SAND ISN’T THE only thing that can be found in suitcases after a tropical vacation. Tourists typically tend to buy souvenirs such as ornaments, shot glasses, and fridge magnets, reminding them of the fun times had. Instead of selling small tchotchkes that would remain in someone’s home or only make an appearance during the holidays, Ryan Meyer, owner of Bikes, Bagels, & Brew (aka B3ars), wanted something that could be worn by his customers year round. The bike business, located in Panama City Beach, Florida, offers bicycle tours, rentals, and sales. So, he called upon Tshirts for Hope based in Fortson, Georgia, to print branded merch for his shop by the beach.
Meyer models the Allmade Navy T-shirt with the design Massey recommended.
Meyer sent his artwork to Amber Massey, owner of Tshirts for Hope, with a design in mind: A version of his logo – a bear holding a coffee mug next to a bicycle – with descriptive text, placed full front in a distressed style. After spending some time with the files and checking out Bikes, Bagels, & Brew’s website (bikebears.com), Massey suggested something different. She grabbed an image from the company’s site (the logo with the text “Beware of Bears”) and placed it on the front left chest, with the original design on the full back of the shirt.
“This design was something we hadn’t thought of,” says Meyer. “The front of the shirt is fun and quirky, and the back of the shirt tells others where to find us. It’s exactly what we were looking for.”
Tshirts for Hope uses water-based ink as an alternative to plastisol ink.
Fifty-two T-shirts were printed on a ROQ You automatic printing press with Ryonet’s water-based Comet White Ink with Green Galaxy Warp Drive Water-Based Low Cure Additive, “so we only have to hit 180 degrees,” says Massey. “It saves us on electricity use. Plus, with water-based ink, our cleanup is literally water and a recycled T-shirt.” Massey printed onto Allmade’s Unisex Tri-Blend Tee in colors Azure, Navy, and Rose.
When Meyer received the set of shirts, he found two extras in olive green and gray – random inventory Massey had in her shop. Because of that added touch and the quality of the end-product, Meyer decided to purchase more shirts in those colors, plus a few reorders.
By going above and beyond with design ideas and sending extra T-shirts, Massey added a returning customer to her client list.
PHOTO GALLERY (17 IMAGES)
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