Window displays using mannequin forms
- Personalized staff shirts for seasonal events
The same artwork can often serve more than one purpose. A design created for a display may also become an employee shirt, customer giveaway, social-media image or limited-edition product.
Start With Artwork You Have Permission to Use
Our Halloween designs feature ourselves and our own rescue dogs. We controlled the photographs and gave ourselves permission to turn them into fictional characters.
If you create personalized artwork for customers, make sure they have permission to use the submitted photographs, logos and other visual material. Creating an original vampire, zombie or monster theme is different from copying a protected movie character, celebrity image or entertainment-company property.
Original concepts are not only safer—they are usually more memorable because the finished artwork belongs to the people and story behind the project.
The Best Projects Sometimes Begin With “What If?”
This entire display began with a simple idea: What if we turned ourselves into Halloween characters and printed the artwork on shirts?
That question led to three original designs, three custom transfers and a lobby display that feels much more personal than decorations purchased from a store.
DTF gives printers, artists and small businesses the freedom to experiment with ideas that may never justify a traditional production run. You can produce one design, test a concept, personalize every piece or create something simply because it makes people smile when they walk through the door.
In our case, it may also make a few people back slowly out of the lobby.
What Could You Decorate With DTF?
From custom shirts and tote bags to seasonal displays and special events, DTF makes it practical to turn one-of-a-kind artwork into finished pieces.
Create a design starring your employees, family members, pets or shop mascot. Build a coordinated seasonal display, produce a personalized gift or test an idea before offering it to customers.
Order custom DTF transfers from Kolormatrix →
Need help preparing your artwork? Contact Kolormatrix to discuss your file, design requirements and the best way to bring your idea to print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can DTF transfers be used for one custom shirt?
Yes. DTF is well suited to one-of-a-kind artwork, personalized shirts, prototypes and short runs because the process does not require a separate screen for every printed color.
Why did you use black shirts?
The black garments complemented the Halloween theme and allowed the distressed outer edges of the artwork to blend naturally into the shirt. The printed white underbase helped the brighter colors and details remain visible.
Can customers create artwork from personal photographs?
Yes. Personal photographs can become the starting point for original artwork, provided the customer has permission to use the images. A clear, well-lit, high-resolution source photograph generally provides the best starting material.
Are the shirts only decorations?
No. The shirts are fully functional garments. We displayed them on mannequin forms for Halloween, but they can be removed and worn, stored for next year or reused for another event.
Can DTF be used for Christmas and other seasonal displays?
Absolutely. The same concept can be used for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, patriotic events, grand openings, school functions, company anniversaries and other seasonal or promotional displays.
Does Kolormatrix print finished shirts?
Kolormatrix primarily supplies custom DTF transfers, equipment, supplies and training. Customers can order transfers and apply them in their own shop. Contact us if you need help selecting transfer sizes, preparing artwork or planning your project.