SHARPRINT BLOG

Sharprint Associated Press reports 84% of people who receive promotional items can identify the advertiser. Granted, 84% is a pretty high percentage, but wouldn’t you rather shoot for 100%? And instead of just being able to identify you, wouldn't you rather they become a customer?

It is important to support those less fortunate than ourselves throughout the year, however the holiday season tends to remind us in a poignant way. As we share gifts and gatherings with our family and friends, we realize the true extent of how fortunate we really are. With so many organizations in need of your support, we wanted to let you know about a local organization you may not know about -- The Chicago Help Initiative.

Sharprint's debut clothing line, Stitch Anatomy, is fun and sassy, for sure, but that's not all -- it's smart. Each style has been designed to upcycle un-wanted or mis-printed t-shirts.

The rhythm of the embroidery department is unmatched. Whether the Sharprint embroidery ladies are customizing caps, fleece, polos or other garments, the machines whir stitch after stitch after stitch like the wings of a bumblebee.

We are super stoked to announce the new head of the Sharprint Sustainable Committee - the one and only, Bill Washburn. He hand picked committee reps from each department in the building to report, communicate, and educate on new green efforts. Armed with a list of 100 things we can do to be a greener company, the first meeting under Bill's leadership tackled some low hanging fruit along with more in depth projects to be carried out over time.

Recently, I had the great fortune of meeting Tyler Way, artist/designer of the TWAY Collection, and co-founder of [Fashion Has Heart]. Sharprint was printing Relentless, a t-shirt in The Corporal Hoffman Series that is a part of Threadless Causes. He stopped by the shop to take some photos of the printing. The t-shirt design is part of a much bigger project, [Fashion Has Heart] (with partner Michael Hyacinthe), that pairs an artist with a veteran to share his or her story through design. When I meet people doing incredible things,

Not to get all Whitney on you, but “I believe the children are the future.” As babies are born and kids grow up, new generations take their turn at running our planet. Future innovation and invention in every industry belongs to the youth of today. For this reason, it’s the adults of today that are responsible for giving kids as much opportunity to explore, grow, and experience as we possibly can.

A study conducted by the Field Museum in 2008 identified the arts as “fundamental ways through which people connect to issues of all kinds, including the natural environment." Art is a great medium for communication and communication is key in correcting and improving environmental conditions on the decline.

Consistent brand identity is non-negotiable no matter how many different products you are ordering. When it comes to customizing, each technique is it's own medium with very different qualities. Screen printing, digital printing, embroidery, and pad printing all have their own look and feel resulting from the process. How can you make sure the company handling your customization can maintain your brand?

Yay for summer! Lots of fun things to do and I'd even venture to say everything is a little more fun when you get a t-shirt to go with it! Whether it's a shirt to commemorate a company picnic or team shirts to support a friend running a race, it's likely you will think "we should have some shirts made," at some point this summer. The t-shirts can be funny, cool, sporty, and as elaborate or simple as you like depending on the occassion.