Bayside is the pre-eminent maker of USA made and union made apparel in the country. I have visited their facilities over the past couple years. They are vertically integrated, taking cotton and other raw materials and turning them through all the steps to a finished garment. They have come a long way from their start…
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…
This post isn’t going to have illustration. There are many many possible illustrations for this post, but there is no reason to hurt anyone’s feelings. Do you want a bad looking t-shirt ? Here are a few pointers: 1. Just design whatever you want and don’t think about what kind of shirt it is going…
Our main man Jason Murphy, of SanMar, returns to Shop Talk to share what’s new in the world of transfers… Links to the companies Jason referenced: https://www.fmexpressions.com/ https://supacolor.com/ https://transferexpress.com/ http://www.613originals.com/ https://www.lionbrothers.com/ https://www.instagraph.com
I was exchanging emails with a fellow decorator about the issue of garment twisting/torquing affecting the outcome of the final printed product. This is a challenge many of us face when working with fashion blanks and tri-blends. How do you avoid crooked or off-center prints? How do you manage customer expectations? This conversation reminded me…
Aaron Draplin, Andy Mac, and the Surfrider Foundation Aaron Draplin is a bearded Midwesterner and genius designer with a presence only to be overshadowed by his booming voice and epic wit. Andy MacDougall is a bearded Canadian and legendary flatstock printer with a presence only to be overshadowed by his kindheartedness and willingness to share…
Talking Shop at Shop Talk The Decorated Apparel Community had historically been plagued with misinformation, suffered a lack of communication, and had fallen prey to hucksters and snake oil salesmen. We looked to experts and gurus to solve our problems. We were afraid to share with one another and learn from each other. We turned…
What’s all the RuckUs About? If you came of age in the 90’s (as I did) you know that it was a sometimes glorious, sometimes hideous, and nearly always a confusing time to be alive. With the huge exception of the Gulf War, we weren’t really at war. Hubble launched and so did the WWW. …
Alphabroder has acquired Golden State Activewear it was announced today. Some key Golden State employees will be staying on and insuring no interruption of service to their existing customers. There was no initial word on if and when the Golden State warenhouse might close down. Owners Scott and Laurie Prestine have operated Golden State for…
The Show Floor There are so many good reasons to attend a trade-show: Learning, networking, socializing, talking shop, happy-hours, fancy dinners, parties, bars, etc. Ok, ok, let’s not forget why we are there in the first place: the show floor. Companies expend tremendous resources to exhibit at a trade-show. It’s not just the cost of…
