SHIRT SHOW

If you're like us, you've seen the beautiful videos this power printing couple have been posting at their shop, Up All Night Ink. Find out how an animator and a cinematographer found themselves in the print industry. Topics of discussion include: Swimming with sharks in Barbados, staying small, diving in head first, separating themselves from competition with high quality in-house artwork, fuckups...

Back again after narrowly escaping death, Ryan Kasparian is here and ready to tell us all about the new developments with Covered In Ink, and how we need to get out of our own way. Topics of discussion include: Tooth infection, management course, correcting mistakes, variable compatibilities, downshifting on consulting, app development, Shirt Show Summer Camp, and Cashmere.

Dave Gardner needs no introduction, unless you’re new to the print game (Still shouldn’t need an intro though…). He’s got one hell of a portfolio and he was kind enough to share his past work with us and the stories behind them. Topics of discussion include: floppy disks, the origin of “Underbase”, what drives you, reductionist mentality, adhesion vs cohesion, industry secrets, New Buffalo, workin...

Well, we have ourselves a new fighter here to weigh in on our great digital print debate. Charlie Figari is with Wallflower Merch, and they have themselves a fancy new Polaris. Topics of discussion include: The parameters for choosing dtf over screen print, digital printing, on demand printing, why they chose a Polaris, improving work culture, rewarding your team, and the difference between a croc...

If you have a drawer full of band tees, there’s a very high chance that John is the guy behind some of those shirts. Cold Cuts is a shop in Philly that is nearly synonymous with punk and hardcore band merch, and there’s a damn good reason for it. Coming from the music world himself, Cold Cuts understands, relates, and goes to bat for their clients, no matter how far fetched the turnaround may be....

Currently a full time graphic designer for a not to be named big boy company, Josh is still doubling down within the industry through all the side gigs his heart desires to start up. Topics of discussion include: Equipment repairs, Disney, comics, enamel pins, production approvals, too many variables, Etsy probs, grounding, disconnecting, the tick, and dry tongues.

Jeff Meilander is not a person we’d bother asking our classic ‘2 presses or 10 presses’ question to. Very far from his modest beginnings as a manual printing basement operation, Jeff has turned Redwall into the contract printing powerhouse we all know today. Topics of discussion include: Sample tags, sidewalk sales, DIY, skunks, entering the world of contract work, buying buildings, calculated ris...

With the first quarter of 2023 under our belts, we're checking in with our buds Eric & Tony and seeing how everything is going in our respective markets, and where we see the rest of the year going. Topics of discussion include: Squeegee washers, spiders, Taylor Swift’s merch disaster, hiring, social media, hypotheticals, 401Ks & IRAs, overtime, breaking rules, culture shift, manufacturer...

Taking a deep breath of fresh air through our noses and out our mouths, and discussing optimism. Also, really just checking in on each other, and answering listener questions. Topics of discussion include: tattoos, employees leaving, used presses being worth the journey, optimism, maturing, if you could go back, health, group chats, Bon Jovi, movies, and cucumbers.

Mario Diamore has made quite a splash in the Instagram world with his screen printing reels, and has already amassed over 100K followers in a relatively short amount of time. But he's still a one man show (for the time being), and has really carved out a path for his business through cultivating a list of clients that he can truly collaborative with, instead of chasing every lead that comes his wa...

As a concert photographer on Warped Tour, Brendan Stearns learned branding and marketing firsthand from his tour mates. When he put the camera down and returned home to Chatham, Cape Shark was born. Topics of discussion include: Retail branding, finding your margins, losing drivers licenses, leaving the family business, stickers, pop ups, moving, back surgery, and Adam Sandler.

We were so stoked to nerd out with Ray from Avient. We haven't had a proper schooling on the pod in awhile, so sharpen your pencils and sit up straight, we're dumping a 5 gallon bucket of ink straight into your dome. Topics of discussion include: Why so many brands, why so many white inks, the history of plastisol, pantone matching, underbaking hacks, and what the future holds for shirt paint.

What started as a high end clothing brand from Chicago, has not only grown into a massive producer in the entertainment industry, but has also just expanded their operations to the coast with a brand new location in Daytona. Growth is the goal, and Rich Santo is the 'Systems Engineer' mitigating the growing pains, and keeping the family business as efficient as possible. Topics of discussion inclu...

After serving 8 years as an Army medic, Tyler Adams' military career was cut short when he sustained a severe back injury from a car bomb in Iraq. When he returned to Utah, he found a new home with Black Rifle Coffee Company. Since joining the BRCC crew, Tyler and his team of veterans and refugees have successfully brought their merchandising in-house, and are now operating the best smelling print...

Black Dog Printing is the black sheep of Richmond, IN. Jon and his crew have been making noise in their town by turning the local news into satyrical shirts, and let's just say not everybody thinks it's funny... but we sure as hell do. Topics of discussion include: shop visits, valuing culture vs data, idiot signs, emotional backpacks, Jim Jones, failure, and whether or not it's better to fake it...

While they may act like they've been wingin' it since '07, Monster Press has made a name for themselves in this industry, and it wasn't by happenstance. Will & Ziggy are the modest duo behind Monster, and their operation is well thought out, and fueled by a genuine desire to be better. Topics of discussion include: Defining your roles, setting standards, tagging, hiring, working in auto pilot,...

By definition, Johnny Cupcakes is a cult classic. Where they lack a blockbuster level of brand awareness, they excel in having fostered a diehard fanbase who just... gets it. And if you don't get it, you probably weren't supposed to in the first place. If you're familiar with the world's greatest fakery, put on some sweats and snack on some nutritional yeast popcorn with this old favorite. If you'...

Bridging the gap between the buzzing city of Santa Barbara, and the calm rural town of New Cuyama (a short 2 hour drive away), High Desert Print Co. is making shirts happen, and Garrett Gerstenberger wouldn't have his operations running any other way. Topics of discussion include: the pros and cons of having separate production and sales facilities, logistics and couriers, integrating into a small...

Maybe it's just that we're all back home after a bunch of travel, or the fact that Garrett is such a damn good conversationalist, but gosh darn it this one felt GOOD. No matter how many big steps he's taken with his business already, Garrett is yet again deciding between taking another big leap forward with Pine Printshop, or maybe just sitting tight for awhile and increasing his efficiencies with...

Day 2 at ISS Long Beach 2023 with half of our hosts, Summer from Gildan, Jessica from colorPOP Print Studio, AP from Denimrush, and a whole gang of BoD members!

We are down on the show floor at ISS Long Beach 2023, and we are joined by guests: Mitch Heiman, Chuck Ward, Kevin Freeman, Tony Diaz, and Aaron Draplin.

Ellen Tucker is the VP of Revenue & Expositions at PPAI, and she was kind enough to hold our hands through this crazy idea that printers can actually expand into the world of promotional products. Turns out it's actually not as daunting as we've always thought it to be. Topics of discussion include: Playing injured, Mr. Vegas, the first steps to take in getting into the promo product game, the...

Garrett Cole decided to buy a print shop instead of going to college. Now with a full DIY education under his belt, he's rebranded, gone auto, and is moving into a bigger and better space. Topics of discussion include: Cocaine Bear, pursuing a niche, the low barrier of entry in the garment decorating industry, training first hires, mind maps, sheets, and hot wieners.

We got together with James Baker of The Tipping Point, and Terry Curry of Ottawa Custom Clothing. They are running their own businesses under the same roof, and while it may be unclear at times where one business starts and the other ends, their goals are shared in pushing each other forward. Topics of discussion include: Navigating partnerships, AI art, press teams, OSHA projects, possibly expand...

Merry New Year! Can't move into the future without taking stock of the past, so we're recapping this past year's challenges and achievements, on both shop and personal levels. What did we learn, and how will we take these experiences into the new year? Topics of discussion include: Gains, walking, travel, whether or not Andy has truly ever stayed at a Ritz Carlton, stepping away, choosing to grow...