In this Shop Talk Rick talks about the many different ways he implements sustainable practices in his shop, Mirror Image. From using eco-friendly packaging to giving old shirts a new lease on life, there are many ways to turn what might seem to be trash into treasure. Sustainability and waste reduction are complex issues that…
The fashion industry has long been associated with waste and excessive consumption. However, there is a growing movement towards regenerative technologies that aim to change this narrative. Regenerative technology involves the use of already generated materials and finished products, breaking them down to their raw materials and then regenerating them into new products. This process…
I had the pleasure of visiting Ikonics (selling Chromaline branded products) in Duluth, MN. I have made prior visits and have previously seen their impressive production facility and met their impressive roster of dedicated employees. Those visits are documented here and here. Checking in on them they continue to make great emulsions with great quality…
It’s easy to get bogged down with the technical aspects of apparel decoration, but the real path to success lies in thinking like a business owner first. In this Shop Talk from the Impressions Expo in Fort Worth , Jennifer Cox of the National Network of Embroidery Professionals, explains that the key to success lies…
Despite the efforts to stop it by a couple of investors, Gildan has not only proceeded with new CEO Vince Tyra, they moved up his start date to January 15th from an original start date late in February, and Vince changed all his personal plans and he was in attendance Day One at the…
Thanks to Craig Calcaterra and his newsletter A Cup of Coffee I just found my way to Uni-Watch.com Uni Watch is the place for the geeking out over uniforms and more. All I can say is WOW! You think that you have trouble with the Little League t-shirts you are doing? Dive into what a…
There is an article in the NY Times this week (sorry, but you might get a read for free, but most likely it is behind a paywall) about check fraud. I had heard that thieves were stealing checks out of mailboxes and then erasing them with chemicals and changing the payee to them and then…
Just like t-shirts, businesses come in all sizes. Bigger isn’t always better. While growth is often seen as a mark of success, some entrepreneurs thrive by keeping their operations small. Many people assume that growing a business by adding employees and equipment automatically means it’s more successful, but there are plenty of folks who are…
Online stores can be a great addition to your screen printing business and there are many different ways to run them. In this Shop Talk, Peter Rinnig of QRST’s and Pam Ikegami of Doing Good Merch and Ink Kitchen discuss types of stores you can run, how to choose an e-commerce platform, ways to handle…
Rick sat down with Yoann Giorsetti, Managing Director of heat transfer vinyl manufacturer Siser North America, to discuss approaches to sustainability in manufacturing in the US and Europe and to share how we as business owners can influence our suppliers to pursue more sustainable practices. There are many ways decorators and suppliers can reduce their…
