Author: Nicko

Are you working on a shirt project and unsure of what to do for the art? Coming up with a custom design for your shirts can be a challenge, but there are plenty of great sources of inspiration out there. In this post, we’ll explore some of the best places to look for design ideas and get your creativity flowing.

Google Images – Google Images is a great place to start your search for inspiration. By simply searching for keywords related to your event or organization, you’ll find a range of logos, graphics, and typography styles that can help inspire your custom design.

Pinterest – Pinterest is another popular visual search engine that can be a goldmine for inspiration. Create a board specifically for your shirt project and start pinning designs that catch your eye. You can also search for related keywords to find more ideas.

Social media platforms – Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are great places to find inspiration for shirt designs. Look for accounts or hashtags related to your event or organization, and browse through the images to see what types of designs and logos are popular.

Online retailers and stores – Check out the apparel section of your local stores or browse through online retailers that sell clothing related to your event or organization. You’ll be able to see what types of designs and styles are popular and get ideas for your own custom shirt.

Design galleries – Websites like Behance, Dribbble, and Creative Market feature galleries of graphic design projects that can provide inspiration for your custom shirt. You can search for keywords related to your event or organization and find projects that match your vision.

By using these sources of inspiration, you’ll be well on your way to creating a custom shirt design that’s perfect for your event or organization. Don’t be afraid to borrow elements from existing designs and modify them to fit your needs. And if you need help with the design process, don’t hesitate to reach out for assistance.

We hope these tips have been helpful and that you feel inspired to create an amazing custom shirt design for your next project!

Screenprinters often get asked if we can print on DriFit or moisture-wicking materials.

While it is possible to print on these types of fabrics, it’s not something I recommend. There are several challenges that come with printing on DriFit and other moisture-wicking materials that can make it difficult to achieve a high-quality, long-lasting print.

One of the main challenges is that these materials are often made from synthetic fibers like polyester or nylon. These fibers can make it difficult for ink to adhere properly, resulting in a print that may fade or peel over time.

Additionally, moisture-wicking properties can make it hard for ink to dry properly, which can lead to smudging or distortion of the image. The chemicals used to treat these materials can also react with the screenprinting ink or other chemicals in the printing process, leading to discoloration or other issues.

Another challenge with printing on DriFit and moisture-wicking materials is that they can be prone to stretching and cracking. These materials are often designed to stretch and move with the wearer, which can make it difficult for the ink to stay in place. As the material stretches and moves, the ink can crack or peel, which can lead to a less-than-perfect print. While there are techniques that can help minimize these issues, they can never be completely eliminated, making it difficult to achieve a high-quality, long-lasting print.

At my screenprinting business, I prioritize quality and durability in every print I create. While I can technically screen print on DriFit and moisture-wicking materials, it’s not something I specialize in because I know it can be near-impossible to achieve a high-quality, long-lasting print.

I choose to focus on materials that I know will produce the best possible outcome for my customers, both in terms of appearance and longevity.

If you’re looking for a high-quality, long-lasting print, I recommend choosing a different type of material. The best prints happen on 100% cotton shirts. For blends, 50/50 Poly/Cotton blends are best, as long as the garment isn’t super thin.

I am happy to work with you to find the right material that fits your needs and budget. Thank you for understanding my commitment to providing the best possible screenprinting services to my customers

I worked up this little poster for my classroom. Feel free to download and print.

Screenprinted copies are coming in a limited run soon.

“How come I can’t order just one shirt?”

I get this question a lot. And I can understand why! So many things in our lives are super easy to do. If you want something from Amazon, you just click “order now” and it arrives at your place in a day.

Screen printing isn’t like that. It isn’t something that I can just click and do. Screen printing is a very manually intensive printing process with lots of time involved.

For me to print you one shirt requires about 4 hours. My shop rate runs about $100 an hour, so that single shirt would cost you about $400 of my time. It really would be crazy to spend time building a $400 one shirt quote. They never seem to result in me getting the screen printing job, so maintaining a 24 piece minimum sort of stops the one shirt request before it starts.

Another reason for a 24 shirt minimum is that at 24 shirts the per piece price becomes reasonable for the customer and I start to make a profit.

“How come the per piece price goes down when I order more?”

Remember that shop rate? Prices reflect a combination of garment prices and printing time.

It looks like this: Shop time + blank Garment Price + ink and screens = Finished shirt price.

My minimum shop time for a job is 2 hours. It take an hour to burn screens, setup the press, and get everything hot and tested and ready. I can print about 200 shirts an hour on my auto press on a one color job. So the $200 shop rate is divided by 200 shirts and works out to about $1.00 per shirt. If I am printing 24 shirts, the $200 hour is divided by 24 shirts and works out to about $8.33 per shirt.

If you really need just one shirt, I recommend finding a “direct to garment” printer.

David Bruce Miller, an Akron Ohio native born on April 15th, 1946 passed away on Tuesday, January 29th, 2019. He also lived in Laton, CA, Visalia, CA, Exeter, CA and Fresno, CA.

For the greater part of his life he lived in Visalia and sold lots of cars. He was the “round guy with the square deal.” He died in Fresno at the VA hospital under their compassionate care. We cannot thank them enough.

In his career, David was THE salesmen. He sold for Malick Motors, Arnold Wiebe, Putnam-Windh, and Clawson Honda.

David was a sailor, serving in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam conflict.

Dave was a mentor. He took many salesmen under his wing during his career. He was a king of one-liners and helped get lots of guys established in the car business, always with a sharp sense of wit and humor.

DB was a friend. In Laton, he worked with his pals to make a great 4th of July BBQ and a great tour around town for us kids on Halloween. He was active in the Laton Lions Club for a time, serving as president and seasoned many a tri-tip for the rodeo BBQ.

Dad loved a homegrown tomato, corn by the dozen, the Dodgers, The Ohio State and The Brownies. He was a heck of a golfer and champ on the car lot. He could sell sand in the desert to the guy who owned it and he knew it.

David wants you all to remember, that it is all Nixon’s fault, you are getting taller, it’s all a little messed up, it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other, and it’s not how you get there it’s how you arrive. He also has a birthday card ready for you months in advance. And there is money in it.

He wants you to remember that it all tastes like chicken when you’re hungry, and when you make a mistake in the military, “You get to talk to EVERYBODY”.

And ultimately, we think that dad would want you to know that time spent around the table with those you love is good and that working hard so they get to enjoy the fruits of your labor in bounteous amounts is good. He taught us all that hard work provides and is one of the greatest gifts we can give.

David is survived by his wife, Lillian and his children with Patricia, his first wife. His children are, Nicholas Miller, Visalia, CA, Joseph Miller, Santa Cruz, CA, Katherine Evelyn Miller, Jr (Oseas), Henderson, NV. He is also survived by his granddaughters Abigail, Gwyneth, Evelyn, Claire, Nora, and Frances. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emerson “Joe” Fredrick Miller and Helen Grace Miller of Akron Ohio.

David wanted to be remembered for the man he was in life and chose to have no formal funeral service. His family encourages you to find those you love, sit down to a good meal, and share a story or two about DB. He was a good man. He worked hard. He loved his children.

Nick, Joe, and Kate ask that you please pay it forward, and help someone else the way David helped each of you. We know he did that for us, and we know you can do that for those you love.

David’s ashes will be interred at the Bakersfield National Cemetery.

Recently, there was a horrible fire in Downtown Visalia, the town in which I live. Three businesses were destroyed, including one of my favorite restaurants, Cafe225.

Chef Karl from 225, the owner and head chef, has always been helpful to me at my other job at the high school. When I was activities director, he was always there for me when we needed a luncheon catered for the homecoming court. He is a real standup guy who always takes the time to talk with me when we bump into each other downtown.

I’ve got a real soft spot for restaurant workers. I worked as a waiter and bartender for 15 years or so at a place in town called “The Cask n’ Cleaver”. I know how tight things can get when you’re living tip to tip, check to check, and so when the staff at Mama K’s Diner and Cafe225 woke up Christmas day to hear that the ticket to their livelihoods went up in flames the night before, I can only imagine how devastated they might feel.

So a lot of the downtown businesses in Visalia have rallied together to help the people affected by the fire. A great pizza place named Planing Mill is having a charity night this week and is donating 25% of the night’s take to a relief fund. I know the owners of Planing Mill, having worked with Alisha at Redwood when she taught there, and I figured I would reach out to her to see if I couldn’t contribute to the night by taking my manual press down to the restaurant and doing some live screenprinting to sell some shirts and make a donation to the fund.

I will be offering three different 2 color print options on a Next Level tee. I have designed two of them and a friend, Eddie Reveles, of Revel Design, is going to design the third. The tee itself runs about $3 a piece at my cost, and I am going to ask for a 10 dollar donation. That means each shirt will help get $7 in the hands of a bunch of folks in a tough spot. (and if you are feeling particularly generous, you can always donate a little more)

If you’ve got a craving for a pizza and tee and want to help out with some dollars, I’ll be printing from about 5:30 on Wednesday, January 23rd. My daughter will be helping, so come on down and join me in printing for a purpose. Here is a link to the facebook event thing. For a few dollars more, I might even let you pull a squeegee.

peace, love, and pink fuzzy slippers. Nicko from Miller Brothers