Rastafarian and reggae designs on t-shirt print
T-shirt printing companies often feature symbolic prints on t-shirts. These symbols include political and social images that may have significance to a minority group or may represent a counterculture movement, such as the Rastafari Movement.
According to Wikipedia, most Rastas don’t think of the movement as a “religion”, but as a “way of life”. It is monotheistic, worshiping only one God, whom they call Jah. However, this God is not an Almighty Being wandering in the heavens, but incarnated as Haile Selassie I, the last Emperor of Ethiopia.
Rastafari have Afrocentric ideologies and teachings. Its members support the spiritual use of cannabis or marijuana. It also has a tricolor flag – red, green and yellow – with the silhouette of a lion printed in the center.
Bob Marley and Rastafari t-shirt print
Rastafari’s strong association with reggae is due in part to Bob Marley’s stature and membership in the movement. Bob Marley is one of the most popular Rastas in the world and his popularity has helped spread the influence of the Rastafari Movement in the world.
Bob Marley’s signature image, his wide smile and dreadlocks, is one of the most popular designs in t-shirt printing. His face has been printed in different versions, either as a pencil sketch or as a photograph. The prints show Bob Marley in various poses, as he sings on stage or with his head thrown back in carefree laughter.
Bob Marley heavily incorporated Rastafarian chants into his song. Aside from Marley, other reggae musicians also used the music to spread Rastafari teachings. Musicians like Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer have integrated Rastafarian doctrine into their songs.
Rastafarian red, green and gold t-shirt print
The Rastafarian colors are green, red and gold, the same colors found on their flag. In the center of the flag stands the silhouette of a roaring lion while in the background are the horizontal stripes of the three colors.
Sometimes all three colors serve as the background or are superimposed on the image of Bob Marley. In a sketch of Marley’s face, the same three colors were mixed with the dark lines. Other times, the lyrics of Bob Marley songs complement the image.
The red represents the blood of black Jamaican martyrs, the green represents the lushness of the Ethiopian or Jamaican countryside, and the gold represents the richness of Africa. Sometimes black is included as a reference to the Marcus Garvey movement.
Reggae and the Rasta movement are rich sources of artistic inspiration for t-shirt print designers. The symbols of these movements touch on the rebellious spirit of the angsty youth of the 1970s and continue to fuel the same sentiments in today’s generation. Custom t-shirts printed with these types of designs convey the messages they want us to hear.