Best T-shirt colors and how to combine colors effectively

Long gone are the days when the best t-shirt colors are basic black and white. In order to capture customers’ attention and compete in the market, you must level up your color game and make unique and stunning designs with creative use of colors.

Don’t worry if you suck at color theory. Here are the best 20 trendy T-shirt and ink color combinations that keep your sale going up.

13 Best T-shirt colors and ink color combinations

White t-shirt with black ink

As we all know, white and black is the classic. This timeless combination is simple looking and very easy to iterate, and you can hardly go wrong with a white-black t-shirt combination.

However, this classic combination is way too oversaturated. If your design alone has nothing special that calls for attention from buyers, it’s unlikely that you can make good money out of it. The same goes for a black t-shirt with white ink.

Grey t-shirt with black ink

Grey T-shirt is a great choice. Even Mark Zuckerberg loves and wears it every day. While haters will say it’s boring color, you can spice up a classic grey t-shirt with a special design.

To keep things interesting yet maintain the balance and muted theme, you can combine it with black-inked graphics.

Black T-shirt with Yellow ink

Here’s when things get interesting. Black and Yellow are two contrasting colors that deliver the wow, in-the-face factors that you are looking for. A yellow print with black colors on the back is very bold and dramatic enough to capture all the eyes.

It should also be noted that black is the most popular T-shirt color. So this T-shirt color combination is an interesting but still safe choice to go with.

Red t-shirt with white ink

Red is surely one of the most attention-grabbing colors out there. There is a good reason why it is the color of stop signs and traffic lights.

If you want to catch buyers’ attention, choose red as the base color for your T-shirts. Combined with white, it is simply a great choice that is bold yet effective. Not to mention that this t-shirt ink combination is the go-to option for your Christmas designs.

Navy blue t-shirt with white ink

Navy is a classic color that can go well with a wide range of colors. This timeless color is versatile and easy to mix and match. Whether you want to look trendy or professional, navy is the right choice. Shoppers love this particular color because this color looks flattering on different skin tones.

If you want to sell T-shirts of this color, consider pairing this T-shirt with white ink for the perfect combination that fits all.

Other colors that can go well with a navy blue t-shirt are black, grey, and light blue.

Orange t-shirt with black ink

Orange is a cool color. Wearing this color will make you instantly stand out from the crowd. A person who loves drawing attention wouldn’t shy away from wearing a bold, vibrant orange T-shirt.

If being bold and making a statement is what your design is going after, the color orange is the best T-shirt color to opt for. A bright and cheerful shade of orange is also the perfect color to wear in the summer.

To make the perfect orange T-shirt, you can consider using black ink for the designs. Because orange is also a versatile color, you can match it with white, green, or blue.

Note that orange is a playful color that needs to be carefully planned to get the right effect. Because orange is quite bright, you must choose tone a shade of darker green or blue to keep balance.

Light blue t-shirt with navy blue ink

Light blue is the perfect T-shirt color for spring and summer. The calming and soothing feeling that the light blue color brings is what makes it a popular choice among shoppers. While it is a classic color, light blue still feels fresh and youthful.

Light blue t-shirt with navy blue ink can be a great combination that works well to create a calming aesthetic. Apart from navy blue, other color options that can complement light blue well are gray, white, and black.

Yellow t-shirt with black ink

Wearing yellow can instantly boost the mood and brighten the day. It resembles sunshine and warmth. Whether it’s summer or winter, a shade of bright yellow always works well.

Using black ink on a yellow shirt can create a strong contrast that makes your design pop, be it typography, illustrations, or clever graphic designs. It’s the perfect combination to bring something fun and unique to your designs.

Other than black ink, you can try opting for other options like navy blue, dark green, and deep purple. These color combinations provide a nice contrast without overwhelming the bright yellow color.

Dark green t-shirt with white ink

While dark green is not as popular as other neutral colors like black, white, or gray, this color is secretly a versatile and flattering color. It brings in a nice contrast to lighter colors. Mixed properly, it can make wearers look stylish and cool.

To create high contrast, you can combine dark green t-shirts with white ink. It highlights your main designs and creates an elegant, sophisticated look. Other color combinations that are worth trying are black and grey color.

Baby pink with pink ink

Baby pink or pastel pink looks bright and youthful. It reminds us of the 00s era when girls would wear pink anywhere. As the Y2K trend is dominating the fashion market, we have seen more and more pink in people’s closets.

If you want to attract younger customers to your fashion brand, adding some baby pink designs to your stores is definitely a must.

Combining different shades of pink is a very common color choice that delivers a nice balance and harmony. Other than that, you can pair it with white or yellow to make some equally stunning designs.

Maroon T-shirt with White Ink

Maroon is a rich and vibrant color that can leverage an outfit easily. With its classic look, maroon is suitable for people from different age groups. You can create designs that cater to both the younger customers as well as the middle-aged group.

You can use maroon as the background for white ink, which enhances the contrast and makes your designs look clear and readable.

Charcoal t-shirt with white ink

Charcoal is the cooler alternative to the basic grey color. This color can go well with different fashion styles, be it sporty, formal, or casual look. That’s why this color is the perfect foundation color so that you can build a solid outfit.

Charcoal is a pretty classic option that can secure a consistent sales volume over time. Charcoal and white is a no-brainer if you want a quick, effective color combo. However, if you want to add a little bit of spice, you can make designs with pink, red, or orange.

Note that a washout effect can give your designs cool retro looks that could pique customers’ interest.

Kelly green t-shirt with white ink

Kelly green is well known as “Ireland’s national color”. It is also the theme color of St Patrick’s Day – a big celebration popular among the Irish population across the world. Well, if you are creating designs for St Patrick’s Day, don’t ever think about leaving kelly green out of your palette.

To make simple yet eye-catching T-shirt designs with kelly green in the background, you can use white or off-white colors to create high contrast.

If you want to try something less expected, try to combine kelly green with yellow, orange, grey, or black – All of them look nice on a vibrant green background.

Royal blue with white ink

Royal blue is a striking and bold color. It is usually associated with elegance and confidence. It is clearly an underrated color for daily wear fashion.

However, this color is the perfect match for people who are looking for a statement piece, something that could turn heads.

Here’s a secret: Even though it is a bold color, royal blue is indeed an incredibly versatile color that can easily mix and match. You can combine it with white for a constant eye-grabbing T-shirt design. Or you can also match it with other colors like black, beige, or yellow.