A labor of love

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go…for screen printing?

That’s right.

Shoved into Gram’s garage—next to a giant 69’ Impala named The Green Hornet—is Northern Light’s very own screen printer, complete with owners Ben and Sarah that are hard at work to bring you the t-shirts, long sleeves, and hoodies that you’ve come to know and love!

When Ben and Sarah decided to take on the ambitious endeavor of screen printing the infamous Northern Light logo and custom artwork on all of their gear, Gram’s house seemed like the best option: plenty of space (minus that damn Impala!), and plenty of quality time with none other than Gram’s herself!

Screen printing can be a tedious and particular process, though, and when perfection and consistency are the goal, practice is key.

And practice they got! That’s right, every single piece of apparel with our logo on it was screen printed by Ben or Sarah.

But it wasn’t the easiest of transitions. It took a lot of repetition (and plenty of mess-ups) for our gear to look as good as it does! Each color on a logo has to be printed onto the shirt separately. The shirt is laid down, and screens with their accompanying colors are rotated and printed onto the fabric. If the shirt moves at all, the image will be misprinted.

But it isn’t just the process that’s hard, seasonal changes in temperature can make a big difference in the texture and thickness of the paint being used, resulting in inconsistencies that just won’t do! As it turns out, Gram’s garage doesn’t have the best insulation—who would’ve guessed?!

But through hell or high waters (and warm or cold weather), Ben and Sarah are bringing you the best that Northern Light has to offer—blood, sweat, and tears not included.

Have any questions about our screen printing process or any fun ideas for custom artwork? Let us know!