Here’s a behind the scenes look at the making of a custom jacket for the band Clutch. Titled Hess454, this Dickies Eisenhower Jacket features the artwork of Cleveland-based artist Derek Hess. This was a fun project because we were able to combine screen both screen printing and embroidery; and we’re especially proud of our embroidery department for their amazing attention to detail and care in creating the custom ‘patch’ of the Clutch logo on the jacket fronts.

Check out the Hess454 jacket and more Clutch merch at http://www.indiemerchstore.com/clutch

No tags

No Surf is the premiere early-season club tournament for Ultimate Frisbee in the Midwest. Now in it’s 11th year, the tournament hosts a variety of teams and players. This year was special in that designer Jeremiah Boncha launched his new Ultimate Frisbee-inspired clothing line Asterisk Threads.

Asterisk Threads made commemorative uniforms for the event, which were screen-printed on 100% polyester sport garments. The design is unique in that it is made to run across the front of the shirt and down onto the shorts.

The No Surf apparel was a hit on the day of the tournament. So much of a hit that Asterisk Threads sold out of their stock and needed us to print more to keep up with the demand on their online store. (Not a bad problem to have!)

Here are some video highlights from the 2010 No Surf Rima Viliamos-Boncha Memorial Tournament.

An ultimate team gets ready to take the field.

In the air or on land, ultimate players do whatever it takes to make the play.

About Asterisk Threads
Asterisk Threads is a new apparel brand that has its roots in the Ultimate Frisbee community but extends its reach to the general public in supplying well designed street wear. The focus of Asterisk Threads is about enjoying what you wear and having fun.

Asterisk Threads chose Jakprints to help them create a well rounded apparel line, with a variety of items and techniques; which includes custom embroidered caps featuring their logo.

Here’s a close-up of the thread work on the caps. Kudos to our Embroidery Department for another job well done!

The Asterisk Threads line features a variety of shirts, both mens and womens, in a variety of blends. Here’s a design titled “DOA” run on American Apparel’s Track Shirt. It’s a triblend shirt containing polyester, combed-cotton and rayon which makes for a soft and comfortable fit. Check out AsteriskThreads.com for more!

About The Rima Foundation
The Rima Foundation’s goal is to provide support to the Ultimate (Frisbee) community in Northeastern Ohio. In doing so, it will create scholarships and fund programs to educate, promote good sportsmanship, and encourage leadership in the Ultimate community.

About The Rima Viliamas-Boncha
As a player, Rima had her hand in many aspects of Ultimate Frisbee – captaining college and club teams, coordinating series tournaments, running Cleveland summer league, organizing women’s clinics and playing competitively at the club level. In June 2006, at age 27, Rima was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. On July 7th, 2006, she lived her dream of marrying Jeremiah Boncha in front of family and friends in Cleveland. Although she lost the fight to cancer after just four short months, we will continue to celebrate her life and will always remember her on and off the field.

No tags

Golf outings are a pretty traditional route by which business-2-business relationships are developed and new connections are forged. A staple of these outings the various promotional routes that businesses use to try and catch each others’ attention. We recently took part in a golf outing for Smart Business Magazine, the nation’s fastest-growing publisher of local management journals, which provides insight, advice and strategy for C-level executives of fast-growth, middle-market and large companies.

The event was held at the world-famous Firestone Country Club, in Akron, Ohio, which hosts nationally televised golf events such as the American Golf Classic, the CBS Golf Classic, the World Series of Golf, and the World Golf Championships: Bridgestone Invitational, directed by the PGA. All the greats, from Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods, have competed at Firestone.

Knowing we were going to be at such a prestigious course, it was obvious we had to bring something unique to the table to wow our prospects. We decided to take it up a notch, using the latest in digital print technology. Variable Data Printing, or VDP, is a way to directly connect with your customers, by personalizing each individual piece with their information. It’s an easy way to turn the perception of a promotional print piece from “junk mail” to “keepsake”.

We were able to get a list of event attendees, created custom Jakprints-branded golf balls, and stuffed them in custom digitally-printed, die-cut, personalized packaging! They were a big hit (pun intended) and the industry research backs it up, showing that response rates for marketing campaigns using variable data printing range from double to 15x the response rates of standard printing!  While the print process is different, creating a slightly varying look and feel of the piece, the value of VDP is undeniable in today’s marketing strategies.

As you brainstorm for your next direct mail piece, packaging project, or promotional item, consider giving your Jakprints sales rep a call to see how Variable Data Printing, combined with Jakprints many capabilities, can help you really make an impression and get you the most bang for your buck.

No tags

With the departure of star athlete Lebron James, it seems like everyone in Cleveland is bumming out. Overshadowed by gloomy talk about basketball, people are forgetting about the the other great things our city has to offer. Great things like totally amazing art.

This week, Jakprints’ own Alex Kelly, along with Beth Whalley, Andy Curlowe and Laura Skehan will be opening their new gallery “Proximity“. Sure, they could have easily taken their artistic talents to other cities, like Miami, but this dream-team of artists decided to open their gallery right here in Cleveland.

Their opening exhibit brings together paintings, installations, prints and sculpture, and will challenge the way you see these mediums, through their close proximity in this new gallery setting. So Clevelanders, forget your sports troubles and go out this Friday. Show your support and have a great evening checking out some exciting artwork:

“Proximity” Opening Night Event: Friday, July 16th from 6-10pm.
Get Proximity info & directions.

No tags

VitaminWater has just released a new line of flavors, and is currently promoting them through various launch parties. Their latest event, which featured the flavor “dwnld (berry-cherry)” was brought to life through several Jakprints products.

Guests knew where to find the party because we printed up some large-format banners that featured the new DWNLD bottle. We offer a variety of banner stands that make simple work of setting a banner up, and it can really transform an event environment.

We also printed up baby dolls which were worn by all of the event employees.

And just to make sure the men didn’t have to wear baby dolls, VitaminWater printed up t-shirts too!

The DJ kept the launch going all night, a VitaminWater wall-decal sticker just adds to the ambiance. (Wall-decal stickers are a new product and haven’t made it to our site yet, so give us a quick call 877.246.3132)

We also printed out a large-format backdrop banner to accomodate all of the red-carpet guest photographs. We’re pleased that Kate from VitaminWater was happy with her Jakprints experience: “Thank you for all that you did to help make this a huge success for us! The branding wouldn’t have looked so good with out all of your hard work.”

No tags

Wedding season is here! A great way to personalize your special day is to create your own custom printed wedding invitation package!

With your own design and a variety of size, stock and finishing options, you can create invitations that that are unique to you and your wedding.

We’ve printed packages that include invites, RSVPs as well as direction cards which detail directions to the ceremony and reception. Another trend we’re noticing is that many brides are skipping the store-bought bridal shower invites and thank-you cards and opting to custom print their own personalized designs.

We also have seen many customers avoid envelope costs by getting creative and making their RSVP a self-mailing postcard.

A classic approach to engagement announcements as well as wedding invites is to use an engagement photo as the highlight of the design. Many customers forgo the traditional one-color printing and opt for full color printing, to give their photo a little more color and excitement.

Though we also print many clean, sophisticated, more traditional single-color work if your wedding may call for something more subtle. If your guest list includes out-of-towners, send a save-the-date card to give them a heads up, also include an accommodations card with their invite so they can plan on booking their stay. (Save the date and accommodation cards are great for destination weddings too.) There are a variety of options and routes for personalizing your invites, call us at 877.246.3132 or contact us online for a custom quote on your own unique wedding invitations!

No tags

IndieMerch and Dan Mumford are teaming up to create Mumford Clothing, and they came to Jakprints to produce t-shirts and posters. This video shows a little behind the scenes action of the process behind this new clothing line, which includes a look at t-shirt screen-printing, embroidery and full color printing.

Hailing from central London, artist Dan Mumford has created some of the most viscerally stunning imagery from his work space in Studio 100, a collective group of artists, illustrators, and graphic designers. Armed with a client list that includes musical standouts The Devil Wears Prada, Bring Me The Horizon, and Gallows, Mumford has also tackled major companies such as Nike and Adidas. He is best known for his cover art for “Homesick,” the largely successful album from A Day To Remember, and his extensive t-shirt work for The Black Dahlia Murder.

Mumford Clothing is a collaboration between Dan Mumford and IndieMerch, the first Series, ‘The Heretic’, a tale of the occult told through the medium of tee’s, will release on the 15th of May 2010. (available at indiemerchstore)

No tags