Hi everyone,
I've been on these forums a pretty long time, but figured I'd introduce myself. Cory here!
I own Floodway Print Company, a lil' manual startup in Winnipeg, Canada.
I got my start in this industry as a customer, getting tees made for a brand/event. I had no idea apparel was screenprinted at the time, and when I realized I could get experiment in my basement with limited supplies/budget I immediately started playing with paper printing, envelopes for orders, etc.
I eventually got a job in a screenprinting studio as a screen tech. We printed mostly flatstock vinyl stuff. Huge 100" decals for tractors with end-to-end 0-100% halftones (or well, almost! Hah.). Those were always fun screens to work with, haha. Definitely paid my dues in the mesh department.
I worked at some small basement-style apparel shops, as well. That's where I started to see the gaps between the client/designer, the production, and the business/marketing.
I eventually had enough! Both as a customer, and a production employee. We just entered Year 3 in our studio and we're not looking back!
I've been checking these forums my entire screenprinting career. I remember sorting threads by the number of views and staying up all night reading, soaking up knowledge, etc.
I will definitely be contributing more! I feel more confident now that we have some experience to offer.
So that's that, greetings from Canada! Thank you all a ton for the insight you've shared over the years.