T-Shirt Reviews Blog

Posted: 10 Nov 2009 07:30 AM PST

Now before you literally start scratching a proverbial hole in your head with confusion, yes the brand is Seventh.Ink and yes their domain name is FuryShirts.com - if you really want to know the potted history behind this decision read their interview by our good friends at T-ShirtMagazineOnline.com. In short it’s catchy. However I know that most of you would rather see the tees on offer, which are predominantly more on the graphic design side rather than illustrated on the whole so let’s get down to business.

Some seem a little too reminiscent of the Arsenal Vector Collection at GoMedia.us for my liking, who personally I’d say do as much damage as they do good for the t-shirt industry. The reason being that even graphic elements can lose their visual currency over the long term, as they say “familiarity breeds contempt”, although I wouldn’t go that far, I’d always advise t-shirt designers to merely use these vector packs for inspiration and never paste vectors straight from the DVD.

Still judging by their latest release and others of a similar ilk, strong character-based designs with a sideline of puns for good measure, pulling back from the abstracts, and focusing more on artistic / humour shirts which they do so well, I have a feeling in my bones that 7th Ink are on the verge of leaping into the big league …if they keep this up. So here are my top pick of t-shirts at Seventh Ink, and what’s more, some good reasons why:-

Tyrannosaurus Rockstar

This is a beaut, this is exactly the direction that Seventh.Ink should follow, and then some. Their very latest tee entitled Tyrannosaurus Rockstar is available on pre-order right now for guys and girls for a measly $15 in sizes S to XXL (add $1.67 for XXL). It’s funny, it’s concise, it’s original, its’ perfectly executed, a stunning piece of composition, this design does exactly what it says on the label. Love the colour combo, some very subtle shading on the teeth, a great use of a partial silhouette style and what’s more the vector elements of this tee have been kept to a minimum, just a little for the background to draw the viewer’s attention to the central character. I love the spittle detail too. Rest assured if 7th Ink keep going in this direction they will quickly raise their profile to a whole new level!

Liftoff Tee

This is 7th Ink’s best selling t-shirt for the girls, and no wonder, this cheeky chappie is as subtle as they come, designed to literally pull on the heart strings of a throng of female tee fans out there, who I am sure are still queuing up to this day to get a slice of über cuteness. Again, vector elements form the background, this time graphically gesturing at plumes of smoke, forming the stage for another powerfully conceived and memorable character. The Liftoff Tee is available for girls in sizes S to XXL for $17.99 (add $2 for XXL) here.

Night Of The Living Bread Tee

Possibly my favourite at 7th Ink right now, another pun tee, but a great one. I have to admit the state that bread can get in if left neglected in the kitchen for a few days is horrifying. I worked in a vast bakery as a teenager one summer, let’s just say I can tell you a dozen reasons why it gets that way, but I don’t want to put you off your toast I love the decayed look to this design, a great composition yet again, far more freehand styling than others in the collection, love the detailed crusts, vacant expressions. Once again a very strong t-shirt that must be high up in 7th Ink’s all-time best-sellers. Get this modern day classic for guys and girls for $17.99 in all sizes (add $2 for XXL) here.

Sound The Forgiveness Tee

The thinking behind Sound The Forgiveness has a personal significance for Matthew, and you can tell, no puns, a subtle message, simple yet uplifting colour scheme of white ink on an aqua tee. In his interview at TMO he describes it as being “about the ebb and flow in relationships, how you need to be able to stop, chill, and listen even when you have a voice inside your head screaming to get out.” It’s a simple design, but effective nonetheless, and may for the future open up a new area of exploration for the label, it maybe the odd one out in my top picks, but strong nevertheless. Get this tee for guys for $17.99 in all sizes (add $2 for XXL).

I may have come down hard on Seventh.Ink at the beginning of this review, but when I see a strong brand with some great designs under its belt being let down by a rather vague back catalogue I need to give them a nudge, it’s the only way to make sure they will stay focused on what makes their particular brand unique, saleable, and hopefully even more popular for the future. If you’d like to keep in contact with Seventh.Ink find them at Twitter, Flickr and Facebook. ere’s hoping we will see a lot more of Seventh.Ink on the t-shirt scene for the future!

Lifestyle World

Tuesday, 10 November 2009