Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 18
Every T-Shirt Tells a Story
Apparel makes an impact as media for the next generation.
MARK A. COUDRAY, ASDPT
I
t was the best of times and the worst of times. Like A Tale
of Two Cities, decorated apparel today is at a pivot point. It's
been more than 100 years since the first T-shirt was screen
printed. We have evolved from single-color imprints to
complex, full-color, multi-textural images. The technology
has evolved, and continues to evolve, but to what end?
If we step back and look at the market landscape, what
do we see? Printed T-shirts have been reduced to a virtual
commodity. Every consumer "knows a guy that prints
shirts." As a printer, we are interchangeable with any other
printer. My own case in point. I'm now in my fifth decade
producing award-winning apparel for some of America's
most well-known brands including Apple, Google, Disney,
and many others. Yet, where I live, I'm "that guy who prints
T-shirts." But that's not what I do and it never has been.
The challenge we face today is not the print technology
or the garments we print on. It's not about water-based ink,
18
SCREENPRINTING
sublimation, or transfers. It's not about screen printed or
direct to garment. Ironically, the challenge we face today is
one of identity. It's about standing out from the crowd, being
remembered, and talked about.
The worst of times for us is exactly that, standing out.
The whole idea of printed T-shirts was to create "a walking
billboard." An interesting comparison to an old school form
of media, also historically produced by screen printing.
The proliferation of decorated apparel has been mainstream for decades. When I first entered the business in the
early '70s it was common to be criticized for getting caught
up in the T-shirt fad. We're long past that point. We're now
at the stage where you can't go anywhere in public without
seeing dozens of people in printed shirts.
That's exactly the problem we face. Printed images have
become so common that they're nothing more than added
noise. They completely blend into the environment. So
Screen Printing - August/September 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Screen Printing - August/September 2019
Contents
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - Cover1
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - Cover2
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 1
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - Contents
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 3
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 4
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 5
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 6
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 7
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 8
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 9
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 10
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 11
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 12
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 13
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 14
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 15
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 16
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 17
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 18
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 19
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 20
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 21
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 22
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 23
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 24
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 25
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 26
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 27
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - 28
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - Cover3
Screen Printing - August/September 2019 - Cover4
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sp_20150203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sp_20151201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sp_20141011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sp_20140809
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/sp_20130809
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