Making t-shirts for my kids (didn't know where to ask this!)

[MichelleC]

I want to have some t-shirts made for my kids for our November trip, as a momento and a way to spot thm easily at the parks. There's tons of Mickey clip art on line, but is it illegal or copyright infringement to put it on a t-shirt? Not that the Disney police would nab them off their backs, but I was just wondering.

Thanks!

Michelle

 

[travelitis]

I can't imagine it isn't copyright infringement. However, I use the Disney clip art from the web to create books for my kids, and I've considered doing it for shirts this trip.

The www.disneystore.com has some shirts you can have customized with your kids' names. They say stuff like, "Connor is the best in the West" (too lazy to go get the catalogue and look). That would have a picture of Woody on it. I think I'm remotely close to the quote. They're cute, but I want something for a birthday child, and that is something they don't offer.

There is a store at the Marketplace that makes custom T-shirts with your name and Disney characters. That's another idea.

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

Hey, travelitis,

First off, thanks for your post about making your own Epcot books....or just having them stamp anywhere...lol...My 2 oldest kids are going to be 2 and 4 on this trip....I don't think we really need to spend the money on some spiffy Epcot passports. I think I will have them collect stamps in their autograph books - one less thing to lug around and keep track of, anyhow. Nad we alwys have a few extra blank pages in our autograph books.

ANd, I have seen in, in one of the Disney catalogs, shirts that could be even more personalized -- there were 3 different designs (Mickey & friends, Pooh & friends & Princesses...) They could have a few lines of text...seemed to be pushing them for family reunions, and birthdays and such. I'll try to find more info for you (when I am not feeling too lazy to getup and look for the old catalog

 

[Princess_Aurora]

I just made some Disney-themed shirts for our trip in a couple of days. I admit I wondered to myself if it was illegal, but I think the copyright laws state that its okay as long as you don't sell them to make a profit. I made iron on transfers from some clipart I found online and also at Wal-Mart I found some Disney iron-on patches that I used for some shorts. It all looks really cute.

 

[bobcat]

As long as you aren't selling them you shouldn't have a problem. I made t shirts for my DD, DS and myself for this past trip and am going to make more for our next trip. I used a mickey head cookie cutter for a pattern, cheetah fabric, and fusible web to make mickey head t-shirts for our AK day. DS had a snake skin fabric.

 

[travelitis]

No one is going to say anything, and I'm certainly not above using some (or a whole lot) of Disney clip art for books and T-shirts, but the images are copyrighted and being used without Disney's permisssion. This really should present a moral dilemna for me, and I'm trying to feel guilty about it.

Another thought I had was to get plain character shirts from DS and personalize them. That wouldn't be copyright infringement. Now, as far as my scrapbooks that function as autograph books, travel journals, and activity books...forget it. Disney doesn't have anything comparable.

SnoWhiteRabbit - I'm glad that was helpful. Something else your kids can do is have the CM write where they are from and your child's name by the passport stamp. We had CM's at the China pavillion write all the kids' names - very kewl.

 

[WDW2002]

Disney sells the iron on transfer papers for your printer so....I imagine you will be okay. It even comes with a "free" Print Studio Deluxe" CD with characters from Toy Story 2, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse and The Little Mermaid.

I plan on making me some T's and Sweatshirts before I leave.

 

[cindybear]

If you are concerned about copyright issues then purchase a Disney clipart pack such as Disney Print Creations, this should give you the proper license to make your t-shirts.

 

[HoosierFantasia]

I made matching lime green t-shirts for our family trip back in June. These obviously were not Disney shirts. I used Disney clipart from the web. I had numerous comments on the shirts. Even CM's commented on how they loved the shirts and were suprised that I (being a stockbroker and my wife beingthe first grade teacher) made them.
Have fun with it!

Bill

 

[travelitis]

Because this question was posed I, being an obsessive researcher, started reading about copyrights. I found that even if you don't sell the item it's still infringement. Making a profit is only a factor in determining monetary damages. Yes, the shirts are copyright infringement with no gray area on that issue. However, if the Disney clip art pack offers T-shirts as a project, that might be the green light. Disney is one of the companies with many restrictive copyright rules, so you have to read their fine print. We have a Disney Dalmatian Print Shop, but T shirts aren't a project offered, so if I use it to make one, I'm infringing.

Does all this mean I'm not going to make my kid a special birthday shirt with Disney characters? I'm not sure. I'm more likely to make their scrapbooks than the shirts.

 

[4kidsandadog]

We tie-dyed shirts last night for each of us in the family (2 adults, 4 kids). I am going to add a Mickey head outline on the front in permanent marker once the shirts are done (I get to rinse them out and wash them tonight).

I am hoping our shirts will be unique enough to maybe get us noticed.... I hear it can be a good way to be selected for the parade family!

Karen

 

[dutton]

Where do you get good clip art? Do you just use colored t-shirts from wal mart? I hope these aren't stupid questions, but I have been interested in doing this for awhile now and I have 4 kids and didn't want to spend an arm and a leg for matching shirts. THanks!!!

 

[WDW2002]

You can either do a search for it on the web or purchase a clip art CD-Rom. Yes, you just buy a t-shirt from walmart. Be sure to wash it if you are going to use the iron ons. Also if you are not using a white or very light shirt be sure to buy the transfers for dark fabrics.

 

[Sonya in Boise]

Do you have to use special printer ink? About how much are the iron transfer papers? How do you get the clip art big without distorting the picture?

I've been trying to make a autograph book for my daughter and I can't get the picture to look good if I make it bigger than how I got it off the net.

Thanks

 

[WDW2002]

You don't need special ink. The transfer paper is about $10 for 4 sheets. For the most part you can't increase the size of the picture w/o distorting it. If you buy the disney brand transfer sheets it comes with a CD and you can increase/decrease the size with no problem.

 

[MichelleC]

What exactly is the name of the Disney software that allows you to make t-shirts?

Thank you!

Michelle

 

[WDW2002]

Disney Print STUDIO is the one that came with the Disney Iron on Transfer paper.

I also have Disney Print Artist Mickey and Friends and Classic Collection I, niether of these have T-shirts as an "activity" choice.

 

[travelitis]

To see if an image is going to distort, I enlarge it on my computer screen. It depends on the clipart, and most distort, but there are some out there that you can get to a reasonable size. I like www.disneyclipart.com, but you can just do a search on Google for Disney clip art. You can also search for a particular character and use Google's image search.

I like that tie-dye idea and am trying to figure out what to do for my kids still. Maybe another legal way to get a Disney character's image is to find fabric and use fusible web and outline in puffy paints. I just had another thought - cut a Mickey head out of festive fabric and attach to the shirt.

You can get character T's at the DS 2 for $15, so by the time you buy a shirt and the right transfer paper, you might spend every bit as much for your original design.

 

[WDW2002]

I just made myself a zipper front, hooded sweatshirt. It has a large mickey on the back, smaller mickey on the front, with M I C K E Y spelled out on the front pocket/pouch. I am so happy with it, except for my K got a bit messed up

 

[MichelleC]

Wow! Very cool! How's you do it? Print shop software or clipart?

Do tell!

Michelle