The Ink Kitchen

It’s all about gross, COGs, margins, and expenses.  Mike Chong, of Merch Monster, gets to the bottom line on pricing at Shop Talk Impressions Expo Long Beach 2020…

I would rather be writing about the Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa and all that, than thinking about nylon. We always avoided printing on nylon, but eventually we somewhat embraced it. Nylon shrinks when you heat it and ink doesn’t really want to adhere to it and nobody technical gives you any consistent information, other…

This Just in, FESPA 2020 EVENTS POSTPONED The negative repercussions of Corona Virus (Covid-19) on our industry are mounting.  FESPA dropped the following press release this morning: In light of the rapidly evolving situation regarding COVID-19 in mainland Europe, and in close dialogue with its national Associations and exhibitors, FESPA has today taken the decision…

Milissa Clark, of US Blanks, joins Shop Talk at Impressions Expo Long Beach 2020 to discuss the why, when, who, and how of custom apparel sourcing and manufacturing…

Do you ever have that problem where a print randomly comes out of registration?  You make adjustments to your micro registration and just keep chasing the problem in circles.  Maybe a screen ripped?  Go ahead and make all new screens, that might solve the problem…. Wellllll, actually it could be a much more simple solution. …

There are a few basic principles involved in the process of drying screens after they have been coated. You can make a “drying closet” out of very simple materials. Lack of sophisticated materials is not a problem when drying screens, but violation of certain principles IS a problem. I have been in beginner’s shops and…

We received a panic inquiry from a supplier that we work closely with. They had a customer who claimed that they could not get their prints to cure on a canvas bag. We field many questions for our vendors, since printers love to blame the substrate for printing problems, so our vendors use us to…

In my approach to t-shirt design, the first consideration is the blank or base-product as this informs so many of my decisions (color, techniques, ink selection, print placement, etc.)  throughout the design process.  I’ve done it this way for so long that I’m virtually incapable of working on a t-shirt design without this critical piece…

Perhaps the most experienced and knowledgeable three minds in DTG formed this all-star panel to discuss the future of garment decoration.  It’s Shop Talk with Jacob Edwards (Jakprints), Alex Phelan (OvalJet), and Kevin Tsukahara (DTG Expert)…

Here at Ink Kitchen we love combining design and screen printing with doing good work for good causes, so this project in Tokyo that combines screen printing, social activism and a streetwear vibe naturally caught our eye. Please Don’t Throw Your Love Away is an art project founded by Shunji Hironaka in 2018. After seeing the…