I blame 90’s rock bands for getting me into the merch industry…I remember being in my late teens, seeing a shirt I wanted from one of my favorite bands’ geocities or angelfire websites, stuffing cash into an envelope, and mailing it off. In about 3 to 6 weeks, I would get a shirt and some stickers in the mail and never knew how the print made its way onto the fabric like that.

Fast forward a few years to getting a job scrubbing the floors and screens with Xylene in the print shop of a merch company. There was so much I learned from starting at the lowest position making $6.25 an hour, to the production floor, webstore/fulfillment, and even the client relations side of that business.

Between filing medical bills, to managing an art store, being in bands and going on tours, I knew I wanted to be the one to put designs on shirts for businesses and brands who needed this service. I worked jobs during the day and printed in the evening. Wake up, then do it all over again.

From printing on the floor and curing shirts on a baking sheet in my studio apartment, to a 600 sqft. garage, then finding myself surrounded by multiple auto presses and bigger equipment in a large warehouse, it felt like all of the sacrifices and hard work was paying off.

Being able to work one on one with shop owners around the country, helping shops build a strong team, hosting screen printing workshops, and helping print shops build the skills they need to streamline their company and become more efficient has been absolutely rewarding and mind-blowing. It is what I love and it is what I know well.

But here’s the deal - I wouldn’t be where I’m at right now without help and strong support from others, as well as the determination and having a “just keep going” mindset.

I am here for you.

I will help you succeed.

So let’s do this!

Adam Tanaka

YOU can learn to screen print

118

2