Jul 13, 2016

Icebox Art Offerings: Design for Promotional Products

Creating designs for promotional products and apparel is an art form; it is not just dropping a logo on a product. It is important for the artist to understand the respective decorating process, max imprint area, and how a respective design will execute onto the product. It is a promotional product company’s job to really dig into the DNA of the brand and bring relevant solutions in both product and graphics.

Many designers prep artwork for paper or digital print, but promo product and apparel artists must understand myriad nuances that are prevalent in a production environment. Things like debossing, embossing, laser etching, applique, 4 color process… the list of options goes on and on.  Many of these embellishment techniques react differently based on the material. An artist must understand that a hat sews differently than a polo shirt, process printing on a mug is very different than on a t-shirt, only certain fabrics are recommended for laser etching, special inks are used when printing on a polyester garment, etc… I told you….it’s COMPLICATED.

By understanding production intricacies,  a good promo product and apparel artist can create production-friendly graphics based on the product category and decoration medium of your project.


At The Icebox, our full-service, in-house team of graphic artists is a true extension of our sales force. By teaming up with the sales department, the art team is able to understand the objectives of a project. Sometimes they must strictly follow a client’s brand style guide, while other times they may be given some creative freedom to come up with some speculative concepts. Our team has a variety of skills in both graphic design, and illustration, and we hand pick our artists to best match a particular project to ensure that the best person is working to bring your brand to life through promotional products.

SO now you know…..don’t just allow any artist to come up with the right graphics. And don’t just allow any promo products company to marry those graphics to the right product.  This is YOUR brand! Be selective.

Meet Our Art Team

Georga Hanna

George Hanna has worked in the graphic apparel industry for 20 years.  Starting off in Atlanta designing concert tees, he moved to New York to take a position designing graphic tees for boys and girls at The Gap.  From there, he went to Abercrombie & Fitch to design men's and women's tee lines, eventually moving to design concept graphics for the entire brand.  The next stop was a senior design position with Aeropostale back in New York.  Needing a change, George moved back to Atlanta and is now the creative director for The Icebox. He sells personal work in boutiques all over the southeast.

Dane Jefferson

Dane Jefferson has 15 years of experience in the apparel industry.  His tee shirt designs have been retailed in Neiman Marcus,  Saks Fifth Avenue, Barney's, Fred Siegal, and Bloomingdales. He was also the illustrator for Spanx for five years. In his spare time, he does oil paintings and has had several gallery shows up and down the east coast.

Jason Kochis

Jason Kochis is a graphic artist who specializes in graphic design, gigposters, paintings, custom vinyl toys, and illustration. He has 16 years of experience in the apparel industry. His artwork has been published in The Art of Modern Rock, Los Logos, Clutter Magazine, Logo Lounge, and The Artist & Graphic Designer's Market. His client list includes: Sony Signatures, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, FEA Merchandising, PlayImaginative Toys, Circuspunks Toys, Cartoon Network, The U.S. Army, Die Gestalten Verlag Books, CNN, Outback Steakhouse, Turner Classic Movies, Disney, Longhorn Steakhouse, KISS, Universal Studios, The Mustang Club of America, Nirvana, Motley Crue, and Glurp Records. He also sings and plays guitar in a nerdy punk band.

Nick Benson

Nick Benson is known for his bold and colorful illustrative style and strong sense of graphic composition. He studied illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design and has worked professionally in the arts ever since. His murals can be seen spread across the fine city of Atlanta, GA where he currently resides. From paintings, tee-shirts, illustration, graphic design to sculpture, posters and comic books, Nick's work balances modern trends with retro kitsch. His original work has been shown in galleries  such as Kai-Lin, Beep Beep, ABV, and Mint. His clients include DC Comics, PBR, Heineken, Mellow Mushroom, The Allman Brothers band and many others.

Sara Hemingway

Sara Hemingway graduated from SCAD in 2013. She helped plan, set up, and work at Straw Hat Press, a fine art print shop. Sara has exhibited at multiple galleries including the Museum of Design Atlanta, and she editioned fine art prints for Kiki Smith and Valerie Hammond. She has also worked on web and social media for a documentary helping raise awareness of cyberbullying.

Learn More [WATCH]