Tee Junction - The T-shirt Blog. Coupon Codes, Sales, Offers» For the men

Imaginary Foundation Debuts Sublimation Tees

Ivy — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:19:11 +0000

You can always count on Imaginary Foundation to release the latest and greatest innovations in the humble art of t-shirt design, and their latest collection is no exception.

Sublimation printing has been around for a while, but sublimated tees are still a rare sight. It’s used to produce full-color, high-resolution prints across the entire breadth of a shirt. The process does cost more than traditional screenprinting — not to mention most brands will never have a need for it — which is why you don’t see it that often. If there is any brand that’s a perfect fit for sublimation printing, though, it’s definitely Imaginary Foundation.

IF already manages to achieve stunning images with just traditional screenprinting. In their latest release, they dial up their trademark surreal style with more color, more detail, and more size. All of the designs fill the entirety of the shirts with color, including the backs, which I love — most brands with sublimated tees leave the back blank to save on costs. I feel that if you’re going to go with such a flashy print, you should go all the way so the entire piece looks complete; it looks incongruous when one side is all-color, and the other is just plain white. It’s great that IF thought of this, even if it means the shirts are more expensive.

My only qualm is that the front and back prints are exactly the same. I guess some kind of print is better than nothing, it just looks kind of strange.

All of the tees are 100% polyester and come in unisex sizes XS-XL. (For some reason the XS sizes are listed as “Sublimation” in the drop-down.) They cost $39.00 each. Click the “View Detail” links on each product page to check out some model photos (including female models wearing the XS) and some important notes on printing imperfections.

Personally, I like these shirts more for the art and technique than as actual shirts. The designs are top-notch as always, and the printing looks amazing, but they’re just too flashy for me. If they offered “Day” in a tank top form, though, I’d be all over that in a second.

Check out some more below!

Other great deals to checkout:

40% off at Paper Root

Ivy — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:19:47 +0000

That’s right folks, 40% off with our friends at Paper Root for the rest of the week. They’re dropping a new line soon so why don’t you head on over and help them clear out some stock? You know you can’t say no to that wondrously epic sale banner.

Go for it!

Buy Them: $20 at Paper Root

Other great deals to checkout:

Summer 2010: Arkaik Clothing

Ivy — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:41:30 +0000

Arkaik Clothing just launched a killer new line, and I say that mostly because I’m a huge fan of ancient Egyptian motifs. This line is covered in ‘em!

This release seems to be divided into two types of tees: standard horror-type stuff with big jagged text logos, and more artistic stuff with subtler logos. I’m mainly interested in the latter, since haven’t we seen the former a thousand times already?

“The Land of the Lost” is a great tee which perfectly captures the mystique of ancient Egypt. The little details are what really make this shirt shine, from the cracks in the pyramid, to the eerie single eye, to the ankh symbol floating at the top. You can’t beat the coffee tri-blend blank, either. If you prefer something a little lighter so that you may better fend off the blistering summer sun (can you tell it’s absolutely gross here in New York?), Arkaik’s got you covered — there’s a white version as well, and it looks just as good in that colorway.

And then there’s “Ra-Kaik“, a gorgeous design which obviously takes a page from ancient Egyptian art. The bird god, rendered in the iconic side-view style of the Egyptians, blends wonderfully with modern-art geometric elements to form a super-classy design. The one-color print is perfect as well — the distribution of black creates a great sense of balance — and keeps the tee simple but artistic. (Also available in a white tank top!)

Finally, we have “Scarab“, which may be the strongest tee in this line. This design works similarly to “Ra-kaik” above, but throws in more elements and texturing. For what it loses in simplicity, though, it gains in sheer visual interest. The harmonious pattern of triangles crossing the scarab’s back is both aesthetically pleasing and a great container for the Arkaik logo in the center, which blends so effortlessly into the design you hardly recognize it as a logo. The halftone pattern is an excellent touch and works well with the heather gray tri-blend tee.

I’ve already ordered the Scarab tee, and the Arkaik folks can definitely count on me to get the other two items in this post at some time in the near future!

Buy: $22 at ArkaikClothing.com

Other great deals to checkout:

Get (Some of) Miles To Go’s Fall Release, Early!

Ivy — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 01:04:29 +0000

I was super excited when I saw preview photos of the fall line on Miles to Go’s Facebook page. Not just because I love the hell out of this brand, but because the previewed designs are really, really cool. Greg of Miles to Go is putting these babies on sale for this weekend only, after which they’ll only become available again in the fall. (You can also try to catch him at a show.)

The shirt on the left is, as you might have guessed, based on the classic Moby Dick. I fell in love with this tee the moment I saw it, thanks to its simple but effective composition. Keaton Henson’s eerie, surreal style gives the piece a dark, hopeless mood. The discharge technique used to print the artwork gives the whale a fantastic heathered texture that makes this tee look like a vintage piece. I ordered it the moment I saw it was in the store. (Note that the X-Small of this tee is on preorder, but all other sizes ship within 24 hours.)

The shirt on the right is based on Edgar Allen Poe’s “Alone”, the words to which can be found in the product description. If you read the excerpt, you’ll be amazed at how well Rob Dobi incorporated it into his design. The comic-book-like style is unusual for the subject matter, but I can say with all confidence that it works, as do the bold colors. The composition is simply astounding, as it keeps your eye moving all around the design. Really gorgeous; I’ll probably pick this one up in the fall.

Each of these beauties goes for $21.99, but you can save 25% with our Tee Junction coupon code! The code is TEEJUNCTION!

Buy: $21.99 ($16.49 with code TEEJUNCTION) at MilestoGoClothing.com

Other great deals to checkout:

Exclusive Deals: OMUNKY

Ivy — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 01:49:25 +0000

In light of certain recent ecological disasters in the Gulf of Mexico, it’s encouraging to see an indie brand dedicated to helping — or, at the very least, lightening the load on — our beleaguered Earth. OMUNKY brands itself first and foremost as a purveyor of “eco-friendly apparel”. Accordingly, all of their tees are made from either recycled or organic cotton and are manufactured in the USA.

As the brand’s name suggests, many of OMUNKY’s shirts feature a cute monkey (or other type of animal) character in funny situations. Want a t-shirt with a raccoon skydiving out of an airplane? OMUNKY’s got you covered:

By far my favorite shirt, though, is “Getaway Gorilla“:

This design tickles my inner artist. The use of negative space is just perfect here, hinting at the clouds and the asphalt on the road. I love how the circle of the full moon is echoed in the blue-green grass, and how the little gorilla figure adds a touch of humor. The perspective seen in the road is the cherry on top of a great design. All of which is printed on a charcoal organic cotton shirt.

The interesting about OMUNKY is that despite being an eco-friendly brand, it doesn’t focus on shirts that spout messages encouraging others to be green. (This is something OMUNKY owner Rick Waters points out in his About/FAQ.) OMUNKY shirts are more about supporting a sustainable lifestyle than about spreading the gospel.

If you like living green, or just fun animal/nature shirts in general, I highly recommend visiting OMUNKY! (And don’t forget to save 15% off with our exclusive coupon!)

Coupon: 15% off with TEEJUNCTION

Store: OMUNKY

Leave a Review: Here at Tee Directory

Other great deals to checkout:

Dead Bury Dead’s Asian Character Mess

Ivy — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:09:44 +0000

I just saw this tee by Dead Bury Dead over at Coty’s blog, and…well, as a person of Chinese descent, I winced.

This isn’t the place to rant about how Western artists continually misappropriate Asian (or Asian-spoofing) characters in the name of “art”, but this ad is all kinds of painful to look at. Coty asks, “Are those Chinese characters on the tee Dead Bury Dead translated into Chinese?”, and my answer is no, they aren’t Chinese. In fact, they more closely resemble Japanese katakana, but even then they aren’t really katakana. (Some of the characters are rotated katakana and kanji/hanzi characters.) And is that Korean I see to the right? (The small vertical type directly next to “YUM!”)

In fact, the only actual Chinese on this ad is the set of characters under “TAKEOUT”, and repeated next to the Korean.

Mind you, I actually suck at reading Chinese, but wow.

I dislike writing blog posts composed entirely of criticism, though, so it’s a good thing that Dead Bury Dead has plenty of other attractive tees in their catalog that don’t follow the “nonsensical Asian tattoo” route. The type on their logo tees is actually pretty cool, to the point I could see myself wearing one!

I like the use of the inverted V here in the “Stacked Logo” tee — it creates a nice sense of rhythm in the type. It also reminds me of the Roman lettering style, which in turn reminds me of graveyards. Perfect, in this case.

This “X shape with four letters on each side” layout is a classic t-shirt design that seems to work no matter how many times it’s used. Combined with the distressed texture and the 50/50 heather tee, it adds up to an attractive vintage-style tee. Also available in heather gray!

Buy Them: $16.99-19.99 at Dead Bury Dead [via Coty Gonzales]

Other great deals to checkout:

Exclusive Deals: Here Be Robots

Ivy — Tue, 11 May 2010 15:50:11 +0000

I just want to get this post out before I get drowned in the tests and projects characteristic of the end of the semester. Yuck!

Here Be Robots is a brand-new company based out of the Netherlands! Yep, another European brand for readers across the Atlantic. And their shirts are affordable for those of us pummeled by the USD-euro exchange rate!

This little brand is really quite cool, especially for t-shirt fans who love robots. Yeah, robots are a done-and-done-again t-shirt cliche, but the appropriately-named “Here Be Robots” has some of the neatest, most original concepts I’ve seen thus far. Each of HBR’s three launch tees features a robot with a certain human identity or career: Viking, Hippy, and Rocker.

Although I dig all three of the shirts, the “Viking” one is definitely my fave. Of the three, it has the tightest composition and best artwork. The traditional Viking image is meshed well with the artificial lines of the robot. The runes in the background reinforce the theme and add atmosphere. Overall, a super-badass tee.

The “Hippy” robot goes down a drastically different path in art style, switching out the blacks and greys for silver and neon green. I love the whimsical feel here and the little details that make this image so fun, such as the robot’s mustache. The brand name is cleverly worked in, spread out across a pair of records at the foot of the piece.

For more information on the brand, I recommend checking out the blog, which is written by the founder and designer, Mathijs Vissers.

Coupon: 10% off with TEEJUNCTION

Store: Here Be Robots

Other great deals to checkout:

Spring ‘10: Paper Root

Ivy — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:56:46 +0000

It’s that time of the year, where brands are doing two things we really love: holding spring cleaning sales, and releasing new lines! I’ll be taking the time over the next couple of weeks to cover some of the best releases. Today’s feature is Paper Root, a long-time favorite of this tee blogger. Their recently-released spring line — unsurprisingly — is stunning. Take a look at some of my favorites below:

As usual, Paper Root brings its eclectic mix of artistic styles in a collection featuring caricatured portraits, modern art, and photography. The above design, the “Aztec” tee, is available in both slate (pictured) and turquoise. It was actually first featured on a hoodie in the winter line, but the new t-shirt iteration is perfect for the coming warmer months. The exotic artwork, combined with the gigantic print, make for one helluva eye-catching shirt.

This space geek was immediately drawn to the “Aeronautics” tee. The concept is deceptively simple — all it is is an x-ray image of an astronaut’s helmet. Look closer, though, and you’ll come to appreciate the subtle gradients that give the image a sense of form. Super-cool.

Haha, I totally dig the name of this tee: “Economics tee or ‘How I learned to stop worrying and let the government kick my ass’ tee“. The shirt itself is also awesome, featuring a neat piece of geometric modern art. I love the slight grunge texture and the white and red lines, curves, and shapes darting around the figure.

If that wasn’t enough, these shirts are only $20 — an extremely reasonable price, considering how many brands with similar artistic quality charge at least a couple dollars more per tee.

All shirts are printed on unisex American Apparel tees. Now how about those ladies’ sizes, pretty please?

Buy Them: $20 at Paper Root. Want to save more? Use our exclusive coupon code!

Other great deals to checkout:

“Death by Stealth” at Design By Humans

Ivy — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:47:29 +0000

Let me preface this by saying the following: I LOVE ninjas.

Hence, why I’m excited to see zerobriant’s latest Design By Humans masterpiece, “Death by Stealth“. (And simultaneously disappointed by the glaring lack of women’s sizes. Why do you do this to me, DBH?!) Like the rest of zerobriant’s work, this piece is distinguished by the watercolor-like style. What elevates it above his previous prints, “Once in a Blue Moon” and “Freedom Fighter“, is the stunning execution. Especially of note is the beautiful use of negative space to create the shadowy image of the ninja, almost as if he’s melting into the darkness. Just perfect.

The red circle/sun in the background not only adds a spot of contrast, but helps form the striking red/white/black color scheme. It also alludes to the ninja’s Japanese background. The ninja’s shadow against the red, and the splash of crimson on his chest, help break up the color and create interest. Notice also the various ninja weapons arrayed at the bottom of the piece.

Might I also mention that the placement is fantastic? I love how the sword blade extends up to the neck.

Don’t forget to save 10% with the coupon WCE4JM, expiring on January 19th!

Buy It: $17 at DesignByHumans.com

Other great deals to checkout:

Awesome Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2 shirts

Ivy — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:43:26 +0000

When it comes to licensed product, video games and t-shirts are two things that don’t tend to excel in quality or creativity. That said, it’s refreshing to see these really well-designed, officially-released shirts by Valve Software, based on their Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress 2 franchises respectively. The games and the developer alike are known for being top-tier amongst gaming aficionados, so it’s not entirely surprising that their merchandise follows suit.

A lot of game merchandisers slap a logo on it and call it a day; Valve goes the extra mile by not only designing artwork especially for the shirts, but by eschewing the logo altogether. The result is what I like to call the perfect video game t-shirt: it avoids being gaudy, it’s well-designed, and the design immediately recognizable to the in-crowd. So, so, cool.

I’m also loving the creative placement, which you don’t often see on licensed shirts. You can see this at work on the Left 4 Dead 2 shirts as well:

The limited color use is just gorgeous.

Oh, and one last thing Valve does different when it comes to licensed shirts: they actually go out on a limb and use American Apparel, instead of the billowy huge shirts from cheaper brands. So not only do these shirts look nice, but they fit and feel nice as well.

I’m going to go order one now.

Buy Them: $19.99 at ValveSoftware.com