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Elaine Griffin
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Homepage: http://www.bluecotton.com
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Posts by Elaine Griffin
BlueCotton Flashback: 2008
Jan 12th
Are we really in 2009? It seems waaaay too early, but here we are! This is when we look back through our emails, order database, art files, and photographs to see what the heck it was we did all of 2008 that kept us running in circles. So let’s see…
Close to ten thousand designs breezed through here this year, so there are tons to look back on. It seemed best for us to just round up highlights for 2008 we felt summed up the past year.
Of course local customers stand out, as these are the people we see face-to-face throughout the year. Not only do we see them when they stop by our office and place orders, they’re even sitting across the dining room at a restaurant wearing t-shirts we printed.
Since 2006, we have been printing the t-shirts for the Glasgow Highland Games. The four-day event is held each year on the weekend following Memorial Day at the Barren River Lake State Resort Park. Nearly 20,000 people from the United States, Canada, and Great Britain attend this south-central Kentucky celebration, and the festival has sold out of t-shirts each year we have printed them. We now start preparing the artwork for this shirt nine months before the event, and the client decided to pre-print t-shirts for 2009 to sell at events leading up to the Games. All we can say is, wow!
During the summer, we printed shirts for the Bowling Green East (11-12 year old) baseball team. The “All Stars” were preparing for an upcoming weekend full of baseball and wanted to represent their team. Following that weekend, they decided to order more t-shirts as they had won several games and were moving up in the league, eventually moving on to the state championship. Within a month period we printed four different t-shirt designs for them. Megan, our receptionist, has many memories of this particular client: “As their customer service representative, it was fun to keep up and be able to follow along with their status. When they were on the news, I enjoyed watching their time on the air and picking out the shirts that BlueCotton had produced for them.”
BG East fans cheer for their 16-6 win over Indiana during the final day of pool play in the 2008 Little League Great Lakes Regional Tournament in Indianapolis. Photograph by Joe Imel, Bowling Green Daily News
Color Concepts
Nov 20th
As if worrying whether you spell all the names correctly isn’t enough to think about, the color t-shirt you choose is just as important. The t-shirt color you wear sends an impression to those around you about who you are. Okay, maybe these messages aren’t so straightforward–as in wearing a pink t-shirt means you really like cake–but messages are sent to others’ subconscious where they will unknowingly develop a judgment of you.
So now that I have your attention and got you contemplating what your off-black (yes, I consider this a color!) tee from high school is saying about you, let me offer a little insight.
WHITE: The staple of all t-shirt colors. It is a popular choice, be it for fashion or it’s economical factors (white shirts typically run a little cheaper than colored ones). White symbolizes purity, innocence, sterility and light. So if you’re in some deep trouble with a loved one, this may be the color you want to swing for a few days to soften them a bit. White is the choice for good guys. Also, white goes with everything, which is a plus. The down side? It is difficult to wear since it shows dirt so easily.
BLACK: Can you say mysterious? This color signifies a variety of things. It is often viewed as being modern, stylish and timeless. People often opt for black because of the slimming effects of the color. Fashion aside, the color symbolizes strength, authority, but also submission and evilness. It can be overpowering while giving the impression of aloofness.
RED: “Hey! Look at me!” Red is definitely attention getting. It attracts the eye and even effects the body by increasing a person’s heart rate. Unlike black, red does not offer a slimming effect and sometimes can make a person appear heavier. (So if you’re trying to lose a few you may want to avoid this color!) Red is intense and may not be the color you want to wear when confronting your boss about getting a raise or trying to negotiate with your professor to extend your term paper deadline.
BLUE: The Switzerland of colors–complete neutrality. Peaceful, trusting, cool, dependable, and caring. Blue has a universal appeal, and designers often fall back on this color when working with clients such as banks and large corporations to reinforce that the company is dependable and trustworthy (ahem…. BlueCotton…). This color tends to increase productivity and help people perform better. The hue of blue can also have a large impact; navy is loyal, aqua is hip, light blue is serene, electric is fun. More >