Custom Screen Printing

Custom Screen Printing began as a side project of mine in back in 2008. For those who don't remember it, that was the end of the housing boom and the beginning of the Great Recession. In hindsight, it probably wasnt the ideal time to start a promotional company but I have been never the sort of person who believes in taking the easy route. At the t... ime, I was working in the automotive engineering field, when most major car manufacturers were either filing for bankruptcy or considering it as a survival option. As I watched everyone I respected face layoff or a forced retirement, I realized that this had nothing to do with my personal 30-year plan. Ironically, it's also what it took for me to begin questioning exactly what is was that I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Two thoughts stood out: I didnt want to sit at an engineering desk for the next 30 years, and I didnt want to work for anyone else. In the process of thinking about my future, I was forced to reflect on my past. Which moments in life did I truly enjoy? The one that kept showing itself to me was the time spent in college, traveling in a 1971 VW pop-top, following a couple of bands, and selling t-shirts as a means of getting to the next show. It was simple, and may sound foolish to some but these were the best times I had ever experienced until that point. As the hours sitting behind that desk added up, I continued to reflect on summers spent selling t-shirts to people who loved music. I had a little money saved up at the time, so I started doing some research. In my search I found some used Caps equipment, a 4-color press, a tiny dryer, and a flash. Looking back, it was essentially $3,000 worth of junk, though I found a way to make it work. After renting a space in a not-so-nice part of town, I started printing some t-shirts. My first company was Guerrilla Ink, which went on until about 2011. At about that time, I had to make the decision to close the company and lose a deadweight partner. Closing one's first company is more difficult and ...Read More