TBT: Screen Printing Eight Years On

by john amato

This photo was taken in October 2011. It was shortly after I set up a small screen print studio and was teaching myself how to print.

screen printing in perrysburg

This photo brings back a lot of fun memories. Most of the equipment I started with was used. The rest was so poor I’m embarrassed just thinking about it. The space I moved into was bare bones. It was hidden at the end of a half empty arcade, it didn’t have a functional toilet or sink (good thing I lived nearby), and there were no lights.

This photo shows me wearing a hoodie because there was no heat in the space. I’m working directly under the only light that I connected that first month. I used to joke that we got three new light fixtures per year. It was not a place I eagerly invited my customers to. 

When I started printing, I knew next to nothing about screen printing. I had watched my contract printers print shirts for me and pulled a squeegee or two. But I had never burned a screen or registered a design or so many other basic things. There was a lot I had to learn and I learned a lot of it by trial and error. 

Eight years later, if I don’t think too hard, I remember this photo, this place, and this time in my life fondly. Things have changed quite a bit since then, but I’m grateful for the journey and the people that have supported me along the way. 

Comments

Write a comment

*Denotes required fields.