After 30+ years of Maxis Screen Printing, John Mack is calling it a career, but he’s clearly not done printing just yet. We talk about what 50 years of printing experience has taught him, what’s worth passing down, and how to know when it’s finally time to walk away from the shop. Also, wtf does walking away even look like?Topics of discussion include: evolving your processes over time, teaching screen printing and coaching football, passing the torch to your children, sketchy processes from the early days, camaraderie at industry events, knowing your numbers, lessons learned, the benefits of a fixer-upper shop, shop disasters, knowing when to retire, defining your own success, and Tombstone.🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

The Stampinator is one of those pieces of equipment that seems to get either high praise or absolute slander, with very little room in the middle. We’ve been asked about it enough times that we figured it was time to go straight to the source. Jeff from Slant joins us to explain how the Stampinator came to be, what it was actually designed to do, and how shops should be using it. Lon Winters is also here for emotional support, firsthand testimony, and to keep things appropriately screen printy. Topics of discussion include: diving deeper into the craft, the OG Stampinator, sharing ideas with your peers, different applications and techniques, figuring out whether the stampinator belongs in your shop, keeping customers happy, and hot market printing.🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Shawn Sckoropad of Printeez is back on the pod! Because running a successful print shop wasn’t complicated enough, he’s recently moved his family from Canada to Florida as the first step toward expanding Printeez internationally and building a global production operation. Shawn has never been one to shy away from a challenge, and this one has come with plenty already.Topics of discussion include: moving from Canada to Florida, the real cost of acquiring customers, finding your niche, jumping into POD, 24-hour turnarounds, knowing when it’s time to upgrade equipment, entrepreneurial delusion, and Robin Wright.🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Dennis and the crew at Axelrad are artists printing for artists, but don’t mistake the DIY punk-kid ethos for a fear of spreadsheets. Between tracking production data, experimenting with new decoration methods, and testing unconventional schedules, they’ve figured out how to move faster without turning the shop into a soulless factory. Dennis is pushing Axelrad into the future while protecting the humanity that makes this craft worth doing in the first place. Topics of discussion include: coming up in the DIY scene, the barrier of entry to professional screen printing, problem solving, hiring, transitioning from contract printing to direct to customer printing, managing rapid growth, cross training, tailoring metrics to goals, working with artists who prioritize quality, exploring new decoration methods, valuing human interactions, and Truman Capote.🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Michael Fader loved printing enough to pack up his life, move across the country, and see just how far he could take it. After reading a few signs the universe threw his way, he’s now crushing it as the General Manager at Pacific Sportswear. Topics of discussion include: four-day workweeks, gatekeeping, justifying expansion, running a digital squeegee, doing way more than your job description, shop visits, cross-country moves, ADHD superpowers, rescuing misprints, and the defense of a deeply misunderstood villain.🔗 All Our Links: https://linktree.com/shirtshow

Michelle has always been on the forefront of this industry. From the frontiers of special effects and digital printing, to the fringes of AI. Well nearly two years have passed since she discussed this new and emerging technology with us, and now she’s here to teach us how to wield it ethically and efficiently. Topics of discussion include: print architects, how Michelle integrated AI into her health battle, ethically navigating AI generated art, having conversations instead of giving prompts, AI autonomy and guardrails, building AI tools for screen printing, experimenting cautiously, and Juno.

The band dude to merch dude pipeline is alive and well! Nate Skinner is the longtime Operations Manager at Relentless Merch, and after years of dealing with the chaos of artist merchandise firsthand, Merchcast was born. A platform that helps artists and shops forecast sales, manage inventory, and avoid a whole lot of unnecessary headaches. Topics of discussion include: tornados, college degrees, the madness of band merch, four-day workweeks, developing Merchcast, sales forecasting, using the platform outside of the music industry, leveraging AI to be more human, and finally ditching the walkie-talkies.MERCHCAST: https://landing.merchcast.com/

The differences in capabilities and offerings between a print shop and promo product shop are getting blurrier by the minute. This week we brought in Stein Shi from xTool and Bev Pennington of Soul & Grace Designs to talk about the growing crossover between laser engraving and garment decoration, and where this kind of equipment actually fits in a modern shop. Topics of discussion include: how xTool grew from education into the creator space, the plug-and-play feel of the equipment, expanding into DTF, built-in maintenance tools, real-world production capabilities, the demo program, live events, UV printing, consumables, community engagement, and Pennywise.Check out xTool: https://www.xtool.com/products/xtool-apparel-printer-a-new-era-of-apparel-printing/?ref=mtygjlhc&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=goaffpro&utm_term=5306

The band dude to print dude pipeline is real, and the path is usually pretty predictable… but Luke took a little detour in between. Before landing at Real Thread, he built a career at Publix that gave him an outside the box perspective on this industry. Not only has it helped him thrive in his role as Director of Operations, but it also made for a great conversation. Topics of discussion include: Apparel Decoration Summit, having fresh eyes on operations, applying outside wisdom into a different industry, being an engaging leader, how culture affects productivity, overestimating your own capacity, self-auditing your life, trading one bottleneck for another, finding a balanced approach to management, utilizing AI, The Midnight, and Toy Story 5.

Building a business is a lot like going to the gym. You get stronger with every rep, and if you’re doing something wrong… you’re in for a world of hurt. Cody Klimper got into this industry through the fitness world, and his journey has been full of HARD lessons, long hours, and plenty of reps. Topics of discussion include: vlogging, international shipping, growing local business, building a fitness apparel brand, going out on his own, getting burnt by partnerships, learning screen printing and embroidery, used equipment nightmares, taking risks, working after hours, manufacturing blanks, shiny object syndrome, and people standing.