I work with Complete Culture, a black owned screen print company in Austin Texas. The 2 owners Darron D and Reggie have a rich history in the retail and screen printing industry. Seeing their services and hearing their personal stories on how they became a thriving business inspired me to want to be apart of the team. Reggie started of with his own store front selling everything from clothing, shoes, belts, CDs, DVDs, you name it. He have a natural niche for running and managing a store. Darron created the Complete Culture brand. He have years of experience with screen printing, print pressing, and clothing design etc. In fact, Darron use to sell his custom clothing at Reggie's store front. The two business men had a vision and merged their ideas into one major company.
Where do I come in at? I started off as a customer, I had been wanting to get my artwork on clothing for the longest and Complete Culture had quality work for great prices. Screen printing has always been something I've been interested in but just never had the resource to peruse it. Once I found out that Complete Culture was a black owned print company, I turned into a sponge and started soaking up the game. A few months later I contacted them and asked if they were seeking new employees and that I was interested in helping out as a graphic designer for the company. They saw potential in me and accepted the offer. Now I am month into working with the Company, and after a few trail and errors and beginner mistakes, here are 7 Key things I've learned from working with a screen printing company. This blog is for those who may be interested in per suing the field as we;; as those interested in getting custom apparel made.
1. Have an Open Mind. Clients depend on us, (The Professionals) for our opinion. I've learned that being a good problem solver is essential. We help show clients the best available options for their budget. There's a wide range of styles with t-shirt designing, so when people are brainstorming ideas we always help in the process of exploring their options and finding the best look.
2. Good Customer Service is Key. We're constantly meeting new entrepreneurs, creative people, as well as families and business owners wanting to add value to their brand with custom clothing. Our goal is to help them bring their vision to life while remaining understanding, kind, calm, and collective. It's important that our clients know that their project is in good hands.
3. Find Balance Between Quantity and Quality We get jobs done quick, (sometimes with same day turn arounds.) But our main priority is good quality. The small details matter most, from design placement, grammar and spell checking to handling and folding shirts properly. We place customer satisfaction above all, and the products we create are a reflection or the service we provide.
4. Communication Is Key. In one day we take on average of 10-15 orders. Each order is unique and tailored to how the customer wants it. As a team it's imperative that we communicate with each other about the orders we take to make sure things are done properly. Good communicating with the clients also helps the production flow smoothly. Taking orders and transferring ideas to the order form is probably the most important thing about the process.
5. The Faster We Finish A Job The Faster We Get Paid. As a production company there's always something to do within the work day. The orders range from easy 1 print job to sometimes an order of 100 + shirts. We thrive to complete orders in a timely manner so that we can clear up space for the next job to be done. The difficult we do immediately and the impossible just takes a little while longer. Keeping a constant work flow helps with keeping the lights on. We keep in mind that Good Work = Good Money.
6. Self Promotion Is Key We're not a global brand just yet, so there's always ways to expand the brand and bring in more business. The more people know about who we are and what we do, the more we grow. Complete Culture is more than just a print company, it's a life style and representation of a culture. Keeping our mission in mind we are always staying relevant when it comes online presence,community building and serving the culture.
7. Master Your Craft. Screen printing, heat press, and clothing design is an ancient practice that will forever be relevant as long as people wear clothes. A craft is a skill where you're actively making things and working with your hands. Like any craft, improvement comes with hours of practice, dedication and patience. Overall Ive learned you can't to let your mistakes get to your heart, and don't let success get to your head, There's always ways to be better at what you do, and your results reflects the work that you put in.
This is just a small selection of many thing that I want to talk about. If you have any question or read something that sparked you interest feel free to comment below or message me. If you're interested in working in the screen print field or maybe interested in getting custom T-shirts or clothing, feel free to visit the website
completeculturestore.com