In the weeks leading up to PRINTING United Expo, taking place in Las Vegas, Oct. 19-21, we will be sharing our #RoadToPRINTINGUnited! Follow along with us as we share our stops along the way — visiting with print shops across the country. We will share images and video content with you here and on social media, so keep an eye on our pages.

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Check back in every day to see which shops and printers we’re visiting!

Updated Oct. 13

Raspberry Creek Fabrics, Sandy, Utah

Just a short drive from the bustling Salt Lake City, Raspberry Creek Fabrics is located in Sandy, Utah. Founded in 2010 by Diana Rammell, the company offers thousands of fabric designs printed to help customers create custom apparel. Diana’s goal was originally to create clothing that not only fit her body, but that was also made of quality fabric.

Currently, Diana runs the business alongside her husband Justin, and together, the duo makes quite the team. Justin might be an attorney by trade, but it’s clear he loves the business. Our team arrived on-site just before 8 a.m., and he was ready for us with a smile. And when the two get together, there’s tons of laughter and insightful sharing to be had.

The shop boasts a few Kornit printers, an EFI Reggiani, a Zünd cutter, and its latest piece of equipment: a Canon Colorado. All equipment talk aside, the team has a lot of fun. The shop has a unique wooden pig that personifies the business’s vibe. They also regularly bring in groups of students who learn how to create their own custom apparel.

Whether customers are designing performance pieces, home décor, or something else, chances are, Raspberry Creek has the desired pattern.

Prodigy Promos, Lindon, Utah

If ever there was a shop that demonstrated organization, it is Prodigy Promos. The company specializes in branding for uniforms, merchandise, awards, onboarding kits, gifts, giveaways, T-shirts, and beyond. We were lucky enough to meet several team members, with John Priday — VP of sourcing and sales — giving us the official tour.

Like most decorators, the company has gone through change, particularly in the last few years. For Prodigy, one change was moving into a different warehouse space about a year and a half ago.

While a big move can sometimes be a point of chaotic frustration, Prodigy took advantage of the situation and set up its production area to exact desires. From the screen room all the way to packaging, the circular organization of the screen-printing production space is so precise, it seems that anyone could step in and run a job. And while it’s a smaller part of the business, Prodigy also offers in-house embroidery.

That dedication to cleanliness and organization carries over into its other space, where the sales, accounting, and art teams are housed. From the moment you walk in the front door, it’s a welcoming environment that screams professionalism.

YBA Shirts, Orem, Utah

YBA Shirts might be a major player in the sports apparel world, but they are so much more than that. The business has its roots in the sports world, particularly in printing basketball jerseys, but when the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on sporting events, the company was forced to pivot.

At that moment, YBA stepped into corporate and kept business running. Between screen printing, heat transfer, and contract sublimation, the business thrived through the pandemic. And now, with sports being back in full swing, they can proudly say they have diversified and can successfully fill a variety of orders.

Chris White, chief production officer, walked our team through the ins and outs. As someone who joined the decorated apparel industry just a few short years ago, his impressive experience in management has helped YBA continue to grow. And now, they can also say that they offer direct-to-film (DTF).

White has made it a personal goal to not only get his hands dirty by running the equipment, but he also embraces the idea of building the apparel community. His broader goals for YBA are to figure out how to run more efficiently, grow the right way, and become a better decorated apparel provider.

Wilkinsons, Provo, Utah

Operating out of a refurbished McDonald’s, Provo, Utah-based Wilkinsons planted its roots in the community 50 years ago, first offering customers sports gear and trophies. Up until 2019, the business’s job log was 80% trophy orders and 20% apparel. Today, those numbers have swapped.

As requests for trophies lessened, the print business broadened its scope and product range, finding success with custom apparel and promotional products.

In 2021, Wilkinsons employees Victoria Vergara and Talon Wilkinson (ironically, no relation) purchased the business — serving as CEO and COO, respectively. Since then, the pair, along with its Creative Director Rebecca Vergara and Director of Customer Success Tash Wilkinson, have mapped out a road for growth.

The one-stop-shop currently handles trophy production and laser engraving in-house and outsources its screen printing and embroidery jobs to various vendors. Wilkinson and Vergara hope to bring screen printing back in-house — something the company managed in its early days.

With a team that treats each other like family and the shop dog Riley welcoming customers who walk in the door, the business aims to serve the community with stellar customer service and a high-quality product.

Updated Oct. 14

Design Ink, West Jordan, Utah

The worlds of digital and screen printing collide and peacefully coexist inside Design Ink located in West Jordan, Utah. It’s clear that screen printing is the workhorse of the company — there are 15 total auto presses. But digital clearly has a defined place, and if founder Shaun McCardell has anything to do with it, that segment of the business will continue to grow.

Design Ink, which primarily services the resort wear industry, became the proud new owner of an M&R Polaris in January of this year. The printer now sits happily next to the company’s M&R Digital Squeegee, and together with a few Roland printers as well as an HP, the digital side is thriving. In addition to T-shirts and hoodies, Design Ink prints a lot of socks, coasters, and stickers as well as embroiders hats and jackets for its clients.

As Operations Manager Ryan Palmer walked us around the building, a few other things stood out: they also have their own in-house clothing company — Lone Rock — as well as a Multicam used for in-house fabrication. And while Design Ink used to be a contract printer, the company is now well established in its resort wear niche.

 

 

Updated Oct. 17

Located within the neon lights and constant chaos of Las Vegas, Stoked on Printing is cranking out projects for e-commerce customers. The business houses 4 auto presses at its main place in Las Vegas, but it also has 50 embroidery heads and 9 direct-to-garment (DTG) printers at its Henderson location.

Hearing Co-Founder and Managing Partner Kevin Oakley talk about its roots is a neat story. Like many screen printers that are thriving today, Kevin got his start at home. But this is where his story differs. Most will print out of a basement or garage — Kevin worked out of a bedroom. Not only that, but he got off the ground using water-based inks then eventually found is way to plastisol.

Stoked on Printing has certainly seen its fair share of evolution through the years. Years ago, they hit the contract printing world hard but have now evolved into serving the e-commerce clientele with a bit of contract sprinkled in. But they, of course, have plans to grow.

Kevin notes that the focus is to grow the sales and support teams. He recognizes that building up these teams will help them grow in the best way possible.